Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Egg not heating.

Options
2»

Comments

  • Little Steven
    Options
    If you say you're sorry one more time I'm coming down there.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    Options
    what steven is saying is that the startes have a way of snuffing out if they do not get a lot of airflow.  ...  starters need to be fully on fire, and burned away, before you should shut the dome.
    I'm fascinated by how different our experience apparently is.  I've had two Eggs (Medium and Large) for a number of years, now, have never used any lighting method other than starter cubes, have never, ever lit one and left the dome open.  Yet here you are saying (a bit dogmatically, if I may say so) that one must never shut the dome until the starters are burned away.  I'm not sure why our experience is so different.  Maybe it's all that rain in England? :)  (Am I recalling correctly that you live there?)

    I stand by my original statement, though, echoing several others, here, that how one lights the fire has exactly nothing to do with how hot one can get the Egg.  The advice to "get rid of starters" is a red herring, and can only divert the original poster away from solving the problem.  Lots of us use them for every cook and have no problem at all getting a hot fire.
  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    Options
    If you say you're sorry one more time I'm coming down there.
    We need to get started on that wall.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    Options
    DMW said:
    If you say you're sorry one more time I'm coming down there.
    We need to get started on that wall.
    Should I be scared??? Nah, he's so little , right?
  • Bwill
    Bwill Posts: 102
    Options
    Theophan said:
    Lose the starters ... I find the starters don't work with the dome closed
    @Bwill, you said you cleaned it out, but you didn't say whether you removed the fire box or not.  There was a time when I couldn't get a really hot fire, either, and it turned out that a whole lot of ash had built up between the fire box and the wall of the Egg itself, cutting down on the air flow.  If you haven't tried that, yet, take out the fire box and fire ring and get rid of any ash there.  Then put them back, carefully aligning the main opening in the fire box with the opening of the vent, and then putting back the fire ring as well.  That may make a difference.
    I used a shop vac for the bottom vent area.  So there may be still some along the walls still.  I will check it today and see what it looks like.
  • Bwill
    Bwill Posts: 102
    Options
    Steve753 said:
    I don't agree in losing the starters. I use one Weber Starter Cub in the center of the lump (one of the BGE Chefs uses this method as well). I is inexpensive and works very well.

    I was looking at those.  There was a review on Amazon that said it gave the meat a bad taste.  I assume you have not had that issue.
  • Bwill
    Bwill Posts: 102
    Options
    Theophan said:
    what steven is saying is that the startes have a way of snuffing out if they do not get a lot of airflow.  ...  starters need to be fully on fire, and burned away, before you should shut the dome.
    I'm fascinated by how different our experience apparently is.  I've had two Eggs (Medium and Large) for a number of years, now, have never used any lighting method other than starter cubes, have never, ever lit one and left the dome open.  Yet here you are saying (a bit dogmatically, if I may say so) that one must never shut the dome until the starters are burned away.  I'm not sure why our experience is so different.  Maybe it's all that rain in England? :)  (Am I recalling correctly that you live there?)

    I stand by my original statement, though, echoing several others, here, that how one lights the fire has exactly nothing to do with how hot one can get the Egg.  The advice to "get rid of starters" is a red herring, and can only divert the original poster away from solving the problem.  Lots of us use them for every cook and have no problem at all getting a hot fire.
    I used to sell the BGE.  I attended a training at one of their distributors.  They teach you to light with the dome open and leave it open 5-10 minutes to get it going FWIW.  If closing it works for you, then so be it.

    I wish there was a multi-quote feature here.

    Reminder-I have owned an egg for 18 months with no issues.  Let's assume I know how to light it and work the vents.  I can open the daisy wide open and the bottom and only achieve 350 and it crawls to get there. 

    I will double check the cleanliness today.  Do you guys store your lump in a container?  If so, what do you use?  I have always kept it in the bag with zero issues but maybe it is an issue now.  I know my shed is dry but humidity could be a factor.
  • Dobie
    Dobie Posts: 3,365
    Options
    Have you pulled out the fire bowl and ring and looked to see if you have ash build up in the base yet? 
    Jacksonville FL
  • Dondgc
    Dondgc Posts: 709
    Options
    @Bwill - definitely lose the daisy wheel if you are going over 350. 
    New Orleans LA