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Max Temp on Large For Sustained Period

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dmourati
dmourati Posts: 1,268
in EggHead Forum
I made pizzas on Monday and noticed some behavior of my LBGE at max temps. I started out with the DFMT on but wide open and the egg hovered around 700F.  I walked away for a while and came back to see the needle buried and the temps around 800+F. I wanted to do pizzas at around 700 but couldn't hold that temp accurately.

After doing one or two pizzas, my max temp started dropping down to 600, then 500.

I started with a full load of lump, mostly previously burned but about 10-20% net new Rockwood.

Questions:

At temps approaching max, say 700-800F, how long should a full load of lump last?
How would you setup the DFMT to stabilize at 700F?

Thanks.
Mountain View, CA
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  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,347
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    A "full load of lump" can vary drastically based on user. With temps that high, take the daisy wheel off and control the temps with the bottom vent. 

    I've made several pies in the 600 range and it lasts well over a few hours
    ~ 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!

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  • jabam
    jabam Posts: 1,829
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    I take my DFMT off completely with anything over 400 degrees. Regulate with bottom door. 

    Ive never had mine that hot for more than an hour. But have to assume that your not going to get much time with it that hot. 
    Central Valley CA     One large egg One chocolate lab "Halle" two chiuahuas "Skittles and PeeWee"
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  • drumdudeguy
    drumdudeguy Posts: 165
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    I would not go over 600 degrees for sustained periods. You could crack the dome or the base.
    Charlotte NC - Large Big Green Egg (2009) w/Nest and Handler
    Accessories: PSWoo, Woo, Adjustable Rig, Smokeware Cap and Temperature Gauge
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  • slovelad
    slovelad Posts: 1,742
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    drumdudeguy said:
    I would not go over 600 degrees for sustained periods. You could crack the dome or the base.
    Sorry but this is completely unfounded 
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  • Elijah
    Elijah Posts: 688
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    I did the pizza thing a few weeks ago and ran out of lump. I did light the fire a few hours early to get it out of the way and held it at ~300 or so until closer to time. I probably got 2 hours at high temps, and finished on fumes. I'll have to rethink it next time.
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  • dmourati
    dmourati Posts: 1,268
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    To clarify what I meant about full load of lump: I had the spider in and while there was enough clearance with the disk up, the stone would have rested atop the charcoal if I had inverted it and put the disk lower than the legs. That is to say, the lump was up to the top of the fire ring.

    @Elijah, pretty similar. I needed to to a burn to clean a bit so I wasnt too concerned. Running on fumes at the end was a bummer and I wished I could have held a constant temp to make all four pizzas more similar in cook time/crust crispiness etc. Basically, I want to remove variables.
    Mountain View, CA
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  • Elijah
    Elijah Posts: 688
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    I have the round stone on the spider and it couldn't sit flat for the charcoal. Next time if I needed to start the fire early I'd try for ~250 or so. Just enough to save the ten or fifteen minutes I'd neglect it later and the the fire spread a little. I also had some gaps between the first few pizzas, so maybe get a head start there as well.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    By the time I got here,
    the temp started to drop immediately. Took so much lump just to get there, it wouldn't stay there. I was out of lump.

    But the one pizza I got out of it was very good!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    ive gotten the egg to 1200 dome temps for more than a half hour, thats about 30 pizzas worth =)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • GoooDawgs
    GoooDawgs Posts: 1,060
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    Make sure you know what the pizza stone temp is - not just the dome thermo that's usually blocked by the stone.   I use an IR thermo to shoot the stone and make sure it's between 550-600 for the dough I use.  

    Then I usually put the smokeware cap back on with the vents open to try and get the top to cook as fast as the bottom. 
    Milton, GA 
    XL BGE & FB300
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