A few egg questions

bhedges1987 · December 2015

Hey all,

I have had my egg for a year or two now but recently I have came across a few things I would like to ask you other egg owners about.

1st: Sometimes when my grill is super hot, and I open my lid slowly, flames basically shoot out , even when I slowly open it an inch or so, and it really scares the crap outta me lol.
Any ideas on how to prevent this? Should I close my bottom vent before opening the lid?

2nd: My charcoal keeps sparking a LOT. I have tried royal oak, cowboy and BGE, the last 3 times it has sparked quite a bit. ANy lump recommendations that won't do this? Or does this mean I have a crack in my egg somewhere?

Lastly, do you guys recommend getting the stainless venting cap for the top instead of the daisy wheel? I normally cook chicken, burgers, steak, and I have trouble getting my grill to 600ish, without having to completely open the top vent. Is this what you all do as well? I normally open my bottom all the way, but close the screen, however my temp with the fulls completely open on the top will stay around 450. To get it up above that I have to start opening the vent on the top, or take it off completely.

Thanks

apinion · December 2015

1- never close your bottom vent when you are cooking unless you are done cooking. You are probably cooking too hot if this is a common thing. Are you using the daisy wheel? If you are, you don't need it unless you are cooking low temps.

2- no crack in your egg. What are you using to light it with? If a MAP torch then its very common. Hell, its common on almost all acounts.

3- See answer #1. You don't need the stainless cap, unless cooking in the rain is something you enjoy.

allsid · December 2015

apinion said:

1- never close your bottom vent when you are cooking unless you are done cooking. You are probably cooking too hot if this is a common thing. Are you using the daisy wheel? If you are, you don't need it unless you are cooking low temps.

2- no crack in your egg. What are you using to light it with? If a MAP torch then its very common. Hell, its common on almost all acounts.

3- See answer #1. You don't need the stainless cap, unless cooking in the rain is something you enjoy.

Wow- no surprise, but he nailed it-

I always use my daisy wheel but if I am cooking something other than veggies and over 275F I remove it completely and often open the bottom draft door prior to opening the dome to prevent flashback. You only singe your hair 7 or 8 times before it becomes routine-

bhedges1987 · December 2015

Thanks for the replies.... So, if I'm doing chicken / burgers ect. ANything that I cook at 450+ just take off the cap completely? I honestly have never really done it that way, then I would only open my bottom vent I assume a few inches so it doesn't get in the 800 degree range? Is it easy to stabalize a temp around 500ish if the top cap isn't on?

Thanks!

apinion · December 2015

For burgers, chicken.... 450 is still a pretty high temp. Especially, the chicken. I am assuming since you are newish you don't have the accessories that elevate the cooking surface like the adjustable rig? If not, that temp is way to high for the food being so close to the coals.

Yes, you can take the cap completely off. For most everyday cooks, you probably are going to have the daisy wheel completely off and have your bottom vent open at no more than 1 inch.

Opening it a few inches is going to have you cooking at nuclear, granted you use a good bit of lump.

bhedges1987 · December 2015

Thanks for the information. Keeping the bottom vent open an inch if my top cap is completely off won't result in a choked fire and give me that nasty taste with thick smoke?

apinion · December 2015

Not at all. If the smoke is white, wait longer.

saluki2007 · December 2015

apinion has hit the nail on the head on all accounts. Removing the daisy wheel should help you with the flash backs and keeping your temps down with a slightly open bottom vent. The stainless cap is not necessary IMHO. Sparks are going to happen with almost all lump, especially with the ones you mentioned. What are you using to get your fire started? I recently started using a MAAP torch and it sparks like a MOFO. Used an electric starter before with the same type of lump and it hardly sparked.

gdenby · December 2015

The standard method for avoiding flash backs is to repeatedly "burp" the Egg. Just lift the lid a little bit for a moment, and close. repeat 4 - 5 times. Probl'y safe to open when after burping, little or no smoke comes out around the gasket. The flash back happens when there is a lot of hot unburned fuel vapor that is flooded by oxygen.

RO makes BGE. I haven't bought any in the past few years, but RO was being made in both the US and So. America. The stuff made in So. Am. tended to spark. Don't know what the best brand is, but the worst I've had was called Frontier, also made in So.Am. It sparked so much that I had a couple meals ruined by ash accumulation on top the food.

For a work around, load the sparking lump, and then put a single layer of briquettes on top. The briquettes block the sparks, and a single layer doesn't produce so much ash it smothers the fire.

If I leave the daisy on my mediums, but wide open, I rarely can get more than 450. Daisy completely off, sky is the limit.

jtcBoynton · December 2015

A Smokeware SS top will not fix the temp limit. It will limit the upper temps just like a daisy wheel top. It needs to be removed if you want to get it really hot. The top is useful when cooking in heavy rain. Down here in the sub-tropics, I have had fires put out by heavy rainfall.

A few egg questions

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