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Do you close the lid after lighting starter cube?

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Ondeck33
Ondeck33 Posts: 28
in EggHead Forum
I just purchased a box of starter cubes and plan on using them tonight. How do you typically leave the dome open while these burn out or do you close it?
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  • TEXASBGE2018
    TEXASBGE2018 Posts: 3,831
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    I typically light them, leave the lid open for 5min or so to get all the initial bad smoke out then close it down.


    Rockwall, Tx    LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.

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  • FearlessTheEggNoob
    FearlessTheEggNoob Posts: 888
    edited April 2018
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    I just have the DFMT wide open and set a reminder in my phone to check up on it in a few minutes so I don't space it off. I suppose that may improve the velocity of the draft to some extent. Anyway, I prefer that way, to lid open so popping/sparking lump is contained.
    Gittin' there...
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  • EggMcMic
    EggMcMic Posts: 340
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    I light the cube and leave it open for 10 minutes. After 10 I add back the grate, plate setter (etc), close the lid and dial in the vents and let it go another 10 minutes. In the winter I change that to 12 and 12 minutes.
    EggMcMcc
    Central Illinois
    First L BGE July 2016, RecTec, Traeger, Weber, Campchef
    Second BGE, a MMX, February 2017
    Third BGE, another large, May, 2017
    Added another griddle (BassPro) December 2017
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,393
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    When using a starter cube or any other ignition source, I leave the bottom vent and dome full open until around a softball sized quantity of lump is lit (for low&slow) and then shut vent to around 1" open install the guts and close the dome with DFMT about half-open on the slide.  Then ease the dome temp into the desired cook temp (generally somewhere in the 240-270*F range).  slowly dialing in the settings.    FWIW-  
    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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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,188
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    It depends on what you are cooking. If I’m doing a hotter cook, I’ll leave the dome open and bottom vent closed so the fire will spread out. I’ll then open the bottom vent. If it’s a low and slow, I’ll open the bottom vent after couple minutes and close the dome. I always try and let the cube burn out before I close the lid so I’m not putting out a waxy smoke with the dome closed. 
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  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,346
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    I always leave the lid up, bottom vent WFO. 
    ~ 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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  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,748
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    Not sure why or if it makes any important difference, but I never shut the lid until the starter cube/paper towel soaked in oil has burned out completely.
    Stillwater, MN
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  • epcotisbest
    epcotisbest Posts: 2,174
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    I've always just left the dome open until the cube burns out and there is a nice bunch of lump lit. Probably fifteen minutes or so. The highly scientific reason why is because that's just the way I've always done it.
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  • derka123
    derka123 Posts: 102
    edited April 2018
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    I light the cube, then close the dome on top of a 2" piece of aluminum that rests between the dome and base. Propping the dome open a few inches provides enough oxygen to fully light the coals nice and hot within a 10 minute window. This minimizes the amount of open space between the base and dome that a potential ember could escape on to my wooden deck. That's my theory anyway.

    I also religiously use the lower damper screen.

    It seems like those small little embers are at their worst during the initial 10 minutes.
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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
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    I open the lid only to take some sort of action.  Once that action is completed, the lid is closed again.  I never grill with the lid open, never leave it open when the fire is getting started.

    So when I use starter cubes, I'd take the Daisy wheel off, open the bottom vent wide, light the cube(s), close the lid.  There's PLENTY of air flow with both vents wide open, and no advantage I can think of to having the lid open.  The advantage of having it closed is that as the fire is starting to heat up, it's also starting to heat up the ceramics.
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  • saluki2007
    saluki2007 Posts: 6,354
    edited April 2018
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    DoubleEgger said:
    It depends on what you are cooking. If I’m doing a hotter cook, I’ll leave the dome open and bottom vent closed so the fire will spread out. I’ll then open the bottom vent. If it’s a low and slow, I’ll open the bottom vent after couple minutes and close the dome. I always try and let the cube burn out before I close the lid so I’m not putting out a waxy smoke with the dome closed. 
    Never thought about leaving the bottom vent closed.  I always leave it wide open and then close the lid after 10 min or so.  Learn something new everyday.
    Large and Small BGE
    Central, IL

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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    I've always used starter cubes. I light the cube and leave the lid and the bottom vent open. The cube will flame for about 5 minutes or so and then burn out - leaving glowing lump that has been lit. At that point I close the lid and leave the lower vent and the DFMT wide open until the egg approaches my desired temperature. Then I adjust the vents and let the egg stabilize - how long that takes depends on the desired temperature you are trying to reach.
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • Ondeck33
    Ondeck33 Posts: 28
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    Decided to leave the dome open until the flame went out and there was a nice pile of embers. Apparently I haven’t been building good fires until tonight. The egg held temperature like never before.
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  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
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    Not until the fires going in the cube is completely burnt up
    “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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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,491
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    Ondeck33 said:
    Decided to leave the dome open until the flame went out and there was a nice pile of embers. Apparently I haven’t been building good fires until tonight. The egg held temperature like never before.
    This thread surprised me.  I've always closed the lid once the cube (square in my case) was lit, and every so often the lump doesn't light.  I will be trying leaving her open a few times, and see if that changes things.  
    Never too old/"experienced" to learn something here!  
    _____________

    Tin soldiers and Johnson's coming...


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  • Philly35
    Philly35 Posts: 858
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    I always leave the dome open till the fire burns out. I use the paper towel soaked in oil. If the dome gets left open after the flames stop, it’s fine. If it’s windy I will close the dome with something between it and the base. Then I close it down with the bottom vent wide open and the daisy wheel off till it gets to temp. To those newbies out there using their egg to grill, don’t use the daisy wheel! Control the temp with the bottom vent. I only use the daisy wheel for low and slows or anything under 300°. 
    NW IOWA
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  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 6,304
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    I don’t ever remember actually using starter cubes. I got one of the old coil starters and replaced it with a Looftlighter. When I start a fire I close the lid relatively quickly so that the ceramics warm up.
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  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
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    I quit cubes a few years ago despite the fact that they work.  A torch is a much better tool for starting your fire.  IMHO.
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
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