Building fire, lighting the coals, how long until you reach the desired temp?

eggnewtoy · August 2015

Hi: Need some help from you pros who have helped so much so far. here's what I am doing to light my large bge.

1. Light the lump charcoal (trying Fogo tonight)
2. Let it go for about 15 minutes until the coals are ashy, fire died out
3. Then have been playing with top and bottom vents to get to desired temp
4. How long until stable for hot, medium, and slow cooks?

Thx and any pointers or links appreciated.

A5firearms · August 2015

I usually am at my desired temp with the smoke clear and ready to go in under 30min total.

KennyLee · August 2015

15-20 minutes max from the time I light with the torch. That's using a good lump too. The Good One is my current and lights fast and burns clean.

Jstroke · August 2015

Ok. Lighting charcoal is a ritual. Everyone has one. They are all the best because they are yours. With that said one of the questions i always ask is what is your goal. Get R Done. Or relax and have a couple of beverages, prep some sides and generally let life come together. I personally have never lit my egg with anything other than a weed burner. I always add my fresh lump to my egg at the end of my cook. When the smoke clears i shut it down. This way I am always ahead. So for me. 5-7 minutes for direct. Indirect--2-3 minutes. I stabilize with meat already in the egg. Might as well use that small fire to help warm that big hunk of protein up. But i have three kids and a wife who always has something better for me to do other than sit back relax and ponder.

Jeremiah · August 2015

Depends on the desired temp, the lighting source, the quality of the lump, and the lighting source. And I should add wether or not your using new or 100% left over lump.

In my large, with used rock wood, with a weed burner, doing a steak, 10 minutes tops. Minimax, crap that thing is slow, 30 minutes.

Focker · August 2015

Depends on the cook, and you're vessel.

Unlike most, I like to let the ceramic build up heat, similar to a brick oven, about an hour after reaching targeted temp. I used to do this ritually when cooking pizzas. I feel that convection and radiation are virtues. Why rush things and not use that?

Same goes for using CI, preheats are critical. Also do this with low and slows. Let the ceramic heat build up, burn off the bad stuff, toss on the meat.

If I want a good fire to just sear the shat outta somethin' or time constraints, then I usually go briquettes on the kettle. Prefer the closer proximity and even heat briquettes have to offer vs lump. The egg would work just fine here.

Raised direct, give it an hour or so to let the radiation assist.

Caveman style, you can let the coals tell you when it's time.

With wokin' you can get started fairly quickly like caveman, due to the rapid heat transfer of carbon steel.

blind99 · August 2015

For a weeknight cook like pork tenderloin or sausage or salmon etc I grill direct at around 400 degrees. I'll start a chimney starter of lump which takes about 10 minutes. The egg comes up to temp in about 5 minutes. I'd say I can be grilling in 20 minutes.

Low and slow or pizza cooks take me longer to get the egg ready.

dihtn · August 2015

With my large, I use the electric lighter. Usually takes 30-45 minutes to burn off the VOC's and get to desired temperature. The minimax-20-30 minutes.

Mikee · August 2015

I'm usually set to go in 15 minutes.

bgebrent · August 2015

Like @jerimiah said, all depends on target temp. Make sure your bottom vent is wide open early on. If L & S, leave open after a good lighting (I use the electric lighter) just a couple minutes then close and reduce upper and lower vents. If a hot cook, leave it open for about 10 minutes after achieving a good light. Then reduce vents. Google search temp control for bge and you'll have 6 hours of good advice to read. Good luck brother.

Jeepster47 · August 2015

Two other factors also seem to affect the start-up time. The weather ... cold and damp slows down the start up. And, when you last used the egg ... seems like the first start-up after a vacation week takes longer than if you used the egg yesterday.

Begger · August 2015

Pizza may take an hour PLUS. That's warming the Plate Setter, and 2 (TWO) pizza stones.
Direct for burgers? Maybe 30 to 40 minutes.
Low and slow? Not much less time.

Don't forget, for maximum 'goodness' the whole thing should be at an even temp, so even if the dome thermometer says 250, it's STILL not an even temp.

Learn to feel the dome for temp. It'll be clear after just a couple cooks just how HOT that thing can get. And how fast.

sctdg · August 2015

It's all a matter of how much of the coals you are lighting initially .Hot direct cook I'm lighting a lot of coal ,low and slow a piece of oil soaked paper towel in the middle and that's it . Naturally coming up to 225 with just the little bit lit in the center is going to be longer than a whole lot of torched coals going at once .Plus if it is indirect the platesetter needs to be heated too which adds to time .Platesetter is always in from get go on indirect,don't like having fire going and then throwing in platesetter, not crazy about the temp shock factor .

eggnewtoy · August 2015

Thanks everyone.

dmirish1 · August 2015

I've been using a bucket lid to give the coal a lot of oxygen. I've just received my fireplace bellows so now i use that to get the fire going a little faster. MAP torch to start then lots of air flow.

Building fire, lighting the coals, how long until you reach the desired temp?

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