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How long does it take for the egg to cool down...

Grandpas Grub
Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
 
Often there is questions about getting the egg too hot then trying to cool it down for a cook.

You will see below that if an egg is taken too hot it is going to take a long time to cool down. A nervous user can make many vent changes and eventually completely kill the lump without realizing. And the egg will still be hot. The brisket was about 40° to 45° when it went of the grate.

Here is a graph showing a brisket cook I had. I got the egg too hot but had to get the brisket on for cooking.

This is the stoker log recording the cook. I got the egg to 270° dome (red/pit line) and put the packer on the grate (green line). Probe in the point and flat. Vertical lines at the bottom are fan duty cycle.

Even with the cold Packer on the grate it took almost 8 hours for the egg to cool down from enough to demand air blown into lump bed. 270° down to 250°. There was a short fan on time at 2:15 hrs. but that's it.

The DigiQ blower will allow free air to pass through the blower into the lump. However, the Stoker's blower has a flapper door that pretty much eliminates air passing through the blower.

brisketlog.jpg

This is why folks will say get your egg stable before putting the meat on.

GG

Comments

  • Longrifle
    Longrifle Posts: 130
    I want to smoke a butt next weekend. How long do I need to have a stable temp of 250 before I put the butt on? Also, do I put the wood chunks in with the lump or put it on the outside edge of the lump? So far I love the BGE. The only other way I have smoked butts is with Brinkman water smoker.
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
     I have a stoker and digiq so I really don't worry about the stabilizing time too much, 15 to 20 minutes. But you see what happens above.

    I would let the egg be get stable and hold for 25 to 45 minutes.

    If you add flavor wood after the egg is stable that will change the stabilization of the egg and air flow up through the lump bed.

    Put the chips/chunks in the lump before lighting. I put it in a pile but a lot of people scatter it through the lump. Scattering it is probably a safer method. You don't need to soak the chips/chunks and no need to use water/liquid.

    You will like the difference over the brinkman.

    GG
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Hi!

    The Brinkman was what I had before getting the Egg. The Brinkman was good, but the Egg is in a whole different class.

    I usually wait about 1/2 hr. More if using a platesetter, but most often I just use a drip pan.

    Check how the temp is doing every 4 hours. Usually, there is only a small change, but its good to catch a fire going out, or one that has crept up to 300.
  • BBQMaven
    BBQMaven Posts: 1,041
    I cook without a blower (naked) and put chunks throughout the pile (bottom to top) of lump before I light it. Once lit in the center, lid open till a good red edges are seen on the lump, add place setter - spacers - drip pan, and rack. Close lid and bring temp to 250 and let it hold for 30-45 mins. When I put the meat on - NEVER move the upper or lower vent settings - the temp drops and it takes an hour or so to come back to where it was stable (the cold meat is pulling all the heat.) I've tried 225 but had issues with fire and took too long.
    Kent Madison MS
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Am I reading the graph correctly? The smooth curves are the flat and point temps. The green line is the grill temperature, and the red is the dome?

    Are the sudden dips, like before hour siz, a quick dome opening? Likewise at "15-o'clock" for saucing?
  • Longrifle
    Longrifle Posts: 130
    BBQMaven wrote:
    I cook without a blower (naked) and put chunks throughout the pile (bottom to top) of lump before I light it. Once lit in the center, lid open till a good red edges are seen on the lump, add place setter - spacers - drip pan, and rack. Close lid and bring temp to 250 and let it hold for 30-45 mins. When I put the meat on - NEVER move the upper or lower vent settings - the temp drops and it takes an hour or so to come back to where it was stable (the cold meat is pulling all the heat.) I've tried 225 but had issues with fire and took too long.


    Thanks to all for the advice. A couple of remaining questions. How do I stop the DFMT from moving when I open the lid? And for 250 the lower vent should be between 1/4 and 1/8" open and the upper shoud have the little holes open about an eighth or so. Does that sound like it's in the correct ballpark?
  • BBQMaven
    BBQMaven Posts: 1,041
    Yes those setting sound right... each Egg has it's own sweet spot...

    As for making the DFMT not move... put the screw swivel on the handle side of the top and make sure it lines up with the hinge/handle... that way it when you open the top it is the HIGH point and wont move.

    somewhere there is a pic of it... I think thirdeye has one... but you should be able to figure it out by playing with it.
    Kent Madison MS
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    I liked my brinkman...
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    The Naked Whiz has a tip about the DFMT. Google nakedwhiz don't use 'the' in the search.

    Put the phillips screw closest to the handle and usually the slider and petals won't move from that position. It is always a good habit to look at the settings on the daisy before opening and again after the dome is closed again.

    GG
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Yup, smooth point and tip. The steep dips are dome open, I turned off showing the 'auto notes' as the graph sometimes gets too crowded when posted.

    The green crossing the red I discovered the grate probe got within about a 1/4" of the cool meat, I ended up repositioning that probe. I kicked the heat up to 300° then 350° at the end of the cook to get the meat finished.

    Here is the cook
    ldbrisket1.jpg

    ldbrisket3.jpg

    ldbrisket4.jpg

    The meat was moist and very tender when being eaten.
  • Longrifle
    Longrifle Posts: 130
    To all.....Thanks for the info. With the Brinkman that I used I put apple juice and Jim beam in the water pan along with the water to kick it up a click. Do any of you use a "water" pan for areomatic purposes? And do any of you baste when smoking with the BGE? With the Brinkman I did not baste. I just shoved the themoniter in and pressed on until the alarm went off. Most of the time did not even look at the pork/brisket until the alarm said the vittles were at temp. Thanks again, :cheer:
  • Longrifle
    Longrifle Posts: 130
    This site needs a transporter so we can enjoy the "cooks" of the members. I just bit my laptop trying to get that and chipped a tooth. That looks great!!! :woohoo: :woohoo:
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    Transporter function would be great. I would love to taste some of the foods posted.