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the quest for 700 degrees plus

texegghead
texegghead Posts: 59
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I have tried numerous times to reach 700 plus degrees on my large egg. The highest I've ever reached 685. I have calibrated my thermometer and made sure I had good air flow. Don't know what to do.
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Comments

  • Pork Butt Mike
    Pork Butt Mike Posts: 2,584
    Why do you need 700 hundred degrees. There is no reason to hit that high temp. Then everone wonders why they have no gasket left. You don't even need that kinda high temp for pizza. 500 degrees is just rigth.
  • I don't want to cook with it, just want to see how hot I can get it. I hear of people getting up to 900 plus. That's all.
  • Jupiter Jim
    Jupiter Jim Posts: 3,351
    Hi texegghead,
    What you need to do is load it up with plenty of lump, like up to the middle of the fire ring. Light in four places, wide open draft door at bottom, wide open on the top no daisy wheel and give it at least 30 to an hour to get up that high. Make sure the cast iron grate in the bottom is clear of ash. Temps that high are very hard on a felt gasket and can melt then. That is how I melted mine. If your egg is on a wood deck be careful with the bottom draft door screen open as burning embers can pop out and set the deck or wood table on fire.
    I only go that high when I forget to keep an eye the egg or burning off a lot of old grease.
    Good luck and be safe.
    Jupiter Jim

    I'm only hungry when I'm awake!

    Okeechobee FL. Winter

    West Jefferson NC Summer

  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    Try using a wiggle rod and like Mike said be careful because if you crank it up just right you will find your dome stuck to your base when it cools off if you are using a felt gasket. No worries we'll help you get it back apart we have before. :laugh:

    Click here and scroll down to learn about the wiggle rod.

    http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/10/thirdhand-grate-lifting-hanging-tool.html
  • I have done everything you mentioned and still no success. I have even cleaned the egg out completely and used all new lump and still nothing. ????
  • I also wanted to see how hot I could get it to so I could test out my Rutland gasket. Got it to 940 and gasket was perfect.
    Large & MiniMax in Lexington, KY
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    Thanks Jim we received that package yesterday. Thank Kay as well. Tim
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Let me suggest that you try different kinds of lump.

    More often than not, I have no problem driving the dome therm past maximum. But my guess for why I couldn't get above 600 a few times is this:

    Air flow is absolutely critical, and some lump produces too much ash, and effectively smothers itself. I've noticed that Cowboy brand is very effective at going to high temps. Cowboy lump starts really easily, doesn't seem to be as dense as others, doesn't produce a huge amount of ash.

    Another type of lump I've used is from compressed coconut charcoal. Fairly hard to start, and very dense. At the end of one cook, where I had maybe a dozen of these disks, I let them go to do a cleansing burn, and saw my gasket melt thru. After shutting down, and letting it cool, I found the disks still there, and used them a second time. So a few small dense pieces with little ash and lots of air space provided an extremely hot fire.

    Do note that the temperature of any burning lump is around 2000F. Even if the dome is only registering 500, food on a lower grill position are probably in about 1500F.
  • I use Royal Oak. Is this a good lump? I could try the Cowboy brand as well. Thanks for the input.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    thats like saying 300 is just right for a steak. 900 plus makes a good pizza, so does 700, so does 500, so does 350, all depends on what kind of pizza and what you want in a pizza. each temp yields different results and different styles need different temps
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Where I live, the 2 most common brands are Cowboy and Royal Oak. If I want a hot fire really fast, I use Cowboy. If I want a fire I know is going to burn lo-n-slo for 24+ hours, I load up with R.O. While it is not the most dense lump I've used, side by side with Cowboy, it feels heavier, makes more of a "thunk" when poured in, instead of a "clink" like Cowboy does sometimes.
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    clean out the egg, make sure there is no ash behind the firebox. dump a fresh load of lump in up the the middle of the fire ring. light in three or more places. open bottom vent all the way. take the daisey cap off the egg and put it on the table. shut the dome. sit down and drink a six pack, about 4 beers in you should be there unless its a really hot day and the beer is really tasting good, then it will take 6 beers :laugh: it will get there faster if you modify the lump grate to sit up higher about a quarter inch either on bolts or bolted on washers, adds air flow around the circumference, maybe someone has a pic of the mod. i just made a bigger lump grate with more holes
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    personal pref. even BGE mentions the ability to 'grill' at 750 o.

    that said, dome temp for searing isn't a 1 to 1. when you sear at 650, you are really searing with 1000+ degree lump. just not as much 1000+ degree lump as when searing at higher temps.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • NC-CDN
    NC-CDN Posts: 703
    I get my dome up to 700/750 plus anytime I leave it for more than 15 minutes with the top and bottom vents open. This is just with Royal Oak lump bought at Wallyworld. Never have an issue. I light it in 2 spots and call it a day. I just use those white cubes or other starter. Simple as that for me.
  • PhilsGrill
    PhilsGrill Posts: 2,256
    My car says it will do 160 MPH, but I haven't tried it.
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    and therefore you aren't qualified to comment on the benefits of traveling at 160mph :laugh:
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    i raced a corvette once and won with my dodge dart 4 door primer red granny mobile, maxed out somewhere around 130 plus a little. did you used to own a vette :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    my brother raced a buddy in his camaro to salisbury beach. at one point he was going 140 ('70 chevelle ss)

    said total highway time was 7 minutes (dunno ifthat's true)

    nuts. said he was scared to death and basically just 'pointing' the car. you don't steer at 140 he said.

