Theories on Small BGE Temperature Range Differences?

What brand of lump, please?

I had the same concerns, but also chose to get a small. So far I have not had any issues, with BGE lump and RO lump.

On a few cooks My thermometer was going well past 650 when I started shutting it down.

I do have the highque grate in my egg. No idea why others have had issues.

I think people mentioned something about how the fire box fit in their's, affecting air flow. I'm not sure if it was too small or tight-fitting in the base.

Eggcelsior said:

I think people mentioned something about how the fire box fit in their's, affecting air flow. I'm not sure if it was too small or tight-fitting in the base.

This is correct for me. My small has a larger gap ratio around the internals than the other eggs i own. I have a medium that I bought from another person on the forum. His fire box and ring were too narrow. He could not get the medium hot, and he knows what he is doing with eggs. I bought a fire ring and a firebox, and they had a tighter fit. That medium went from a slouch to a absolute jet engine. If it is has fuel, and is left alone with the vent wide open, it will wrap the thermo around. I have modified my small before with a foil rope around the firebox to fill the gap, and expanded metal for the fire grate. This turned my small into a hot burning egg like the medium (and the others). I have considered ordering a new firebox, but I just leave my small to low heat duties while the other four sizes go nuclear. Another aspect of my small that I hated, but now love is its low heat steadiness. I pretty much leave the vent wide open, daisy wheel off, and it holds 400-500 steady every time. It gets to that temp quick too, and just stays. I cook a lot at that temp on a raised grid high into the dome, I love how everything cooks at that height and temp (except steak and pizza, those go on the big boy eggs).

Austin Egghead said:

Fred19Flintstone said:

My small cooks are also 450 or lower. This has got me thinking of doing a clean burn and see how high it goes and how long it takes to get there.

If you are going to do a clean burn, you better have gaskets on order. I blew the gaskets on our small after a clean burn.....

Da, Da, Dit, Dut, Ta, DAHHHH!!!  @RRP to the rescue!  I have no gasket to speak of except the Rutland I got from RRP last month.  After the clean burn, I think I'll be ready to install it.

After comparing the chimney on small to the large I noticed quite a bit of difference in height givin the size difference of course but still not proportionate. I stopped at a dealer today that had all the sizes except mini and the small just seemed to have a smaller stack when trying to visually compare. Maybe crazy thinking but this could effect the draw. A few months ago someone posted a video of getting your egg to 700* in 5 mins and that guy added a length of pipe to his chimney.

wmcguire93 said:

Fred19Flintstone said:

Small Clean Burn Report

This test was anecdotal.  In other words, YMMV.

I did a clean burn in my small today and noted the temp every five minutes.  I started out with the egg completely cleaned out.  I used new GFS lump made by RO and filled the egg to the top of the firebox.  The bottom vent was wide open (screen too) and the DW was off.  I lit the lump in two places and the dome remained closed for the entire test. 5 minutes - 150     10 minutes - 280     15 minutes - 420     20 minutes - 510 25 minutes - 590     30 minutes - 660     35 minutes - 680     40 minutes - 680 45 minutes - 710     50 minutes - 700     55 minutes - 740     60 minutes - 710 65 minutes - 700     70 minutes - 680     75 minutes - 650     80 minutes - 640 85 minutes - 610     90 minutes - 580     95 minutes - 550     100 minutes - 510 105 minutes - 480     End of Test As suspected, whatever I had for a gasket got toasted during the burn.  The bad smoke cleared after 15 minutes and it appears I could have had over an hour cooking pizza.

I hope you had plenty of beer while watching that burn... and a spare gasket waiting in the wings.  Having said that, I just love it when someone goes the extra mile in the name of BBQ science!

Beers are plentiful and for some reason the formatting has gone bad.  I increased the font because I was too lazy to find my glasses and I think that's what did it.

You are a gentleman sir!  I don't care what anyone says!

Any one know where that post or video is off hand, regarding the extended chiimney on the small? Sound's like something I might try, "just cause"... RicklesssssS in Oregon