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Struggling to get temp up. Please help!

ari_n
ari_n Posts: 9
in EggHead Forum

Hey Guys,

Hoping for a little help here - I'm getting frustrated!

I have been having a lot of trouble getting my egg up to temp for brisket (or any other low and slow) cooks. I have a piece of brisket on right now and aiming for a temp of 250 but even with the bottom vent open all the way and the daisy wheel slits fully open, I am only hovering around 230. For this sort of temp shouldn't a really need the bottom vent open about 1/4inch at most?!

For this cook, I got the egg going fine and up to temp no probs without the placesetter. Then when this goes on, the temp drops (as it should) but I just can't get it back up.

I cleaned out the egg completely the night before, ensuring all air wholes were free of ash. When I put down the fresh charcoal I also put some larger chunks on the bottom as I know airflow is important.

I really think something is wrong if I can't get it to 250 indirect with the bottom vent all the way open?!? When you get up at 4am to light the egg after prepping the night before the last thing you want to be doing is spending 2 hours trying to get the right temp. Very frustrating.

I did notice that top dome and main egg don't align 100%. There's overlap by around half a cm (1/5 inch). Would this make a difference?

I did check my temp probe a while back dipping in boiling water and it seemed spot on. But I might check again...

Thanks team!

Ari

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Comments

  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 11,627

    It sounds like you have done everything right and if so, I would first suspect calibration, If you have a probe thermometer ,remove your dome thermo and insert the probe and see where you are

    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544

    It is simple fire and air. The vent positions should yield 500-1000 depending on direct or indirect.

    What size egg?

    What lighting method?

    Is the plate setter installed?

    Pictures would also help of inside and outside

    The final settings for the vents should be @ 1/8" bottom and top barely cracked.

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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,137
    edited March 2019

    Welcome...

    You should get your Egg up to temp and let it stabilize with the platesetter in the Egg so it's warm as well when you add your brisket.

    How large is your brisket? Adding a big hunk of meat will trick your dome gauge till it starts to warm up the external surface of your brisket. You should NOT try and compensate for this by opening your vents. You will only over stoke your fire and have to fight getting back to a low and slow temp later.

    Other basics is to make sure you have the air hole/notch in your fire box lined up bottom vent opening in your Egg base.

    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • TEXASBGE2018
    TEXASBGE2018 Posts: 3,831
    edited March 2019

    Sounds like above, calibration. With those settings on your egg and a clean fire box with even just a bit of wind you should be seeing temps of around 350-400. Those are the settings I use to grill chicken breast at. For low and slows I shut my bottom vent to around 1/4" and top vent open half way to maintain 250 for over 12 hours+ also the misalignment that small shouldn't matter.


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

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  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,318

    How long are you giving it to come up to temp? You could have a raging inferno right beneath the platesetter and you don't even realize it. It takes a long time to preheat the platesetter and meat.

    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 35,003

    if you get it stabilized at 250, then put cold stuff in, it can take an hour or two three for the temps to climb back up, dont play with the vents. if you put water in a pan in there it will take longer, water keeps the temp low til its gone

    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831

    Make sure the thermometer probe isn't touching the cold meat.

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 37,810

    If all you describe is accurate then it has to the your indications (thermo) otherwise nothing makes sense. If you remove your platesetter while at your low temp with the vents open do you see quite a glowing batch of lump because if you do, then the output is much greater than 250*F. FWIW-

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544

    I recommend letting the fire grow to the size of a softball or a bit larger with the lid open, lower vent wide open, and the platesetter out. Then close the lid and close vents half way. As the temp begins to rise close the vents even more prior to it reaching the intended target. You have to establish some sort of fire prior to closing imo. I assume the front opening is properly aligned to freely allow air to enter the main chamber unobstructed. Good luck.

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  • marysvilleksegghead
    marysvilleksegghead Posts: 862

    Could be the large chunks of charcoal are blocking too many air holes thus

    restricting the air flow. If you have a wiggle stick, might be a good time to use it.

    Guess my guess . . . 😊

    Lrg 2008
    Mini 2009
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  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,601

    Make sure your firebox is lined up straight with your lower vent.

    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • FlyOverCountry
    FlyOverCountry Posts: 683

    If you have trouble getting it up you can always look at getting the Roman app.

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  • Meeteeter
    Meeteeter Posts: 32

    @ari_n What did you figure out?

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  • ari_n
    ari_n Posts: 9
    Hey All, sorry its taken 5 months to give an update but I never checked back. =) Turned out that my thermometer was off by a fair bit so I calibrated and got going again.

    I feel like things still aren't quite right though with temps. I wouldn't mind some feedback on my earlier question if anyone is keen to respond:

    I noticed that top dome and main egg don't align 100%. There's overlap by around half a cm (1/5 inch). Would this make a difference?
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  • NorthPilot06
    NorthPilot06 Posts: 1,179
    It shouldn’t matter much, if at all. In fact, a misalignment would likely cause the temperature to be hotter because it could introduce additional oxygen into the fire. 

    But not to worry, many folks around here run with misalignment or even no gaskets. If it bugs you, you could always try to adjust/replace your band assembly. 
    DFW - 1 LGBE & Happy to Adopt More...
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  • Jupiter Jim
    Jupiter Jim Posts: 3,351
    Do you have a Kick ash basket? it's very simple more air flow more heat, less air flow less heat. I don't care if my temp is 20-30 degrees off if it's a little high cook is faster, if low cook takes a little longer.

    I'm only hungry when I'm awake!

    Okeechobee FL. Winter

    West Jefferson NC Summer

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  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
    I think someone already mentioned the firebox alignment. Did you confirm that? Do you have trouble getting higher temps for direct cooks?

    I agree with @NorthPilot06 that the dome mis-alignment would, if anything, provide additional air-flow.

    Also, you said you completely cleaned out the egg... I assume that means you pulled the firebox out and got all of the ash out of the base?
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