Temperature regulation

terrafirmay

I am having trouble regulating the temperature in my large Egg. Mostly, it is too hot. Please tell me how far you open the bottom and top vents to obtain various temperatures. Thanks.

jwitheld

Terrafirmay,
start slowly, sneak up on the temp.
1/4 inch top and bottom will give about 250.
give the ceramics time to equalize.
patience, patience.

StubbyQ

First things first. Make sure your BGE temp gauge is reading right. Set with a pan of boiling water and the regulator nut on the back. Water boils at 212° at sea level so when it boils read and adjust the temp gauge with the nut on the (7/16). Instructions a in the BGE cookbook.[p]Next, don't let the fire get to hot. You do that by regulating the top and bottom vents. The top, if you have a daisy wheel, will be almost closed for a 225° setting. Shut the wheel part and adjust the slide to about the width of a house key. The bottom vent will be anything between 1/16 to 1/4 inch.[p]Think of it like this. The air enters the bottom and exits the top. You control that natural draft with the vents. The lower you go the tighter you shut them. The hotter you want to be the more open they should be. It just takes playing with the vents to learn how much and when.[p]The trick here is to not let the egg get over your target temp. If it starts getting to hot shut all the vents and wait for it to drop. The egg takes a long time to cool down so you need to conrol it and not let it go to much over what you want. Also the dome temp is anywhere from 50-100° different from the actual temp at grill level. Bear this in mind. You might think you're cooking at 225° but the temp at the grill may only be 190-200°.[p]The best way to regulate it is get a BBQ Guru. it does all the hard work for you. You can sleep at night knowing your fire is not going to go out.[p]This is not a plug for the Guru it's just what a lot of use when we cook. It works great and is worth every penny. You can do it without it but it's so much easier with it.
[ul][li]BBQ Guru[/ul]

Unknown

Terrafirmay, this link shoud be very helpful, has pics and all...

[ul][li]whizbangers website[/ul]

terrafirmay

Terrafirmay, This is what I understand; please tell me if it is correct: I open the bottom vent fully, light my charcoal with the electric lighter, and keep the dome top open until the charcoal is lit. Then, I close the dome top and adjust the bottom and top vents to about a quarter to a half inch opening and let the fire stabilize. Do the bottom and top vents always have similar openings? Do you get a sooty flavor with a small top vent opening?.[p]How do you cook a steak or lamb chops? Do you keep the vents wide open to sear and then continue to cook at seven hundred and fifty degrees? How do you cook chicken breasts?[p]Thanks.