Low Temps

Unknown · June 2006

Howdy all, I'm a new BGE owner. Any tricks to maintaining a LOW temp (i.e., 200-225)? I've mastered between 250-300, but tough to keep it lower. Any advice? Thanks.

Bobby-Q · June 2006

Daniel,
I'd just reccomend a small change from where you are now. I usually have the bottom draft door open about the width of a credit card and have the small daisy wheel holes open. Of course you have to tweak it every now and then until all the ceramics heat up and stabilize.[p]HTH

stike · June 2006

Daniel,
ditto what bobby-q said, only especially at those low temps you don't want to overshoot your target. don't go for 250-275 then try to back down. you can do it, it just takes forever and you would be choking the fire to get it down.[p]sneak up on temps, especially that low. light your fire, shut the lid, and set your vents to your 250 reference, then shut them some more.[p]only concern shutting to so narrow a gap that early is that if you use starter cubes, they can smolder rather than burn. give it a bit of air until the cube is gone, but don't let her get too hot (over your temp)[p]i think 225 (maybe 220) is as low as i go. i don't find a lot of magic between doing it at 220 vs. 250, but what it DOES allow you to do is to stretch out your cooking time. if i'm putting on a smallish butt, and don't want it done overnight too soon at 250 (which runs me 2 hours a pound-ish), i'll set a fire for 220, and let it go longer. that way i don't have to start very late at night or too early in the a.m.. that'll give me 2 and a half hours or so a pound, and makes the difference between pulling the butt off early and wrapping it in a cooler, or pulling it off on 'schedule'.[p]

Wise One · June 2006

Daniel, the simplest answer is to go buy a BBQ guru. However without a guru it can also be done. First of all start by heating your EGG up to about 150 or so with the vents open and then close them down to where the bottom vent is open about the thickness of a credit card and the daisy wheel is showing about 1/2 of the petal open. Then stay with it. If it should rise above your target temperature by 5 degrees then close the
top vent to about 1/4 of the petal showing open. Do not be surprised if the temperature continues to rise a bit and do NOT try to close it down more at this point. Once the temp quits rising it should drop a bit. Watch it as it comes toward your target temp. If it goes under by 5 degrees, then open up the petal a bit more but not back to half open. After all you already know that will give you too much temp. Keep watching and tweaking until it stabilizes in a range that is ok (your target +/- 5 degrees is pretty good; +/- 10 degrees will probably work just fine). Getting a fire to stabilize below 240 or so is something that requires constant vigilance for an hour or so. Do not leave it thinking nothing will happen in 10 minutes. It will. [p]Also, be aware that the grill temperature is less than the dome temperature. If you have a dome of 200 you may have a grill temperature of 160-170. At those temps, don't expect to get the object of your cooking to more than that. [p]Good luck and have fun.

Unknown · June 2006

This is great stuff, guys--thanks. I'm a TX boy, so the question came about while smoking a brisket...I guess what I'm hearing is start low and work my way up--don't blaze it up to 700 and then expect to come back down to 225. Last question, and I'll shut up...I've been lighting the fire via a chimney starter--should I continue to use that, or just set the coals in the egg and ligth it that way--or does it matter. Thanks again to all.

BurntOfferingBBQ · June 2006

I would not recomend using a chimney starter for the egg. I guess you could if you were going to do a high temp sear but what's the point. The egg acts very much like a chimney anyway if it has enough air. If you use a chimney starter to get the coals white hot and then put them in your egg you will never be able to get the temp you want quickly. I use a mapp gas torch to light a small area of lump and then I leave the vents opn a small amount until I see the temp reach about 100+. that is the signal to close your bottom to less than 1/8 inch and top holes open on the wheel. Anyway, start slow and work your way up to temp.

The Naked Whiz · June 2006

Daniel,
Yes, don't try to bring the Egg down. Always approach from below. You might like to read my page on temperature control. [p]I've started the Egg both ways. I don't think it matters.[p]TNW
[ul][li]Temperature Control[/ul]

Wise One · June 2006

Daniel, if you do use the chimney starter don't put a lot of lump in it. If you fill that guy up, you'll have too much heat almost off the bat.

stike · June 2006

Daniel,
if i'm doing a lo and slo, i'll light with a chunk of starter cube ( i actually bust up a paraffin log), maybe 3/4" each side.[p]if i were doing a nuke sear, and wanted to get going, i'd do the chimney starter, or four starter chunks.[p]a little wants a little, a lot wants a lot

Low Temps

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