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I am not good at keeping the lid down LOL

BigGreenVOL
BigGreenVOL Posts: 81
in EggHead Forum
I always want to check how everything is going and open the egg up. Kills my temperature and is probably going to ruin a cook soon if I keep it up. 

How long till this habit goes away? Only had my egg for 6 days so far
Nashville, TN and huge Tennessee Vols fan
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Comments

  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    Take off the daisy wheel and peek down through the top ;)

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,232
    The adage goes " if you're looking, it ain't cooking"

    There are some cooks where it's prudent to look. Pizza, for example.

    On the other hand, for low and slows, all you need to check is your temp.

    WIth more eggsperience, you will learn to trust the Egg holding temps and not have to check for hours at a time.

    In other words STOP IT!  
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • Zmokin
    Zmokin Posts: 1,938
    Need something to watch, Get a Maverick dual probe, then you can look at the remote in your house, watching the egg temp and the meat temp all you want without opening the egg.  Your food will thank you.
    Large BGE in a Sole' Gourmet Table
    Using the Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter,
     and a BBQ Guru temp controller.

    Medium BGE in custom modified off-road nest.
    Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter, and a Party-Q temp controller.

    Location: somewhere West of the Mason-Dixon Line
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,210
    Settle down Beavis. You're making life difficult for yourself. Leave it closed. 
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  • BigGreenVOL
    BigGreenVOL Posts: 81
    DoubleEgger said:
    Settle down Beavis. You're making life difficult for yourself. Leave it closed. 
    Lol
    Nashville, TN and huge Tennessee Vols fan
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,210
    Let me put this in Tennessee speak for you. 
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  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,838
    Start two fisting beers while you cook.  That'll solve the problem!
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio
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  • jabam
    jabam Posts: 1,829
    Perfect time to mow lawn....make one pass, have a beer, another pass another beer and so on and so on. But you have to turn off mower after 6th pass and beer or you will cut off your toe!!
    Central Valley CA     One large egg One chocolate lab "Halle" two chiuahuas "Skittles and PeeWee"
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Will never understand the lookin' vs cookin' adage. It's not even true! When the dome is open, there's plenty of heat hitting the food. Of course you're cooking! Unless you stand there with the dome open for 15, 20 minutes at a time, how much difference can the occasional peek possibly make? Especially with a cooker like the egg with its temp holding capability.

    That said, when I put a butt on at 11 PM (with my DigiQ), I don't even go outside again until 10 AM or later.

    I had forgotten that Peyton was #16 at UT.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,232
    I wonder what SHMBO would say?
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    Dude, chill, have a beer or something stronger. 
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 10,228
    Carolina Q said:
    Will never understand the lookin' vs cookin' adage. It's not even true! When the dome is open, there's plenty of heat hitting the food. Of course you're cooking! Unless you stand there with the dome open for 15, 20 minutes at a time, how much difference can the occasional peek possibly make? Especially with a cooker like the egg with its temp holding capability.

    That said, when I put a butt on at 11 PM (with my DigiQ), I don't even go outside again until 10 AM or later.

    I had forgotten that Peyton was #16 at UT.

    You're right that it doesn't mean as much on the egg.  It is pretty true on thinner smokers that don't hold temp as well.  Especially since on a cheap offset smoker, opening the lid of the food chamber doesn't really increase airflow much to the fire in the firebox.  The egg has a built in auto-compensatory mechanism whereby holding the lid open allows more oxygen to the fire.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • joytreg
    joytreg Posts: 14
    Someone should invent a camera that you could keep in there to watch the food cooking. I'd love that! But I agree - don't open that lid! 
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  • joytreg
    joytreg Posts: 14
    Foghorn said:
    Carolina Q said:
    Will never understand the lookin' vs cookin' adage. It's not even true! When the dome is open, there's plenty of heat hitting the food. Of course you're cooking! Unless you stand there with the dome open for 15, 20 minutes at a time, how much difference can the occasional peek possibly make? Especially with a cooker like the egg with its temp holding capability.

    That said, when I put a butt on at 11 PM (with my DigiQ), I don't even go outside again until 10 AM or later.

