A fairly embarrassing question...

TGM123 · June 2014

I have to ask what will likely be a fairly embarrassing question. As way of background, I have had my large BGE for about three months and cooked only fairly pedestrian things on it – chicken, burgers, hot dogs, steaks, pork chops – all with the goal of learning how to use it before trying something more risky (brisket, ribs, etc.).

Here is the general process I follow:

1) Start lump with lid open and bottom vent fully open (including screen pushed aside).

2) Once lump is hot enough to meet temp I need I move coals around to distribute the lump/heat.

3) Close like and keep top fully open (e.g. don’t add cast iron top vent)…

…and this is where I get lost.

It is still unclear to me when I use the top vent and when I use the bottom vent.

Can anyone explain to me (or point me somewhere) how and when to us the top vent versus the bottom vent and how they interact?

Thanks,

Tom

jlsm · June 2014

They interact much like a clutch and gas pedal. Some folks like to keep the bottom open and play with the top. Some folks take the opposite route. I believe that @mickey doesn't even use his daisy wheel.

I generally set my bottom to an approximate opening for the temp I want (tiny for low and slow, about an inch for 350-400) and then use only the top for adjustments.

It really doesn't matter which you change as long as you don't change both at once.

EggNorth · June 2014

I only use the top vent for 'low and slow' where I can close the airflow even more. I keep the outer ring closed and just open the holes a little. Anything else the top is open (vent off) and the temperature is controlled below. I use the bottom vent all the time.

Store the cast iron vent in the egg when done and it will stay nice and clean.

I never move the coals around one it's going.

Not an embarrassing questions at all. I'm sure others use the cap differently.

Welcome to the forum! Look forward to your cooks.

JRWhitee · June 2014

It really isn't a bad question because there is no one answer, it depends on what you are cooking and how you want to cooking it.

For Grilling direct:

Your steps 1 and 2 are fine, after that you can put on the daisy wheel with all the holes open and close the vent half way, wait around 20 - 30 minutes and see where your temperature settles in at, mine is around 350, then you can go from there, when you open the bottom vent just know that you are letting more air in and will get a higher temp. You can think of it as the bottom vent control the temp and the daisy wheel fine tunes it.

For Low and Slow Indirect

I start the egg in the middle front and I wouldn't stir the coals, when the fire is burning where you know it won't go out put on the daisy wheel with the holes open half way and close the bottom vent to 1/4" put in the plate setter and see where it settles in at in 30 minutes. Again bottom vent lets air in and will make it hotter the daisy wheel can fine tune.

There are a number of ways to hold temp using the two controls just figure out what works best for you in the fine tuning stage. Some guys don't even use the daisy wheel and just control everything from the bottom vent, I prefer to use both as I described. I hope this helps.

BYS1981 · June 2014

One thing I recommend is ONLY adjusting the bottom vent. I don't even use the daisey wheel unless cooking at 250. I'm in the KISS school of thought.

NPHuskerFL · June 2014

First of all welcome and enjoy. FIRST POST :-)

DFMT (top of chimney) doesn't need to be used unless cooking say below 350℉. The basic thing to keep in mind is to control temp we have to control airflow whether it be at the bottom or top is really of no consequence.

L&S before I got my Stoker... Got fire going and stabilized temp. My typical set point was bottom vent open about 1/8"-1/4" & my top (I use Smokeware but, the CI DFMT is about the same) would be barely open.

Is this what you're asking? Oh and I don't "stir" the lump once it's lit and really don't see that it would matter either way.

SkinFan · June 2014

Tom, both vents are used to control the airflow through your cooker. Depending on what type of cook you are planning for will determine how you adjust your vents. If you doing a high temp for pizza or searing steaks you want a lot of air flow, so may have bottom open and nothing on the top vent. For low and slow, you need to learn your cooker. What works for me is after I get lump started and have the platesetter and grid in the cooker, I have the bottom vent wide open and nothing on the top. When I hit a dome temp of 275 ish, I close the bottom vent to approximately 1/2 inch open and put the daisy wheel on the top. I have the daisy wheel closed with the pedal holes wide open. Then I watch the dome temp and make small adjustments with plenty of time in between to allow the egg to stabilize. When its all said and done, my bottom vent is open about 1/4 inch and I have about 1/2 pedal open on the daisy wheel for approximately 275 degrees on my egg. The type of lump and amount of lump will play a big role in this process. It usually take me about an hour to get everything locked in for a low/slow cook. Hope this helps. Cheers!

SoCalTim · June 2014

TGM123 Such a learning curve on the egg. Here's on thing I learned. When cooking @ temps 350 and above, I leave the bottom vent wide open and use the top daisy wheel to control the temp.

It's took me 4 or 5 months to finally get a grasp on controlling the temps.

Botch · June 2014

BYS1981 said:

One thing I recommend is ONLY adjusting the bottom vent. I don't even use the daisey wheel unless cooking at 250. I'm in the KISS school of thought.

This is all I do anymore too, why try to learn two different things?

Carolina Q · June 2014

Welcome!!

I use the DFMT (daisy wheel... the cast iron top) only for lo n slo cooks (250°). Probably don't need it even then. For every other cook, all control is with the bottom vent. Airflow is airflow. Doesn't matter where it is restricted.

