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Controlling Temps

EddieK76
EddieK76 Posts: 416
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am having the hardest time maintaining a temp. Here is what I do and maybe I'm doing something wrong. And I have yet to do a a low and slow cook. I've either made Pizzas or steak.

Anyhow, I open up the dome and light lump. Let that go for about 10 minutes with the dome open. I then close the dome and have both the bottom and the daisy wide open.

I get up to 600 about 50 degrees shy of where I want to be for Pizza and close the bottom damper to only the screen part but still all the way open just the screen part though. And put the daisy wheel on but the holes wide open and temps take a quick substantial nose dive.

What am I doing wrong? I want to make sure I have temp control down perfectly for when I do low and slow and I feel like I'm struggling.
Large BGE

Comments

  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    To keep 650 degrees, you need more airflow and you need to open the slider on the top vent some.
    The Naked Whiz
  • EddieK76
    EddieK76 Posts: 416
    Okay so when I wanna do a low and slow.

    Get it up to 250 and close the bottom damper to almost 1/4? or less and the daisy over the top but holes wide open?
    Large BGE

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    For all of my cooks, 325° and up, I control with lower vent only. Top is wide open (no DFMT at all).

    For 250° lo n slo, bottom is about 1/16-1/8", top is completely closed except daisy petals open about 1/16".

    Works for me.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • I agree. What ^ said

    Large BGE, Santa Maria Pit, Hasty-Bake Gourmet, MAK One Star Pellet Pooper,  26" Weber, 22" Weber Performer.  Most have custom handles made by me.

    http://www.amlwoodart.com

    "Just living from one cook to the next"

  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Please, Calibrate your dome thermometer, if you don't know how, ask.

    There are many ways to reach any given temperature and any method is fine. I tend to use the lower vent for course temperature control and the DFMT to fine tune the final temperature.

    Hopefully the following will give new users a head start in learning to control and stabilize their egg.

    The following are settings on my Large. The setting for my medium, small and mini settings will vary somewhat.

    A stable clean burn can be seen by looking at the dome pictures below. You want a clear or light blue smoke coming out of the egg.

    265° Using 1/16” open lower vent
    eggsettings265_1-16.jpg

    315° Using 1/16” open lower vent
    eggsettings315notop.jpg

    The following have a larger lower vent opening

    250°
    eggsettings255.jpg

    300°
    eggsettings300.jpg

    370°
    eggsettings370.jpg

    390°
    eggsettings390.jpg

    I need to open the lower vent to go higher. 450°

    eggsettings455.jpg

    GG
  • Longrifle
    Longrifle Posts: 130
    Carolina Q wrote:
    For all of my cooks, 325° and up, I control with lower vent only. Top is wide open (no DFMT at all).

    For 250° lo n slo, bottom is about 1/16-1/8", top is completely closed except daisy petals open about 1/16".

    Works for me.

    Q,
    Thanks for this information I have only completed one cook as of today but I was noticing that the lower vent was controlling my temp just fine without messing with the DFMT. I was wondering if that was normal. I did some potatoes at 400 then jumped to 650 for same dagwood hamburgers.

    How long does it take to get the temp to stablize at 250? And when you put the meat on does the temp drop? If it does do you have to make adj or just wait for the temp to come back up? Thanks
    Mac
  • tacodawg
    tacodawg Posts: 335
    I bought one of these for my slo long cooks. It is much easier to adjust the air flow in small increments. I only use it for low temps but it makes it real easy to adjust and keep track of.
    photo-18.jpg
  • Judy Mayberry
    Judy Mayberry Posts: 2,015
    Tim, I got one too and have only used it once. In spite of a problem with having it seal off the vent, it held the temp perfectly for 1-1/2 hours.

    I have an old simple Guru for low and slow, but next time I do one I'm going to use this Micro Adaptor during daylight hours so I can see how it does on a long haul. I have great hopes for it.
    Judy in San Diego
  • Judy Mayberry
    Judy Mayberry Posts: 2,015
    Mac:

    For 250°, start closing down the vents gradually when it gets to 200°. If you wait too long it will shoot past 250° and you waste a lot of time getting it to cool down.

    When you put meat on, it takes a lot of restraint NOT to tinker with the vents. You're right, leave it alone and the temp will stabilize on its own. If it doesn't end up just where you want it, THEN do some adjusting.
    Judy in San Diego
  • tacodawg
    tacodawg Posts: 335
    No guru or other devices yet. Still pretty new to the egg. I really like how simple it is. I keep track of all my cooks writing down the temps and where the top and bottom vents are. It makes it pretty simple to get to a specific temp. I only use the micro adjuster for long cooks. Much easier to adjust, say it's a little hot close down 1/2 hole and wait.
  • You got it backwards its not what yor doing wrong its what your doing right... B)

    Your getting to know your egg, how it cooks how it acts and how it feels. :)

    Easy way to remember=

    Bottom = B = Big
    Top = T = Tiny

    Bottom Big Temp Variations
    Top is for Tiny Temp Variations as well as to increase or decrease Smoke saturations.

    First Not all eggs are created equal. Advice given is a great general rule of thumb but the best rule of thumb is to play around with your egg.

    Practice, just like a sport...want to get real goood cook water...Better yet cook food :silly:

    Some of us have old eggs, old fireboxes, thermometers uncalibrated and or broken (I cooked with a broke thermometer for a long time), older designs, some have a tiny or none or full gaskets, most have cracked fireboxes or ring which let air in at diff points and rates. Some have daisy wheels some have dfmt some use the green cap..

    Bottom line These diff while minor can make the exact answer of "how to" difficult to answer. But we can get you close.

    Remember you are doing it right your not wrong..Your getting to know your egg...

    I used to use the silly green top I got with my egg to control temps. Why I dont know, but it came with it...Put a wet towel on there (Yes it would dry pretty quick but it worked) and lift it on and off every time I wanted to change..Many moons ago..Just like Ive been cooking with my draft door on wrong for 2 years why I dont know but I make it work cause I know my partner and friend, the BGE.

    There are tons of folks to help you on here, just as in life. But only you will know your egg and how it cooks the best.

    You may be doing everything right but your lump may be damp, may have a whole plugged..Again its not wrong dont try to be Alton Brown over night...
    www.finandflame.com

    www.oldfishinglure.com