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

Odd egg temp issue

Options
snoqualmiesmoker
snoqualmiesmoker Posts: 265
in EggHead Forum
So I have a weird temp issue with my Large.  I fill it and light it like normal, going for 225.  Then i bring it up to about 175 and I start closing down the draft doors to 1 finger wide, and using a smoke ware top, to maybe 1/4 inch, and then lower as i get to 225.  it keeps climbing and stops about 240.  then it keeps climbing.  or it plateaus about 240.  
Royal Oak Charcoal.
Has a recent Rutland gasket.
Dollar Bill test is tight all around.
No visible crack in base.
No visible damage to the screen door or the bottom area at all.

had me stumped.

jjbbqcompany.com
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • RedSkip
    RedSkip Posts: 1,400
    Options
    I think you may need to close the bottom vent less than 1 finger width.

    Think of bottom vent as large temp control and the top as fine tuning.  
    Large BGE - McDonald, PA
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,336
    Options
    Mine seems to like the 240-260 range and that's with a 1/4 gap on the lower vent and Daisy wheel just cracked 
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc 
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Duuane
    Duuane Posts: 65
    Options
    I would agree with redskip, On mine I can get a solid 250 with about 3/8" bottom open, if I want 225 I go for 1/4" or less with about 1/8 or a little more on top
    Franklinville, Western NY
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    Options
    My 2 cents is 225 or 240, who cares, close enough. No appreciable difference. 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    Options
    What's odd?  You seem to be convinced that a finger width is the rule or something.  If the temp's too high, cut back on the air flow.

    However, what's wrong with 240°?  I really think the BGE doesn't smoke as well below 250°.  I know people with other smokers do a lot at 200° or 225°, but I think most other smokers have more air flow than the BGE.  In my own experience, and at least some others, here, everything just works better in the Eggs when the temp is 250° or higher.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • snoqualmiesmoker
    snoqualmiesmoker Posts: 265
    Options
    i should edit and say, i can close it down to almost closed and it still rises.  

    jjbbqcompany.com
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    Options
    15 degrees really ain't anything to worry about. I can't hold my egg  lower than 240 either. 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • snoqualmiesmoker
    snoqualmiesmoker Posts: 265
    Options
    Only enough, after the cook, it seems the hinhr
    or band has torqued. At least I have my answer!


    jjbbqcompany.com
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • snoqualmiesmoker
    snoqualmiesmoker Posts: 265
    edited July 2016
    Options
    After taking off the lid,  found the hinge out of alignment. Straitened it out. Holding at 205 dome right now. 1 finger open wide!  

    jjbbqcompany.com
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dougcrann
    dougcrann Posts: 1,129
    Options
    pgprescott said:
    My 2 cents is 225 or 240, who cares, close enough. No appreciable difference. 
    Yup....I think 225* is a bit over rated. I have a homebuilt Reverse Flow. 250*-280* is where it runs. Only way to get it lower, and still burn clean is to use logs about 3" in diameter...but no longer than 10". Logs this size mean I must pull up a chair as it will burn thru it in about 15-20 minutes. That being said...our Large needs the bottom shut down to about twice the thickness of a credit card and the Daisy Wheel shut...our XL wants the DW the same but the bottom has to be cracked open so that the,screen is just barely visible. Both are air toght...as air tight as an Egg can be...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dougcrann
    dougcrann Posts: 1,129
    Options
    snoqualmiesmoker said:
    i should edit and say, i can close it down to almost closed and it still rises.  
    I know some folks claim that they leave the DW off and use only the bottom...that whole stale smoke/botulism line of BS. I have tried this on all 4 of our Eggs. With the DW off and the bottom just cracked the temperature slowly but steadily climbs...topping g out at 340*-370*. 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rmr62
    rmr62 Posts: 233
    Options
    from my experience, each individual egg will have it's own little sweet spot.  Mine doesn't do well around 225 but in the 250-270 range it will settle in and rock on
    Lagrange, GA   LBGE
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cheeaa
    cheeaa Posts: 364
    Options
    Seems like this place is mostly concerned with low n slow. The brethren likes hot n fast. Weird.... anyway, I don't fight the egg. It runs nice and easy at 260-275 for smokes. I feel like it would take forever to wait for thin blue at 220. 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,336
    Options
    @cheeaa I would offer that low &slow temperature regulation takes more care and feeding than the hot and fast cooks.  Thus the likely emphasis in that regard.  But every forum tends to have it's own character and that's part of the fun.
    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.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cheeaa
    cheeaa Posts: 364
    edited July 2016
    Options
    Yeah it's definitely interesting. Whatever temp works for ya!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories