Temp out of control?!?

njl · September 2012

I was just doing some turbo spare ribs. I had a drip pan with 8oz apple juice + 24oz water under them on the plate setter. I wanted 350F dome, but couldn't seem to get more than 320F...so I started them there. After 1 hour, dome was up to 350F. I'd planned to foil (boat) them and put them back in. By the time I had them setup in the boat, I noticed dome was up to 500F. I mostly shut the top and bottom vents and waited, but gave up after 30 minutes with dome still holding steady at 450F. I even grabbed another thermometer to make sure the dome meter was correct. I gave up and just put the boat in the oven at 350F.

Did this happen because I had so much liquid in the drip pan, that I was having to run a much hotter fire than usual...or did the fire just get out of control in the time it took me to transfer the 6 half slabs from the V-rack to a baking sheet? I've never had this problem before.

I figure by this time, they already got all the smoke they're getting, so it's not a big deal to move to the oven...but still, a little embarrassing. I figure if it cools enough, I'll sauce and finish them on the egg.

Ragtop99 · September 2012

Its easy to overshoot when you add food and the liquid when doing indirect. That's a lot of mass to start absorbing heat. 320* is so close to 350* that I'd suggest setting the vents to where you hold 350* and not worry about it. The egg can be slow to respond and its tempting to open the vents too much to push it along. If you had peaked under the plate setter, you probably would have seen a much bigger fire than you expected.

lousubcap · September 2012

+1 with Ragtop99- it's all about air-flow and the feedback loop!

Grill Sargent · September 2012

One tip that works for me is to first heat the liquid I'm going to use in the drip pan. This really helps on the low and slow cooks.

Fred19Flintstone · September 2012

I'm curious about adding liquid to the drip pan at all. I'm kinda new to the Egg, but I've smoked with a Weber kettle with a Smokenator. Water is required in that rig or your food dries up and you get jerky. The Egg, in my limited experience, doesn't need any liquid to keep the food moist. Just keep the lid closed. If the issue is flavor, I would mop instead.

Skiddymarker · September 2012

Fred19Flintstone said:

I'm curious about adding liquid to the drip pan at all. I'm kinda new to the Egg, but I've smoked with a Weber kettle with a Smokenator. Water is required in that rig or your food dries up and you get jerky. The Egg, in my limited experience, doesn't need any liquid to keep the food moist. Just keep the lid closed. If the issue is flavor, I would mop instead.

Yep, if you want to steam them, use a double boiler, if you want to BBq them, use and egg and a mop.

njl · September 2012

My rationale for the liquid in the drip pan is:

a) drippings falling into water don't burn up
b) water + some juice boiling under the meat might impart some flavor to the meat

Mostly for a though. I also wanted to be able to use the drip pan as the boat...and that'd be nasty if it was full of carbonized drippings from the first half of the cook.

I guess I could just foil the plate setter next time and let the drippings burn up.

MrCookingNurse · September 2012

I still have not found my go to rib recipe but have notice that when I had a gtt pan with liquid in it they were too moist if that makes any sense and had no bark. Just mushy rub.

Skiddymarker · September 2012

njl said:

My rationale for the liquid in the drip pan is:

a) drippings falling into water don't burn up
b) water + some juice boiling under the meat might impart some flavor to the meat

Mostly for a though. I also wanted to be able to use the drip pan as the boat...and that'd be nasty if it was full of carbonized drippings from the first half of the cook.

I guess I could just foil the plate setter next time and let the drippings burn up.

Sound logic, but sometimes may not go the way you want.

I suppose there is a difference between a drip pan and a water pan, the former is to catch drips, the latter is to try and add flavour/moisture. IMHO, the egg does not need the latter.

My drip pan is always up off the setter, some folks on the forum use wads of foil, or a stack of washers. I use a dollar store 9"X9" cooling rack. Adds 1/2" air space between the setter and the drip pan. The drips do not drop and burn as they would hitting either a hot foil wrapped or naked setter.