    I had forgotten that Peyton was #16 at UT.

    You're right that it doesn't mean as much on the egg.  It is pretty true on thinner smokers that don't hold temp as well.  Especially since on a cheap offset smoker, opening the lid of the food chamber doesn't really increase airflow much to the fire in the firebox.  The egg has a built in auto-compensatory mechanism whereby holding the lid open allows more oxygen to the fire.

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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,232
    joytreg said:
    Someone should invent a camera that you could keep in there to watch the food cooking. I'd love that! But I agree - don't open that lid! 
    I can see it now. Butt-Cam
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    THEBuckeye said:
    joytreg said:
    Someone should invent a camera that you could keep in there to watch the food cooking. I'd love that! But I agree - don't open that lid! 
    I can see it now. Butt-Cam
    You should google that
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  • SMITTYtheSMOKER
    SMITTYtheSMOKER Posts: 2,668
    Set your timer and walk away, its cocktail time!

     

    -SMITTY     

    from SANTA CLARA, CA

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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
    Don't worry about "... is probably going to ruin a cook soon if I keep it up." It may change the time until done a bit but won't ruin a cook. When you open the dome, yes the hot air escapes. When you close the dome the hot air is again trapped and the temp will recover quickly. Just don't leave the dome open for long periods. Open it up, take a look, get a good whiff, take a picture and then close it back up. Should take less than a minute. Temp in the dome will recover in a couple of minutes or so. In a 10-18 hour cook that will not be noticed.  The internal temp of the meat will not even blimp from the opening. 
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • Sameydog
    Sameydog Posts: 154
    I look once in an hour and a half cook of chicken.

    I trust the Egg to not let me down...and it hasn't. It does drop a bit on a peek but it recovers quickly. On the other hand I wouldn't peek too many times.

    Bill
    From the deep south...land of saltwater fish...west central Florida
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  • Tinyfish
    Tinyfish Posts: 1,755
    Fight the urge.  Tie a mouse trap to the handle.
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  • XC242
    XC242 Posts: 1,208
    The great thing about this is it's your egg and your food. If you want to lift the lid and take a peek go for it...
    LBGE (still waitin' for my free T-Shirt), DIgiQ DX2 (In Blue, cause it's the fastest), Heavy Duty Kick Ash Basket, Mc Farland, WI. :glasses:  B)
    If it wasn't for my BGE I'd have no use for my backyard...
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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    THEBuckeye said:
    joytreg said:
    Someone should invent a camera that you could keep in there to watch the food cooking. I'd love that! But I agree - don't open that lid! 
    I can see it now. Butt-Cam

    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • SMITTYtheSMOKER
    SMITTYtheSMOKER Posts: 2,668
    Just remember keeping the lid open makes the fire hotter, more difficult to maintain steady temps if you're letting too much oxygen into the Egg.  Your gas grill and your oven loose heat when opened too long, although you do let heat escape, the heat source will grow.  Much harder to cook with a Egg running much hotter then planed.  You'll get it, keep cooking!

     

    -SMITTY     

    from SANTA CLARA, CA

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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,989
    To each his own, but I look frequently. Especially on unit #6. When you are loaded down with several hundred bucks worth of meat, you would be a fool to just hope for the best. Contrary to popular belief, the draft can and will move on a heavyly loaded smoker. It will hunt for the path of least resistance and usually take it. This problem is not as pronounced on a reverse flow as it is on a direct tuned unit. Nonetheless it's still present. This is where opening the smoker and making adjustments determines if you succeed or fail. When a small fortune is sitting in the smoker, I darn near wear the hinges off of it. Look all you want brother, it want hurt a thing unless you are cooking bread or cakes. I'm not convinced that it's really a issue then. May put it to the test.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • Ladeback69
    Ladeback69 Posts: 4,484
    When doing steaks, pizza or any high temperature cook over 450  I look about every 3 to 4 minutes.  When doing low and slowstart I don't lift the lid much tell its done unless the temp drops. 
    XL, WSM, Coleman Road Trip Gas Grill

    Kansas City, Mo.
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