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newbie question

Unknown
Unknown
edited -0001 30 in EggHead Forum
Okay, here goes. Elementary question. How do you know when the grill is ready for cooking. Started the lump, prepping to do spatchcock chicken. It came up to 350 degrees very quickly. Is it ready or do I wait till coals have light ash. Just seemed too quick.[p]
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,131
    Just a'grillen,
    not sure how you lighted your fire so I gotta go slow here, but when you refer to ash over that is a term about brickets and actually the color comes from exposure of the clay mixed in which the ground up charcoal. Anyway don't expect lump charcoal to take on that characterist. Now are for the time that high temp reached quickly is a false temp and will not be sustained. More than likely you should have also notices white smoke from that period. No, a 350 fire will take 20 -25 minutes at least - but again it depends on how you lit the fire.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    RRP,
    Started the fire in center of lump with Mapp torch. But, reached the 350 in way too short of time. So I let it burn a while and now I've way overshot it and waiting for it to come down. Really sloooowly!
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,131
    Version after proofreading...
    not sure how you lighted your fire so I gotta go slow here, but when you refer to ash over that is a term sued about brickets. Actually the gray color comes from exposure of the clay mixed in with the ground up charcoal along with saltpeter and other yucky stuff. Anyway don't expect lump charcoal to take on that characteristic. The quick high temp reached is a false temp and will not be sustained. More than likely you should have also noticed white smoke from that period. No, a 350 fire will take 20 -25 minutes at least - but again it depends on how you lit the fire. That is, a fire started using a MAPP torch will be much much quicker than a Weber cube started fire.[p]

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  • WessB
    WessB Posts: 6,937
    Just a'grillen,
    As RRP said what you are most likely seeing is the temp of the flames of the firestarter, again depending on what you used, once the starter burns out and the lump begins to light you will see the temp drop and then begin to rise slowly....you want the lower vent wide open and nothing on the top while lighting, once within roughly 50° of your desired temp, add the daisy wheel and begin closing the lower vent in order to NOT overshoot your desired temp..HTH[p]Wess
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  • mollyshark
    mollyshark Posts: 1,519
    Just a'grillen,[p]On a new, clean egg with new charcoal, you can get hot in a hurry. Unless you're going for a 700 degree sear, let it come up a bit slowly, hit the temp, and sit there for a little bit. Sometimes when you just light it there are pretty good size flames coming up. If so, those flames can hit the thermometer and give it a false high reading. Don't look for ash. You may never see it. There isn't all that junk in natural charcoal to turn to ash and you can find yourself after a 20 hr cook with hardly any at all. [p]mShark
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    WessB,
    Too late, already overshot! Waiting for temp to come down now. It's now very sloooow! Wow, I can't believe that mapp torch warmed it up so fast. I actually had it stabilized at 350 for a good 7 minutes then started second guessing myself. [p]Two nigts ago I grilled a couple of strip steaks 1" thick and was eating them within 20 minutes of lighting the lump!
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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Just a'grillen,
    When you get some time, you may find my website helpful. Here's a link to my FAQ:
    TNW
    [ul][li]The Naked Whiz's Ceramic FAQ[/ul]
    The Naked Whiz
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  • The Other Dave
    The Other Dave Posts: 205
    Just a'grillen, Also, be sure the thermometer is calibrated.

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    MollyShark,
    Chicken is on the grill now. I'll just have to keep an eye on it now. Of course the temp dropped while I was putting it on. Patience, patience, patience.[p]Thanks everybody![p]
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  • Kris in Fl
    Kris in Fl Posts: 38
    Just a'grillen,
    You said it - just be patient. I hurried my first SC Chicken and it was terrible....!
    I learned a good lesson: the chicken will let you know when it's done - not your hungry audience :)
    Have a beer and have fun!
    Kris

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Kris in FL,[p]Just finished dinner. It was good but not terrific. Cooked till breast were 170 dgrees and the legs could have stayed a little longer. Don't get me wrong, it was moist and tastey, but need a little more excitement. Maybe chicken pieces with bbq sauce instead. Still, I'm not disappointed, got lots of chicken left for soup and a fruited chicken salad. Thanks everyone for the extra hand.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The Other Dave,
    Yep, caught an earlier post to get that done when I unpacked the egg. Thanks!
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