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    First cook questions

    Posts: 44
    in EggHead Forum
    Hi everyone I just got my large egg yesterday so I'm new to the forum.I did my first cook last night which went way better then i excepted but I had a few questions . I elected to go with spatchcocked chicken and attempted to cook at 400 for 15/40. I had no trouble getting the temp to 400 after a little trial and error . I waited about 10 minutes after closing both vents almost all the way and the temp seemed to be stable . when i put the meat on the temp dropped about 75 degrees and I had a hard time getting it back to 400 ( i had to open both vents around 1/3) any advice ?

    Aside from the skin being a little less crispy then I wanted it ended up coming out tasting great and super juicy .
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    Comments

    • Posts: 6,354
      Did your temp stay at 325 then?  It's common for the temp to drop a little when you open the lid.  It will drop even more when you put a cold piece of protein in.  If you were truly stabilized at 400, it will come back up on it's own.
      Large and Small BGE
      Central, IL

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    • Posts: 44
      Saluki2007 I had to open the vents a little to get it back to temp. Whats a good time to wait and see if my temp is stable ?

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    • Posts: 6,354
      It depends on what I'm cooking really.  If I'm going L&S then it's usually 45-60 min.  If I'm just grilling it's typically 15-20 min.  It will come to you the more you use it.  I've had mine for almost 3 years now and just know where to put all the dampers to achieve desired temp.

      I piece of advise I would give is if you are cooking over 350, the daisy wheel isn't necessary.  This may have contributed to your temps not wanting to come back up as the spatch may have disrupted the air flow.
      Large and Small BGE
      Central, IL

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    • Posts: 34,668
      If you ended up with both vents closed all the way, you were definitely looking at a "stable" temperature well below 400*F.  Air-flow drives the BGE and the feedback loop indicator for any air-flow adjustments is your dome thermo.  It can take several minutes for any vent adjustment (unless large movements) to be reflected in the temperature change.  
      As above, you will get it sorted out and in addition to a stable temp you want to make sure the smoke smells good before loading your BGE.  
      Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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    • Posts: 44
      Thanks guys I appreciate the feedback !
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    • Posts: 3,901
      When you add cold meat the temp will always drop. One thing I've done is to over shoot the desired temp by 50-100 degrees, then after closing down the air flow and throwing the meat in the temp is right in range of what I wanted. I then check it every 15 min or so until I'm confident its holding.
      “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
      Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
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    • Posts: 1,006
      I leave almost 30 minutes before expecting to put the meat on.  Patience is a virtue.  After a while you will know where 350 or 400 or 45p setting are and will not have the issue of chasing the temp up and down. Good luck and welcome.  
      XL BGE; Medium BGE; L BGE 
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    • Posts: 3,901
      jhl192 said:
      I leave almost 30 minutes before expecting to put the meat on.  Patience is a virtue.  After a while you will know where 350 or 400 or 45p setting are and will not have the issue of chasing the temp up and down. Good luck and welcome.  
      There is a learning curve, but you get to know the air flow settings for what you want :-) 
      “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
      Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
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    • Posts: 516
      As many have said once your temperature has stabilized you never touch it! 
      XLBGE, MMBGE, CyberQ
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