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Fire Help

IQthere4iam
IQthere4iam Posts: 106
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am a bit confused and can find no solid instruction (step by step) on gettting my egg to 250 degrees.

After I cooked my buffalo chicken last night on the BGE If figured I woudl see how easy it was to get to 250. I fought with it for 1.5 hours and finally got to 250 but the fire smelled a bit funny, almost chemical, or maybe thats just the smell of the BGE lump. I did save the settings of my top cap and bottom door for use today, should be the same right?

I dont understand how this works, it seems if you have coals that are red hot and you shut the lid even with bottom door almost shut and top vent shut that the grill is going to immediatly heat up to 400+ and stay at that temp.

Or is it, get the fire hot then almost snuff it out?

can someone (everyone) give me their steps.

1)light fire
2)let flames burn out
3)add wood chips
4)shut the lid
5)

Thanks
Steve
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Comments

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    i light the fire in one spot, my wood is already mixed into the lump under the fire, in the middle of the egg.

    light fire, dome open just long enough to see that the napkin/oil is fully lit (still have flames). shut lid, set vents roughly half closed. come back in a few minutes and teases the vents shut, eventually capping (never going over) 250.

    to be honest, most times i light the fire, immediately shut the lid, and immediately set vents for 250. then i go in and prep the ribs or butts.

    if you grilled at 400, then your fire was much bigger than it would be for 250, and you basically need to wring its neck and choke it til it dropped. that means you have to almost kill the fire, and let the dome itself cool off. when you kill a fire, you cause what's lit to stop burning efficiently. that's your chemical smell (blow out a candle and you'll get smoke where there was none, and it won't smell good).

    sneak up on low temps, never try to take a tractor trailer that's going 100 and try to stop it on a dime.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • milesofsmiles
    milesofsmiles Posts: 1,377
    OK, Here we go again. Using an ash tool stir down all the dead, cold, ash into the bottom of your egg. Open the s.s. sliding door and rake out the ashes. Re-fill your egg up to the bottom of the fire ring. I use the fire starter cubes. At 12 , 3 and o'clock. Lite and leve the bottom s.s. open for a few min's. At this time you should have fire. Careful fire is hot, close the top dome with the DFMT off till all nasty balck and smelly smoke is gone, this step will take several mins. during this step, go prep sumpin, or drink a cold one. All the while keep an eye on the PRE-calabrated temp guage. I've said to much for now. By. :):)
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  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Reminds me of the jet engine days of a tight gasket. Just fastened a new fancy rutland and expect to hear the reverse thrusters again soon. :P Tell tale sign is the purple fire ball reaching through the screen or mostly shut vent. :ohmy:
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  • IQthere4iam
    IQthere4iam Posts: 106
    Oh I see. So I am not coolng the fire or putting out but rather not letting the fire get that hot.

    milesofsmiles, I dont know what DFMT is :ermm:
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  • Rusty Rooster
    Rusty Rooster Posts: 1,239
    Dual Function Metal Top
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    when i shut my raging fire down, dropping the dome with th lower vent already shut and the chimney cap on, the air will hiss across the rutland as the fire is immediately choked. i open th next day with no real loss of lump. that sucker is damn near airtight
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    The daisy wheel. It is "dual function" something or other :).

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    yes. i does no good, and much harm, to "let the fire get going odd" before trying to dial back to 250.

    you'd never put the broiler on high in your oven and then suddenly try to dial back immediately just to 250, right?

    thou shalt not over think it. it is but a grill. air in=air out. more air, hotter fire. less air, smaller fire.

    play around with it and have fun
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • IQthere4iam
    IQthere4iam Posts: 106
    Dual Function Metal Top ...DOH! :ohmy:

    Thanks for all the help
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  • FSM-Meatball
    FSM-Meatball Posts: 215
    Exactly... The advantage of the BGE is that the ceramic holds heat very well. Getting the temp down is nearly impossible. and Opening the lid doesn't help because that creates MORE airflow over the coals which gets them hotter.

    You will learn how to slowly get to the temp you want. You should start the fire, let it accelerate at first to get started then as you approach the desired temp, choke it down. Don't let it go over (by much).

    I have only had my BGE for about 3 months, and I am just getting the hang of maintaining temp. Its actually hard to keep it at 250, you have to have a well built fire and the vents will be almost closed. Its easier to get ot to stay at 500 :)

    Check out this link-
    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=746823&catid=1
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  • IQthere4iam
    IQthere4iam Posts: 106
    VERY helpful link thanks!!
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  • IQthere4iam
    IQthere4iam Posts: 106
    Well I started it. We shall see what happens. I am keeping and log to record my path to greatness.

    Thanks
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  • IQthere4iam
    IQthere4iam Posts: 106
    2 hours and holding steady at 275
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