I think your dome temp rose when you took the rib and liquid mass out, ribs <200F. If you had put the boated ribs back in, I bet the temp would have come down to where you wanted it, in other words you needed to get something cooler than the dome in there to cool the dome. Remember an empty egg, snuffed out completely will take hours to cool.

gdenby · September 2012

I understand your desire to keep the drippings from burning. As mentioned, it helps to have whatever is catching the drippings elevated slightly from something doing the indirect blocking. However, they still can burn. But, I only add water if I don't hear the drippings simmering and sizzling.

There really isn't any need to add moisture when cooking in an Egg. All it does is slow down the cooking. And if you want the additional flavor, just mop the food with the desired liquid. That too will slow the cooking down, but will add a lot more flavor than vapors, and also insure the food does not become dessicated.

As far as the temperature jump, what I have noticed is that the Eggs temperature rise is geometric in rate. It can take "forever" to get to 250, even w. the vents at maximum. However, I usually find that an Egg w.o. a platesetter can easily jump from 400 to 500 in a few minutes.

As far as the early lower temperature, I would expect that from the mass of cooled evaporating water. Filling the dome w. water vapor at 212 can't help but drop the temperature.

FWIW, the smoke flavor continues to accumulate on the food for as long as it is in the cooker, and as long as the surface does not dry out, the smoke elements will continue to penetrate the food. While I appreciate the turbo technique for making good food faster, the few times I've tried it, the end flavor has not been quite as intense.

lousubcap · September 2012

FWIW, the smoke flavor continues to accumulate on the food for as long as it is in the cooker, and as long as the surface does not dry out, the smoke elements will continue to penetrate the food. While I appreciate the turbo technique for making good food faster, the few times I've tried it, the end flavor has not been quite as intense.
I agree with the above 100%-if time is the issue then turbo will get you to the finish-line-but I plan for the long duration low&slows-something about adult supervision and a beverage or two

>-

Ragtop99 · September 2012

Skiddymarker said:

Fred19Flintstone said:

I'm curious about adding liquid to the drip pan at all. I'm kinda new to the Egg, but I've smoked with a Weber kettle with a Smokenator. Water is required in that rig or your food dries up and you get jerky. The Egg, in my limited experience, doesn't need any liquid to keep the food moist. Just keep the lid closed. If the issue is flavor, I would mop instead.

Yep, if you want to steam them, use a double boiler, if you want to BBq them, use and egg and a mop.

I agree.

A drip pan fashioned from aluminum foil slightly elevated off the plate setter / stone works for me. I give it a quick spray of Pam (I'm not sure why but I think it might help reduce burning). Next morning when the egg is cool I wad it up and throw it in the trash.

Duganboy · September 2012

I'm convinced that most of the people on here who think that a pan with liquid helps their cooks in the BGE, are people who have experience on other smokers and grills that NEEDED the extra liquid to keep from drying the food.

Just give it a shot for one cook and I bet you will stop with the liquid.

bigphil · September 2012

Duganboy said:

I'm convinced that most of the people on here who think that a pan with liquid helps their cooks in the BGE, are people who have experience on other smokers and grills that NEEDED the extra liquid to keep from drying the food.

Just give it a shot for one cook and I bet you will stop with the liquid.

i confess i was one but have found out what everyone says is true its not needed . i did a skinless boneless turkey breast yesterday no water pan and its was the juiciest turkey i ever had

lousubcap · September 2012

Duganboy said:

I'm convinced that most of the people on here who think that a pan with liquid helps their cooks in the BGE, are people who have experience on other smokers and grills that NEEDED the extra liquid to keep from drying the food.

Just give it a shot for one cook and I bet you will stop with the liquid.

Now here's a BGE guy who has more time on the pond than most, if not all who post here. Listen well as he knows of what speaks!

Brownie · September 2012

Duganboy said:

I'm convinced that most of the people on here who think that a pan with liquid helps their cooks in the BGE, are people who have experience on other smokers and grills that NEEDED the extra liquid to keep from drying the food.

Just give it a shot for one cook and I bet you will stop with the liquid.

+1
I found that the most noticeable difference cooking with a water pan is my daisy wheel rusts faster from the condensation. No BS.

Temp out of control?!?

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