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:
Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Youtube | Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.
Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch
New Flame Boss 200 help
MN-Egger
Posts: 135
Hooked everything up and watched the pit temp rise from 180's° and the fan was all over the place. 14% to 80%. Want target grate temp at 235° and as temp approached my goal temp, the fan was still feeding air and at the target, the fan went to zero but the pit temp kept rising and it now over 270°. Fan has been at zero for some time. I am wondering if the fire will snuf out or is there something else I should be doing? Have yet to put the ribs on and in wait mode. Been 30-40 minutes since it climbed past 230°
--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE
Comments
-
The FB200 has an auto learn mode which will help it not overshoot next time. Doesn't help right now.
If you have the latest software it has an anti-snuff feature. It will puff air every so often to keep the fire alive.
If you are worried, bump temp to 250 on the unit and let it roll. Ribs at 250 taste the same as 235.I would rather light a candle than curse your darkness.
-
Update:
Decided to throw meat on and if I had to restart, so be it. Closed lid and temp dropped as always and after the FB cover open pause, the 200 came back to life and brought the egg up to the target and all seems well. Could there have been a heat bubble having trouble dissipating and opening the lid released it?--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
Believe I have newest software as it downloaded when I was setting up a couple days ago. Seems to be working fine now. Just needed a little help and to learn my egg I guess.Ozzie_Isaac said:The FB200 has an auto learn mode which will help it not overshoot next time. Doesn't help right now.
If you have the latest software it has an anti-snuff feature. It will puff air every so often to keep the fire alive.
If you are worried, bump temp to 250 on the unit and let it roll. Ribs at 250 taste the same as 235.--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
Best thing to do is let the unit do its thing. Make sure the DFW is mostly closed. Don't monkey with it by opening the lid and stuff, that actually makes the situation worse.
I would rather light a candle than curse your darkness.
-
Understand and I am doing as you suggest. Letting it manage everything and hands off.--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
Yep, you should be good. Realize your oven has a +50/-15 temp swing.MN-Egger said:
Believe I have newest software as it downloaded when I was setting up a couple days ago. Seems to be working fine now. Just needed a little help and to learn my egg I guess.Ozzie_Isaac said:The FB200 has an auto learn mode which will help it not overshoot next time. Doesn't help right now.
If you have the latest software it has an anti-snuff feature. It will puff air every so often to keep the fire alive.
If you are worried, bump temp to 250 on the unit and let it roll. Ribs at 250 taste the same as 235.I would rather light a candle than curse your darkness.
-
for the smoothest rampups i find it's helpful to get a decent amount of charcoal lit (like a few fistfuls) and let the egg start warming up, then put the platesetter in and let that warm up a bit too. then install the flameboss.
that said, i care more about convenience. i've thrown a single starter cube in, lit it, installed the platesetter and the flameboss and let it bring everything up to temp. darn thing really works well - if it overshoots, it's never more than 15-20 degrees for me.
Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle -
FB cook: 5940-0944blind99 said:for the smoothest rampups i find it's helpful to get a decent amount of charcoal lit (like a few fistfuls) and let the egg start warming up, then put the platesetter in and let that warm up a bit too. then install the flameboss.
that said, i care more about convenience. i've thrown a single starter cube in, lit it, installed the platesetter and the flameboss and let it bring everything up to temp. darn thing really works well - if it overshoots, it's never more than 15-20 degrees for me.
I bought the FB because I was always having to deal with the temp soaring on me. I start out fine but it keeps gaining. I use the mapp gas torch and light in 2-3 places, let it go for 10 minutes and perhaps that is too many spots or too much time? Maybe I let the fire get too hot before closing it down. In the past I was only lighting in one spot and that wasn't enough and I snuffed it a few times.
After The high temp start today, I opened the egg, put the meat on and it settled down but seems to want to keep the temp 10° over target. If you look at the online graph, you can see for over an hour, the FB added zero fan and I was worried about a snuf but was wrong.--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
I think you have answered your own question. Once the Egg gets overheated it is very difficult to cool down. You always want to approach your target temperature from below rather than above.MN-Egger said:
...Maybe I let the fire get too hot before closing it down...blind99 said:for the smoothest rampups i find it's helpful to get a decent amount of charcoal lit (like a few fistfuls) and let the egg start warming up, then put the platesetter in and let that warm up a bit too. then install the flameboss.
that said, i care more about convenience. i've thrown a single starter cube in, lit it, installed the platesetter and the flameboss and let it bring everything up to temp. darn thing really works well - if it overshoots, it's never more than 15-20 degrees for me.
Good luck with the Flame Boss - interested to learn more about your experience as I sometimes think of buying one...
