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Lighting at fire hours before low and slow.

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leemschu
leemschu Posts: 609
in EggHead Forum
Looking to Cook 2 7.5 pound butts that need to be eaten at 6 tomorrow. I figure around 12 hours for the cook around 4 FTC. So I figure I need to put them on around 2 am. Anyone light their fires and stablize before going to bed so you can just put the meat on and go back to bed?
Dyersburg, TN
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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    I’m guessing a large? Clean out the egg, guts and all, fill to the plate setter with new quality lump and yeah you’ll be fine. 
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,375
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    All the time.  To start with, the cook time while variable is heavily influenced by your cook temp...( unknown) . That said, I will often fire up the BGE at 8 PM for a protein that will land in the 11PM - 1AM range.  Stable (no controller here) is what it is all about.  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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  • leemschu
    leemschu Posts: 609
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    Yes I have a large. I have already filled it to the bottom of the plate setter. Might just have to bite the bullet and get up for longer
    Dyersburg, TN
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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
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    Yes, clean and stabilize then add butts any time you want. Great plan.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,765
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    You certainly can...i may go an hour ahead but no reason you can't go several...for a 6 pm cook, I'd probably just get up early after a nights sleep and get it going...you have plenty of time, run it a bit hotter
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    that is what I often do.  gar-un-teed good schmoke
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    Yep. Light, stabilize, set alarm, add meat, sleep. 
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,842
    edited June 2018
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    For this cook, I'd light it before I go to bed and set the vents where I know it will settle in about 250-275.   Then I'd get up at 6 and put the butts on the egg that is already hot and open the vents to where I can get to 325 (or 300, or 350 or whatever) for the rest of the cook.  

    It's a personal choice.  I like to sleep and I get really impatient in the morning when I feel rushed - so waiting for the egg to stabilize when I'm on a tight timeline drives me nuts.  Having the egg already hot alleviates that.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    theyolksonyou said:
    Yep. Light, stabilize, set alarm, add meat, sleep. 
    I should add sleep between stabilize and alarm.  So light say 10:00, stabilize, go to bed.  Awake at 2:00 and add meat, go back to bed.  Easy peazy. 
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  • JacksDad
    JacksDad Posts: 538
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    I like to just clean out the egg, load it up, and even place my Rutland fire starters the night before, but I sleep better knowing there's not a lit fire next to my house. I wake up around five, roll outside in my pjs and light it up. Then I have an hour or so to let it settle in while I trim up the meat and get it ready to go on... In fact, that's what I'm doing tomorrow morning for a brisket! 



    Large BGE -- New Jersey

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  • logchief
    logchief Posts: 1,415
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    Like @lkapigian said get up early put um on by 0700, run at 250-275 you should be fine and you'll get a good nights sleep.  Get up a 0600 light the egg, make coffee and put the meat on.  Butts are very forgiving.  I hate overnight cooks.
    LBGE - I like the hot stuff.  The big dry San Joaquin Valley, Clovis, CA 
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    Also, I sleep like a log. 
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  • thetrim
    thetrim Posts: 11,357
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    Light that wick!
    =======================================
    XL 6/06, Mini 6/12, L 10/12, Mini #2 12/14 MiniMax 3/16 Large #2 11/20 Legacy from my FIL - RIP
    Tampa Bay, FL
    EIB 6 Oct 95
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