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Ran out of lump

Today I did a 6hr cook at 235 using an indirect setup.  I cleaned the ash this morning and put a full load of lump.  At ~4hr I noticed the temp was struggling and I had to open the damper on the guru a bit.  What I realized at ~5hrs was that I was about out of lump.  This has never happened before ....I have cooked as long as 12hrs without this issue.

Any ideas?

The problem with a problem is that you don't know it's a problem until it's a problem, and that is a big problem.
Holding the company together with three spreadsheets and two cans connected by a long piece of string.

Comments

  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Type of lump?
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    size of egg??

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

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    What kind of beer were you drinking?
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • RajunCajun
    RajunCajun Posts: 1,035

    Ozark Oak...large egg...and sure glad I wasn't doing a 12hr brisket cook.

    No beer....thank goodness

    The problem with a problem is that you don't know it's a problem until it's a problem, and that is a big problem.
    Holding the company together with three spreadsheets and two cans connected by a long piece of string.
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Shoot me...New meme app
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,824


    No beer....


    I think we've found the problem.
    NOLA
  • RajunCajun
    RajunCajun Posts: 1,035
    Is this typical of Ozark Oak?  I failed to mention that I had mainly Ozark (for the bigger chunks) and a little of the BGE brand lump for the smaller pieces.
    The problem with a problem is that you don't know it's a problem until it's a problem, and that is a big problem.
    Holding the company together with three spreadsheets and two cans connected by a long piece of string.
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Mixing OO and bge is like combining Woodford and ripple. I've had ro run out but have gone 24 plus with OO. No airflow problems?
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • RajunCajun
    RajunCajun Posts: 1,035
    No airflow problems.  Ive done this same exact cook 50+ times without an issue.  The Ozark is my only new variable here.  Strange!
    The problem with a problem is that you don't know it's a problem until it's a problem, and that is a big problem.
    Holding the company together with three spreadsheets and two cans connected by a long piece of string.
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    edited February 2014
    I think someone must have sabotaged your cook by putting RO in an OO bag :-?

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

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • RAC
    RAC Posts: 1,688
    I think if you would of used the PITMASTER IQ65,000,000 this would of never happened! :D

    Ricky

    Boerne, TX

  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Just trying to help trouble shoot - was your therm calibrated? You may have had a higher temp (hence more lump used) if the therm was reading low.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    I would think with a full load to the top of the fire ring you could burn 500-600 degrees for 3 1/2 - 4hrs easy This seems strange.

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

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • henapple said:
    Shoot me...New meme app
    That is F'n funny! Way better than the normal crap you put up.
    B-)

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    That cuts deep...
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • Didn't think you were that thin skinned :((

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • RajunCajun
    RajunCajun Posts: 1,035
    caliking said:
    Just trying to help trouble shoot - was your therm calibrated? You may have had a higher temp (hence more lump used) if the therm was reading low.
    Good question....I was using a brand new thermo from BBQGURU that replaced a nearly new one from them that failed.  They claim that the tcs are assembled in PA...but I would get $100 with Chinese components.  To answer your question, my dome temp was in line with where it should be for 235deg grid temp.  Dome was running ~250.  That one I know for sure is accurate.
    The problem with a problem is that you don't know it's a problem until it's a problem, and that is a big problem.
    Holding the company together with three spreadsheets and two cans connected by a long piece of string.
  • RAC said:
    I think if you would of used the PITMASTER IQ65,000,000 this would of never happened! :D
    Or a Traeger and 800 lbs of pellets
    :D

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • corey24
    corey24 Posts: 386
    @RajunCajun are you in Louisiana? Where did you find OO around here? I see your LSU pic. I'm in N La....

    XL Egg Owner Since Dec 2013 - Louisiana

  • RajunCajun
    RajunCajun Posts: 1,035

    Yep...around Lafayette.   Wasn't really looking for it....found it in a small grocery store.

    The problem with a problem is that you don't know it's a problem until it's a problem, and that is a big problem.
    Holding the company together with three spreadsheets and two cans connected by a long piece of string.
  • stantrb
    stantrb Posts: 156
    I'm betting a guru screwup. Unless you were standing there the whole time, there's no telling how much that fan blew.
    Minimax and a wood-fired oven.
  • RajunCajun
    RajunCajun Posts: 1,035
    But....if the temp had ever overshot the 235deg setpoint, my ribs should have been dried out and overcooked...and they weren't.  Very strange.  Maybe I had a bad bag of OO.
    The problem with a problem is that you don't know it's a problem until it's a problem, and that is a big problem.
    Holding the company together with three spreadsheets and two cans connected by a long piece of string.
  • jhl192
    jhl192 Posts: 1,006
    1. Possibly the temperature outside was colder than your normal long cooks?  
    2. Possibly the larger lumps left more gap than lump in the firebox.
    3. I understand that many on this forum fill to lump to just below the platesetter for longer cooks (I tried it and it worked) Maybe you did not fill it as much as you usually do.
    4. Maybe this batch of lump was not as long burning as others that you have used?  My guess is that all brands may vary in performance from batch to batch.  
    Good luck.  
    XL BGE; Medium BGE; L BGE 
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    I've been through over 100 bags of OO and I've never had a problem nor heard of any. I have heard of many ro quick burns however.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • I have been burning OO exclusively for about 8 months and have never run out of lump during a cook.  That being said, based on your temp and the amount you started with  I see no other reason for this to happen.

    When you were about out of lump, how much was left?  Just a few pieces on the grate?  WHat type of grate do you have?
    Simi Valley, California
    LBGE, PBC, Annova, SMOBot
  • RajunCajun
    RajunCajun Posts: 1,035
    I have the standard BGE fire grate.  There was very little left.  Just enough small pieces to fit in one hand.
    The problem with a problem is that you don't know it's a problem until it's a problem, and that is a big problem.
    Holding the company together with three spreadsheets and two cans connected by a long piece of string.
  • The lump is all I can think of that would cause this.  Fire requires heat, fuel and oxygen.  Eggers control the heat with the fuel and oxygen.  For some reason your 250 burn required a large  consumption of the the lump you used.

    Type of wood?  Density of the lump?

    I'm missing something here.....
    Simi Valley, California
    LBGE, PBC, Annova, SMOBot
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684

    Did the ribs taste like pine at all??  That's the only thing I can think of--that there was softwood in the bag.  It happens.

  • RajunCajun
    RajunCajun Posts: 1,035
    No pine taste....thanks goodness.
    The problem with a problem is that you don't know it's a problem until it's a problem, and that is a big problem.
    Holding the company together with three spreadsheets and two cans connected by a long piece of string.