Start EGG with Dome open?

wmd36 · January 2011

Should I leave the dome open on the EGG for a while or shut it right away after a few pieces get lit?

Kentucky Wildcat Fan · January 2011

Shut it with top and bottom wide open

Florida Grillin Girl · January 2011

I leave it open til I see some flames. Then I close the lid and clamp down the vents when the temperature is 50 degrees away from the target temp. I am usually in a hurry and the closed dome way takes too long for me!

stike · January 2011

if you are doing a low-and-slow, AND have the starter cubes, you will be better off starting dome open for a bit, because those cubes tend to snuff out with low air flow. they will then smolder and produce a lot of waxy white smoke (which is obvious in its not-so-great smellitudiness).

if you are lighting it any other way, best to shut the dome, establishing draft early.

for me, the starter cubes (or chunks of fire log, like i used to use) skate too close to going out and simply smoldering. your fire will actually still start fine, but it will take a long time to burn off the starter cubes. and that smoke takes a long while to clear.

dome open, it gets good air. use fewer starter cubes, too, if you are doing a low and slow. that helps limit the smoke

stevesails · January 2011

I have found that the fire will get burning nicely, if i leave the dome open for about 10 minutes.
I have a xl, your results my vary.

vidalia1 · January 2011

I light my BGE in 3-4 spots with my MAPP torch. I leave the egg open for 5-10 minutes, then close the lid and close vents to their desired location & temps...ready to cook in about 20 minutes usually... after "bad" smoke has cleared...

EggerFromIowa · January 2011

I tend to leave mine open in the winter time for a good 20 minutes. But in the summer I close it once the fire gets going. For some reason, I have a difficult time getting my fire going at 10 degrees Fahrenheit.:) With the lid open, I can watch it from the kitchen.

Chief Chef · January 2011

I use one starter cube broken into two pieces. Lid, bottom and top wide open for about 10 minutes. Close the lid and start adjusting both vents as target temp approaches. As far as I can tell,cold temps makes no measureable impact on startup.

Cagey · January 2011

I have been lighting my egg using alcohol lately. It seems to work just as well as a MAPP, and my wife does not mind lighting the egg this way. She did not like using the torch. The only thing that I do different than in the video is that I punch a small hole in the foil cover of the alcohol bottle with a tooth-pick, and just squirt the alcohol onto the lump directly from the bottle. Here is the link if you wish to try this method.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=821771&catid=1#

Cruezn · January 2011

I use an electric starter or olive oil soaked paper towels. On a hotter fire, I tend to leave open to get the fire going good, and then shut down after the flames start. If I'm doing a low and slow cook, I tend to shut it down pretty quick so the temp doesn't spike. Like one of the others

thirdeye · January 2011

Even though this picture shows stuff cooking, I also block the lid open about this far when I'm starting the fire.

Start EGG with Dome open?

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