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getting my egg to temp

MDR
MDR Posts: 55
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I cant seem to get the egg up to temp. I have the vents open & the egg gets up to about 300-350. Ideas please


Thanks
M

Comments

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Make sure fire box holes are not clogged by either ash or lump bits. Make sure the opening at the bottom of the firebox lines up with the bottom vent. Open bottom vent all the way. Light a firebox full of lump. Close dome. Remove daisy wheel. Assuming the Egg has not been sitting uncovered for weeks in the rain, the dome temperature should exceed 350 in about 20 minutes. If you place the daisy on at that point, with the holes full open, the temperature should stop around 450.
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    MDR, Are you using used lump? Often times using lump that has been burned before leaves a bunch of small pieces of lump in all the holes in the lump grate and fire box. You can even have this trouble with freash lump. I have a wiggle stick and use it often to poke up from the bottom and make room for air to come in. Here is a link that may be helpful to you. Tim :)

    FAQ How I stablize my big green egg

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&Itemid=112&func=view&catid=1&id=907880#907880
  • MDR,

    Fire = Fuel + Air. Generally if you can't get the temperature up, or it takes forever to climb, you're having an airflow problem. This can be caused by...

    Ash buildup. Take a look through your draft door. If you see a lot of ash in there, or if you haven't cleaned it out in a couple of cooks, do so. I pull the guts out of mine about once per week (usually 3-4 cooks) and clean out the ash. I just put on an old pair of garden gloves and scoop it out by hand into a bucket, but some people here use an old shop vac or other methods. Be sure to put the firebox back in with the opening lined up with the draft door.

    Clogged vent holes. If you keep adding new lump over old without stirring it up each time to let the buildup of ash and small lump bits fall through, the vent holes in the firebox and fire grate will get filled with these small bits, which restrict the amount of air getting to the fire. If I notice a lot of tiny pieces of lump in my firebox when I'm starting a cook, I'll pull out the bigger pieces to reuse, and throw the rest out. If you have this problem once you've already lit the Egg, made a wiggle stick out of an uncoated coat hanger, put it in through the draft door, and try and clear out the holes you can reach.

    Once you've eliminated the issues above, fill your firebox to the top, or even part way up the fire ring depending on how long a cook you plan to do. Open the draft door all the way, and take the daisy wheel off. Light the lump in 3-4 places, and close the lid. You should be over 700 degrees in 20ish minutes. If you don't want it that hot, put the daisy back on at the appropriate setting before the fire gets that high, and let it stabilize there before you start cooking.

    Hope this helps,

    -John
  • drbbq
    drbbq Posts: 1,152
    You probably just need to use more lump. It's a very common problem with new Eggers.
    Ray Lampe Dr. BBQ