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Small high end temp???

For those of you that have smalls, what is your high end temp that you can hit? After tonight's cook I opened it up and it would barely hit 600*. The large would have went nuclear in the same amount of time. The lump was Rockwood so I know it will get hot and I do have the HighQue grate.

Am I expecting to much?

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analyze adapt overcome

2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.

Comments

  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
    I had mine up to 800 once. (it was a beer & B.S. induced thing) L-)

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

  • Just hook up a shop vac with the hose in the exhaust port. Jam it into the lower vent. You will get 1200* with no problemo

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    I hardly ever cook above 550 or so, so no big deal just a bit surprised. I guess the upside is flash backs should be few!!!

    Thanks @bud812

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    Users of the small are divided in two camps and have for years...some people can go to and sustain temps of 700 and above with ease. Others fight to get over 400. I'm in the camp that an go nuclear. My highest has been 800 as I recall. What I believe is the vent is smaller and the bed of lump really needs to be near "lava" stage to get on up there and many small owners just get impatient. BTW I owe you a PM reply - we were busy the past couple days and then I forgot to reply.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • About 600 here, haven't needed any more. The large can do that if need be
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    No prob @RRP

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • cookingdude555
    cookingdude555 Posts: 3,188
    edited September 2013
    I have all of the sizes (except the XXL), and the small is the only one with heat issues. Its an air flow problem. With the smallest air inlet to volume ratio, it has the highest chance of having issues. The other issue mine has (and I think some, but not all small owners suffer from) is that the firebox and fire ring are more narrow than my other eggs. It doesn't fill the cavity, leaving a larger gap for air to go up around the firebox. My other eggs only have one path for the air, through a lump burning fire. I have mitigated this by creating a foil rope around the fire box, and that made my small act more like an egg should  

    I have since left my small to lower heat duties, and it is fantastic at that. The medium does nuclear duty now. The medium has a large inlet, and a smaller volume compared to the large. It is a fire breathing monster. 
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,668
    mine will eventually get to 750 BUT by then ive had enough to drink that im no longer hungry
    :)) well over an hour to get there for the small
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • I hardly ever cook above 550 or so, so no big deal just a bit surprised. I guess the upside is flash backs should be few!!! Thanks @bud812
    Don't kid yourself.  You can get flashbacks at 350.
    The Naked Whiz
  • I have all of the sizes (except the XXL), and the small is the only one with heat issues. Its an air flow problem. With the smallest air inlet to volume ratio, it has the highest chance of having issues. The other issue mine has (and I think some, but not all small owners suffer from) is that the firebox and fire ring are more narrow than my other eggs. It doesn't fill the cavity, leaving a larger gap for air to go up around the firebox.
    My medium Egg is actually the worst for having a "small" fire ring, FWIW.  The small I have is reasonably sized.

    The Naked Whiz
  • RRP has it right.  There used to be a poster who went by the handle Tim M.  He was an accomplished and skilled Egger who knew what he was doing.  He could only get his small to 550.  I've had mine to 750-800 no sweat. I often wanted to take my small out to the Outer Banks so we could do some side by side measurements and testing, but it just never happened.  Eggs are different.  That's all there is to it.  I used to have 2 smalls.  I once did side by side burn tests and found that equal amounts of charcoal burned longer in one that in the other.  What are you gonna do?  :-)
    The Naked Whiz
  • First time cranking mine up last night, had it going quite a bit north of 600 before we started making s'mores on it.....On the flip side, is it fairly easy to maintain a low temp for a long low and slow on the small without adding any lump?
    Fighting Sioux Hockey
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,668
    First time cranking mine up last night, had it going quite a bit north of 600 before we started making s'mores on it.....On the flip side, is it fairly easy to maintain a low temp for a long low and slow on the small without adding any lump?
    ive done 7 hour rib cooks with less than 2 inches of lump in the small, it seems to low and slow just fine
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • BOWHUNR
    BOWHUNR Posts: 1,487
    If I work at it I can get 700-800 degrees using my Air Grill bellows, but sometimes it will hold, sometimes it won't.  If I just fire it up and let it do it's own thing 550 is about the max it will hit.  I have no doubts that it would hit nuke temps if it didn't have that small lower vent.

    Mike

    I'm ashamed what I did for a Klondike Bar!!

    Omaha, NE
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457



    First time cranking mine up last night, had it going quite a bit north of 600 before we started making s'mores on it.....On the flip side, is it fairly easy to maintain a low temp for a long low and slow on the small without adding any lump?

    ive done 7 hour rib cooks with less than 2 inches of lump in the small, it seems to low and slow just fine



    I was surprised how little lump the small uses. Last Thursday I fired up both the large and the small at 300* one had a turkey breast and the other had a Dutch oven with beans and veggies later. Filled them both to top of firebox and run the same length of time. Both used 2-3" of lump. So by ratio the small used less. Doesn't make sense to me cause I would've figured the small would have dropped more just because of the smaller box.

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.