How do you drop temp quickly?

Tenderizer · May 2015

I tried wings(in the rain) after reading a few threads here, and they were good, not stellar but good. The method I tried instructed indirect cook 350-400, then drop the temp to 200ish to finish off. So I just closed off all air, and thought the temp would fall quickly. Not so. The wings were done the egg was still north of 300. I've read about moving the temp quickly for steaks as well, easy to get it hot quick, but what am I missing to cool it down quickly? Opening lid allows air in but maybe I'm wrong?

johnmitchell · May 2015

Put a big pot or aluminum pan full of cold water inside resting on your grid..

bud812 · May 2015

Buy a second egg.

BigGreenBamaGriller · May 2015

or third, or fourth...

fishlessman · May 2015

would be easier to change your method

jak7028 · May 2015

If you want to use those temperatures, I prefer to do the opposite with chicken - cook slow at 250 or so until 5-10 degrees short of desired internal food temp. Remove from grill, open up the vents, and grill them direct to finish them and crisp the skin.

Personally, i dont go that low. I like about 350 indirect for chicken, but do the same process as above and grill direct at the end over high heat to finish it.

nolaegghead · May 2015

Why would you want to drop the temp to finish cooking? Might as well just foil them, they'll keep cooking.

hondabbq · May 2015

400 indirect start to finish

Tenderizer · May 2015

I'm beginning to understand why reverse sear is popular.

Ladeback69 · May 2015

Tenderizer said:

I'm beginning to understand why reverse sear is popular.

Your on the right track. It's hard to bring the egg done fast. I do most of my chicken at 350 to 400 indirect. I have never done wings and don't know if I ever will. To much work for not a lot of meat IMO. Now I like boneless wings, but I have only seen those in a precooked format. They were good on the egg and not a lot of work involved there. Like others said, you can cook all the way to done, pull them at maybe in the 150's and finish direct or in foil. I believe my neighbors do them direct the whole time around 350. Sounds like a fun way to experiment with it. Now have a second Egg would be handy too.

avibug · May 2015

Agree with the above that the best solution is to have a cook that doesn't require rapidly reducing temp. But if you need to do it, @johnmitchell is right that the only way is to add a heat sink: something that will absorb heat and reduce the ambient temp. Pot of water works, but I've also thrown in fire bricks or platesetter or pizza stone (if you aren't cooking direct). Opening the egg doesn't work: the egg itself retains heat, and when you open the egg you allow more air to feed the fire. Reducing air flow will reduce the fire and lower the heat, but not quickly and the egg will continue to retain and radiate heat.

fishlessman · May 2015

Tenderizer said:

I'm beginning to understand why reverse sear is popular.

if temps go up to 800 quickly, you then sear before the ceramics get to hot, temps will quickly drop down to 400 or less in 15 to 20 minutes. if your cooking for a longer time at 400 and the ceramics absorb all that heat it will take forever to drop from 400 to 200. i take a different approach with chicken, raised grid direct, thick skin down and dont flip til the thick skin is crispy then flip and finish. with a direct cook i cook at lower temps thighs just under 300 dome, wings 325, breasts 350. i like the crunchy skin on chicken so my whole approach is to cook the skin first then the chicken to the temp i want. if you do it this way forget about all the tricks mentioned like overnight drying, dusting with cornstarch etc. i take mine out of dripping wet bag of marinade and plunk it down on the grill heavey skinsidedown and cook til crunchy and flip

Walt2015 · May 2015

I would agree on Going low first then raising temp towards end to crisp. I think I've read somewhere maybe @NibbleMeThis (sorry if this wasn't you) site that you can always add some new charcoal on top. You may need a few minutes to burn off VOCs (haven't tried this yet but don't know how much of a problem it'd be with a good charcoal) but I'd think it would be quicker than bringing egg down a few hundred degrees with just vent control.

if this is nonsense, please shame me.

Ladeback69 · May 2015

fishlessman said:

show previous quotes

Tenderizer said:

I'm beginning to understand why reverse sear is popular.

if temps go up to 800 quickly, you then sear before the ceramics get to hot, temps will quickly drop down to 400 or less in 15 to 20 minutes. if your cooking for a longer time at 400 and the ceramics absorb all that heat it will take forever to drop from 400 to 200. i take a different approach with chicken, raised grid direct, thick skin down and dont flip til the thick skin is crispy then flip and finish. with a direct cook i cook at lower temps thighs just under 300 dome, wings 325, breasts 350. i like the crunchy skin on chicken so my whole approach is to cook the skin first then the chicken to the temp i want. if you do it this way forget about all the tricks mentioned like overnight drying, dusting with cornstarch etc. i take mine out of dripping wet bag of marinade and plunk it down on the grill heavey skinsidedown and cook til crunchy and flip

I may have to try this technique.

How do you drop temp quickly?

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