New Orleans LA -
I love my FB200 and use it to get my egg up to the target temp. Thing to watch out for is the FB gets that fan going to 100%, gets the fire going, and then when the fan scales back the fire keeps going. I've heard some will get there temp to where they want it and then install the FB. What I do is use the FB, but input my target temp about 20-30 degrees lower than what I really want it at. If the FB doesn't overshoot that, I'll just creep up the FB temp and let the egg come along with it.A Lonely Single Large Egg
North Shore of Massachusetts -
Yesterday was puzzling with the FB200. With or without the FB, I just can't seem to keep my egg at 235° as others seem to. Even with the FB blocking/controlling the lower vent and the top vent open just a tiny bit, the egg finds a way to creep up in temp. If you look at the blower stats from yesterday (link below), you will see it sure didn't have to work much, especially in the tail end of the cook, the egg had a period where it spiked up 40° above target for an hour before settling down and the fan was not needed at all late in the cook. It was a slightly windy day but not gusting. As you sit there and watch the temps rise you begin to ponder all possibilities of why it is happening. How is this egg not only maintaining temp but increasing with only the top vent slightly open and no fan air being used? Where is it getting air from?
Once I opened the egg and put the meat on, it released the heat that at one point was 50° above target and the temp range after that was acceptable but I am hesitate to trust for an overnight low and slow. More to learn I guess...
Stats from yesterday: https://myflameboss.com/cooks/35090--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
You are supplying more air to the fire than it needs. If the fan isn't running and the temp goes up 40 degrees (at least I am inferring that the fan wasn't running) then the vents are open too much. The vents should be closed to the point that the FB MUST run occasionally to supply air. Remember a fan can only add heat; it cannot take it away.
New Orleans LA -
Can't control the bottom vent as the Flame Boss controls that one and the top is only open a 1/4 or 1/8th inch.Dondgc said:You are supplying more air to the fire than it needs. If the fan isn't running and the temp goes up 40 degrees (at least I am inferring that the fan wasn't running) then the vents are open too much. The vents should be closed to the point that the FB MUST run occasionally to supply air. Remember a fan can only add heat; it cannot take it away.--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
@MN-Egger ... from an earlier discussion, I'm assuming that you had the pit probe on the cooking grid and the very end was towards the center of the leg. If so, then I'm also confused by the sudden shifts in temp. The fire moves around in the lump and a sudden shift of lump as the fire burns down will cause temps to spike/dip if it occurs directly below the pit probe. But, shielding it with the leg of the plate setter - not just the edge of the leg - usually dampens out those sudden changes.
To maintain 235 degrees, all you need/want is one small area lit in the middle of the lump. Don't be afraid of snuffing out the fire if you're coming up to temp ... the fan will keep it lit. It only takes a small amount of lump to maintain that temp when everything is at target temp. You want the fire to be contained in a small ball to assist in an even burn. Trying to lower the temp when it has overshot is where the danger of snuffing a small fire occurs.
It also looks like you had too much venting in the daisy wheel ... surprised that the computer at Flameboss didn't send you a text to tell you that. Look at how much time the egg idled on slightly over temp without the fan running ... that indicates that you were close, but not quite throttled down enough. On my large eggs, with the Flameboss, a top opening of ~ 0.03 sq inches is about right ... that's approximately a single 3/16" hole to vent the top. See this thread for an alternative to adjusting the daisy wheel: http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1194766/fixed-venting-with-a-blower-control/p1
I've also noticed that a fill well into the fire ring will help dampen out some of the spike/dips in temp. I think that's because with the small fire higher in the egg and centered under the plate setter, it's less likely to exposed the pit probe to radiated energy or place it in a stream of hot air rising around the edge of the plate setter.
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
-
It may seem crazy but you need to close it more. The Flame Boss will provide the needed air.MN-Egger said:
Can't control the bottom vent as the Flame Boss controls that one and the top is only open a 1/4 or 1/8th inch.Dondgc said:You are supplying more air to the fire than it needs. If the fan isn't running and the temp goes up 40 degrees (at least I am inferring that the fan wasn't running) then the vents are open too much. The vents should be closed to the point that the FB MUST run occasionally to supply air. Remember a fan can only add heat; it cannot take it away.
New Orleans LA -
Top should be open the thickness of a dime.Large BGE - McDonald, PA
-
Super helpful guys, learning! My mistake seems to be that I started fire in three spots and will go with one next cook. I did have the pit probe protected by the plate setter leg. I will close the daisy wheel even more also next time. I will remember, "size of a dime".
Thank You--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
Do remember that every egg is a little different. Start the next cook with daisy wheel with half the opening that you had the first time and then adjust according to the results you see on the fan run time. If the fan is running 100% of the time, then open the top vent a little. If the fan isn't running at all, then close the top vent some more. Try to aim for your fan peaks at around 50% ... that's a good sweet spot to start with.MN-Egger said:... "size of a dime". ...
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
-
Picked up a 7.77# butt for the weekend and could I confirm my procedure for lighting the lump. In the past I was lighting too many spots thus producing too hot a fire and was told here to light only one spot in the center of the lump. Also before owning the FB, I would let that fire burn for a while, vents, egg cover open so as to make sure I had a fire that would not snuf out. Is the method now to light the one center spot, have the FB in place and close the egg cover immediately with no lump pre-burn time? Gonna be starting this late in the evening and want to do it the best way to avoid the hot egg syndrome I had last weekend.--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
There are two schools of thought ... both work with a single ignition point in the middle of the lump:
1) Bring the egg nearly up to temp manually and then fire off the FB.
