Temp. regulation

Unknown · December 2004

I have owned my large BGE for a couple of weeks now and absolutely love it. I know it will take so practice with regulating temperature, but was wondering if anyone had any helpful hints. I have a dual function metal top and I am having trouble regulating temps around 350 or 400. It also seems like it takes a very long time for it to intially fall to those levels after bringing the temp to around 700 to sear steaks and such. Maybe I just need a little more practice, but any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

AZ Geoff · December 2004

Moses Porterfield,
After searing steaks, I use the ceramic "rain cap" that came with my Egg. Close off the bottom vent and use the rain cap and it cools off pretty fast.[p]AZ Geoff

The Naked Whiz · December 2004

<p />Moses Porterfield,
The ceramic holds a lot of heat, and indeed it will take time to slide back down from 700 to 350, depending on how long you have had it at 700. In the chart above, you can see how long it took the cooker to drop from 700 when the starting temperature of the ceramic was 275 degrees as measured on the dome near the thermometer, vs when it was 160 degrees. Below is a link with some hints and tips on temperature control. HTH
TNW
[ul][li]Temperature Control[/ul]

Unknown · December 2004

Thanks AZ and Whiz. Whiz, I had just begun reading your site about temp control when I saw this. Thanks again.

sprinter · December 2004

Moses Porterfield,[p]This is always a pretty controversial topic and others can chime in with their methods but I ALWAYS control the temperature of the egg with the bottom vent. I have a dual top as you do, and for low and slow usually only have it open on the holes, but I rarely cook with any top on at all for things around 300 or higher.[p]My theory is that if you control the amount of air coming IN to the fire you can control the heat of the fire. Less air, less heat. This also allows you to cook with "clean" smoke, not smoke that has circulated around the egg 3 or 4 times. The air comes in, ignights with the fire, creates smoke and heat, cooks the food, and out the top it goes.[p]If you use the TOP to control the heat, by itself, they you are smothering the fire, thus creating a LOT of extra smoke. The fire has enough air to breathe well and get hot, however, it chokes itself out as the smoke that is created has noplace to go.[p]The opening in the top has to be as large or larger than the amount of air let in to get an efficient fire with good clean smoke. If you damper down the top and dont let OUT as much air as you let IN, you will start to choke out the fire, create excessive smoke and make an inefficient fire.[p]This is JUST THE WAY I DO THINGS, its not gospel or based on any proven heat/combustion theories etc. nor do I want to try and prove otherwise. Its just the method thats worked for me. Others swear by using the top only to control the fire, leaving the bottom wide open. Whatever works.[p]Hope this helps, you'll find a method that works for you, just keep plugging away and make notes of the things that you do.[p]Troy

fishlessman · December 2004

sprinter,
i agree, regulating from the bottom gives a nice clean smoke for your food, never tested, but reciculating old moist smoke by regulating from the top would yeild a bitter falvor. just my opinion
also a wide open bottom vent would be harder to control on windy days, and as a safety issueyou would be more prone to burn those bare feet in the summer

Toy Man · December 2004

MickeyT's rings are the best way I have found.[p]#6 = 325-350[p]Toy Man

Temp. regulation

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