    i took the showcase cinema exit at about 120 in an audi coupe. speed like that is for stupid 20 year old kids. which i was at the time (passenger, too) :ermm:
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    i think i got about 4 miles to the gallon at 130, good thing i did it back then :laugh: :laugh: once popped it in reverse while going a buck, longest rollback you would ever see, must have gone a third mile going forward in reverse snaking the rubber from side to side before it started going back. tough car, no traffic on that route back then at night:laugh: :laugh: the truck does 89 if your going down hill :whistle:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    i bet you knew my brother...
    salem high. that green SS with white stripes. he raced all the time. :laugh:
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Dat's jes craziness to go higher

    DSC_0076-1.jpg

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • NC-CDN
    NC-CDN Posts: 703
    Steve....showoff. :laugh:
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    Interesting comments above...

    Getting the dome temperature to over 700° and up to 1100° or higher isn't all that hard. IMO it's not necessary but that's beside the point.

    The formula is simple. Heat = oxygen/air and fuel.

    I have RO, Cowboy and South of the border Mesquite out this way. I tend to use RO if at all possible. If I don't mind a mesquite flavor then mesquite. Cowboy seems to be the least aroma type lump.

    There are always comments that Cowboy lights quick, burns hot but doesn't last very long. I feel that all those characteristics are due to the shape of the pieces in the bags. Cowboy thin rectangular shape (flooring) seems to leave large air spaces in-between the pieces which if we keep the foumula above in mind allows/promotes, quick lighting, hot burning and shorter burn time. The burn time is most likely to again to the shape, if there are a lot of air pockets in the lump bed there is less lump in the fire box. More air pockets allow quicker lighting and the ability to reach higher temperatures.

    RO will light fast and burn hot as ling as the holes in the fire box and fire grate are not blocked.

    There have been a lot of comments about using large size lump and such. However, I have saved old used lump very small in size (smaller than the thumb to the first joint) and ran a test.

    On my large I have not cleaned outside and behind the fire box in 3 to 4 years now. However, I did clean out the ash under the fire grate and loaded the small used pieces in the egg up to the holes in the fire box. I lit the lump left and right of center using oil and paper towel. Again, all small and used lump - RO.

    Here are the results.

    Fast light and quick time to high temperatures. The flame up is due to having the dome open when taking pictures.

    smalllumptst4.jpg

    smalllumptst3.jpg

    smalllumptst1.jpg

    The point is most lump will take the egg hot as long as there is adequate air flow. Make or buy a wiggle rod, I didn't need to use one on this test, and use it when the fire stalls or is slow to get to temperature.

    If you see a nice red glow in the lump bed the heat at lump level is about 1,100°. If you see an orange, lava look in the lump bed the temperature can be as high as 1,800° and a white or almost a white look the temperature is about 2,000°. If you see an orange or white look in the lump you will most likely be seeing blue flame leaping out to the top dome.

    If you are trying to get a hot temperature for a sear there are many ways to accomplish the searing temperatures without taking the dome thermometer to 'nuclear' temperatures. 350° dome will to a great high temperature sear as long as you get the food close to the surface of the lump bed.

    GG
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    I've done close to 100 tests with different brands of charcoal to see how hot they burn. I use a medium Egg sitting in a nest that prevents me from opening the bottom vent all the way. I have never ever had a charcoal that couldn't get over 800 degrees.

    I don't vacuum out the ash, just scrape most of it out. Of course, one thing that is always in my favor is that I am always burning new lump with no existing lump in the Egg. I.e., no ash in the fire itself.

    But like I say, FWIW.
    The Naked Whiz
  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    I have read MOST of the replies.You say you cleaned it out and used FRESH lump.Did you remove the GUTS(Firering,Firebowl and bottom grate) and completely clean out the base before reinstalling the GUTS?Did you make SURE that the opening in the Firebox was allighned with your bottom vent.I was at a egghead gathering and someone(unbeknownst to me)cleaned out my Egg for me.When they put the Firebox back in the hole in the Firebox was not properly lined up with the bottom vent.(Thanks Ripnem!)It drove me CRAZY until I figured out what had happened.I can set my vents from memory to within 10 degrees of where I want it to be from 220 to 550.I have no problems reaching MAX termometer temps.If you fry the gasket,good for you,they are useless.If you have no gasket,you can not have a gasket problem! ;) Just a thought. :)
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    OHHHH WEEEEEEEE A man could get drunk liting his egg. :woohoo:

    About the lump grate mod. Are you saying add 3 or 4 bolts to the lump grate so the bolts rest on the bottom of the egg base and that in turn lets the lump grate sit above the fire box 1/4 inch?
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    Holy sheep nuggets batman if the kids in my neighborhood had that car "they would be trying it". :woohoo:
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    markal123 came up with the idea a few years ago
    Markkal123firegrate.jpg
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    best way ive seen it is drill three bolt holes on near the outer edge and put a bolt and washer on so that the washer sticks out past the edge, the grate sits higher on the washer
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it