2) Light the single spot, give it five or so minutes to ensure it's going, install your internal hardware, and fire up the FB. Since you're still on the learning curve, set the FB target at 225 degrees. When it stabilizes at 225 degrees for 10 minutes or so, then bump it up to 250 degrees. If it overshoots the 225 degrees target and stabilizes a little higher, simply bump up to 250 and you'll be good to go.
Don't forget to fill well up into the fire ring - if not to the bottom of the notches - to ensure enough lump to finish the cook and dampen the temp swings.
Do post your cook number and let us follow along when you cook this weekend.
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
-
I use @Jeepster47's method #2. I'll light the fire and wait to get about a softball sized area of glowing embers before I install the hardware and get the FB going.
The FB is very good at taking it from there.Living the good life smoking and joking -
Ramp up the temp. If you're looking for 235F, start at 180 for 15 minutes, 200 for another 15, then 220 finally.
Remember that the ceramic and cold meat acting like a HUGE heat sink. They're sucking up that heat so when the ceramic hits 235F, it doesn't need all that extra fire any more. And unless you have choked it for air BEFORE it got to that temp, it doesn't need much O2 to sustain and keep climbing in temp.
You don't have to worry near as much about this when it's cold outside, but when it's 90-100F out, and you're trying to maintain 200-225, it can get away from you easily.
BTW, some water in a drip pan can help, but you need to be careful if the water boils off.....same scenario.
-
Smoking today and having issues with the FB. When started it kept cycling from cook to "production test" And voltage check. When it did this, it would shut off fan then after test fan came back. I unplugged from outlet no change. After a while I unplugged power from FB and the messages stopped. Then an hour into the cook, the FB has now gone offline and I do not know how to get it back?--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
@MN-Egger
Id like to make a suggestion... Bring your pit temp up and let it stabilize for 30 minutes prior to putting the meat on.
Looks like from the link you posted, the meat was put on when you started the FB and the pit temp is low. The "nasties" in the charcoal need higher temps to burn off and give a nice clean smoke.
"Nasties" - VOCs, they are the off putting smells and tastes.
My method - you'll change your method with experience.
1. Light a billiards sized ball of coal/lump in the middle.
2. Open top and bottom vents wide open, while keeping egg top open.
3. Once fire seems to be solid and coals are well lit, shut the lid. Stay next to the egg cause temp will increase quickly with good coals lit.
4. Assuming my target temp is 250F, let the closed egg (vents open) get to about 220F.
5. Once 220F, connect the FB, and shutdown the top vent to about the thickness of a dime.
6. Let the FB do the rest of the work and come up to temp (250F).
7. Let temp stabilize for 20-30 minutes, then load Platesetter/Meat for the cook.
8. Kick back, relax, go to bed, drink a beer, etc. wait for food to be done and then enjoy!Large BGE - McDonald, PA -
No, egg was allowed to stabilize and meat went on an hour after fire was started. The temp overshot initially but settled down. After 2 hours I upped the temp to 250° and again, it overshot 30° over target and I am now having a hell of a time getting it to go down. I do not understand why the FB keeps throwing air at it whem it is 30° over target sometimes as much as 80-100% fan--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
EDIT: Nevermind my suggestion, I was viewing the data in Celcius, my scales were all off.
Looks like your your cook is spot on! Remember to post the results (pics)!Large BGE - McDonald, PA -
Not so much spot on, It has the temp 20° over target and keeps stoking with fan, it just won't seem to let the temp come down, it's like it thinks the target is 270°--
Jeff
Near Twin Cities, MN
Large BGE -
The logic has to learn how your egg responds to the fan, it gets "smarter" with the more cooks.Large BGE - McDonald, PA
-
The good news is that the butt will turn out great. It really doesn't care if the temp deviates +/-25 degrees.
Maybe @MichaelCollins will check in this morning and share some insight.
Can't explain the updating that occurred during the start up portion, but if you had to reset it such that it lost the accumulated knowledge of your egg then I suspect it's in the process of relearning. I'm told it takes about an hour of running to understand the personality of your egg. Unless you unplugged the fan at 8:25 EST, it looks like the FB is beginning to control appropriately. A swing or two through the target temp will greatly improve it's knowledge.
I would suggest simply riding it out right now without making any physical adjustments.
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
Categories
- All Categories
- 184K EggHead Forum
- 16.1K Forum List
- 461 EGGtoberfest
- 1.9K Forum Feedback
- 10.5K Off Topic
- 2.4K EGG Table Forum
- 1 Rules & Disclaimer
- 9.2K Cookbook
- 15 Valentines Day
- 118 Holiday Recipes
- 348 Appetizers
- 521 Baking
- 2.5K Beef
- 90 Desserts
- 167 Lamb
- 2.4K Pork
- 1.5K Poultry
- 33 Salads and Dressings
- 322 Sauces, Rubs, Marinades
- 548 Seafood
- 175 Sides
- 122 Soups, Stews, Chilis
- 40 Vegetarian
- 103 Vegetables
- 315 Health
- 293 Weight Loss Forum