Never heard of anyone rearranging the lump.

lousubcap · June 2014

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey. And with regard to BGE and temperature, as noted above, it's all about air-flow once the lump is burning. You can control with the intake (bottom vent) or exhaust (DFMT) or some combination. The key is when making any adjustments only adjust one at a time so you can see how the temperature responded.

llrickman · June 2014

Tom, Heres a link that can help you.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/746823/vent-settings-a-visual-guide/p1

Carolina Q · June 2014

llrickman said:

Tom, Heres a link that can help you.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/746823/vent-settings-a-visual-guide/p1

The trouble with that sort of info, is that different eggs (and different sizes for that matter) behave differently. For example, Kent's settings for 390°...

...wouldn't even be close on my large, With no top vent, my bottom one has to be open about an inch for that temp. You'll figure out what's needed on your egg before long.

Griffin · June 2014

Most of what you need to know has already been mentioned. You can decide whether you want to be in the bottom vent/no dmft camp or use both. When I am doing a lot of bone in chicken, I do NOT ever use the top. Grease hitting the lump creates a lot of smoke and I don't like it hanging around. Can cause you to have some very smoky chicken.

BBQJIM · June 2014

I just got my BGE and it's a love affair, but one that needs practice. I cooked some ribs and held the temp to 225 -245 for about 7 hrs. Took me about 45 minutes from lighting the lump charcoal till I reached a stable temp. range. . My final settings were bottom vent 1/4 inch top Daisy wheel 1/3 open (thats the leafs not the whole wheel.) All this really depends on charcoal used { I use Royal Oak lump). I used lump Hickory pieces soaked in water for an hour.

The Ribs were not perfect. They were good but not perfect. I have questions to ask in another post. Thanks .

Spydermunky · June 2014

It took me a good year to get a process down that works every time.

Once I get my lump going (exact same way as you, minus the "stir") I usually close the bottom vent to about 2 inches and let my fire creep up to where I want it, then add the DFMT to fine tune it into the right place. I usually end up with bottom vent open 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch with the vents on the DFMT open to about half way for low and slow. That gives me 250-275 for around 24 hours on my large with a full charcoal basket.

In my opinion, be willing to fail a few times with each thing you cook. I screwed a brisket up pretty bad early on, but am very comfortable now. Like everyone else said, it's a learning curve...

JRWhitee · June 2014

BBQJIM said:

I just got my BGE and it's a love affair, but one that needs practice. I cooked some ribs and held the temp to 225 -245 for about 7 hrs. Took me about 45 minutes from lighting the lump charcoal till I reached a stable temp. range. . My final settings were bottom vent 1/4 inch top Daisy wheel 1/3 open (thats the leafs not the whole wheel.) All this really depends on charcoal used { I use Royal Oak lump). I used lump Hickory pieces soaked in water for an hour.

The Ribs were not perfect. They were good but not perfect. I have questions to ask in another post. Thanks .

IMO you cooked them too low, anywhere between 250 and 300 works much better for ribs.

fishlessman · June 2014

i generally use the lower for big adjustments and the upper for small adjustments but whatever method you use, give it a year and you will forget the question, it just becomes routine

TGM123 · June 2014

Wow! Thanks for the information!

Lots to digest and try.

Best,

Tom

BBQJIM · June 2014

Thanks so much for the information. Will boost the temp next time on Chicken and ribs.

gdenby · June 2014

Years ago on the "old forum" someone used the phrase "bottom vent for 10s of degrees, top for 1's." The bottom vent plays the bigger role in temp control.

Its a rule of thumb, but the thumb can be agile.

If neither vent had an adjustment, cooks would always end up at 800F.

An even temp for the lump is a good idea. But for long cooks, 5 - 20 hours, light the lump. let it get going to make a dome temp of 250, and put on the food. The fire will spread, and the cooking space temp will even out. Lower than 250, lots of people have reported fires going out.

Ktim · June 2014

]What i do is stir any left over lump to get rid of the ash, add enough lump to get to the top of the firebox, take the ash tool and clean out the bottom of the Egg, then I ball up three pieces of paper towel, put them on a plate and get each one wet with veggie oil

.

Then I place the paper towels at 12,4 and 8 O`clock.I light them with a stick match with dome open and bottom vent and spark screen open all the way. I then wait for the flames to die down about 10 mins. Then I close the dome and close the bottom vent and screen to about 1/4 inch open, place daisy wheel on open all the way.

When I get to within 100 degrees of desired temp I start adjusting the bottom vent until I am within 50 degrees then I start using the daisywheel to the desired temp. If I am cooking at 300 or less I only use 2 pcs. of paper towel to light. I never stir the lump once lit. And I put the platesetter and grid in the Egg as soon as the flames go down, to let them warm up along with the Egg.

Oh yeah,Welcome and enjoy the journey and stock up on Budweiser.

)

Mickey · June 2014

jlsm said:

They interact much like a clutch and gas pedal. Some folks like to keep the bottom open and play with the top. Some folks take the opposite route. I believe that @mickey doesn't even use his daisy wheel.

I generally set my bottom to an approximate opening for the temp I want (tiny for low and slow, about an inch for 350-400) and then use only the top for adjustments.

It really doesn't matter which you change as long as you don't change both at once.

All three daisy wheels in the garage somewhere. I do no use at all anymore.

A fairly embarrassing question...

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