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How to lower Egg temp a lot!

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macmilll
macmilll Posts: 2
in EggHead Forum
Hi guys
Last time I posted I was a newbie looking for help. Now I just make mistakes and try to fix them on my own. Question. I lit my egg and went off with the dog thinking I would time the vent closing etc ok. Wrong. I cam back to a 600 degree egg when I wanted 250. Stop laughing. How would you lower this beast? I shut it all down and left the lid open until it wasn't climbing to 400 immediately. At 300 I put my pork butt and wood chunks on and we are now cruising at 290 which I will accept. Lower vent and daisy are open to the smallest crack. Hoping the temp will drop a bit more. Thanks for any input.
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  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,345
    edited May 2023
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    There is a lot of thermal mass in the egg and no quick way to bring it down. Shutting it down and waiting is about all you can do. Adding additional mass, i.e. protein, to absorb some heat will help too. If it didn’t sit there for too long that hot it should come down somewhat quickly. 
    ~ 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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  • EzraBrooks
    EzraBrooks Posts: 381
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    290 is great for a butt so I'd just let it ride and relax. I know folks do 250 and below sometimes but I can't tell a difference. If you're worried about it being dry, foil at 165ish and dump the captured juice back into the meat when you pull it. good luck!
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  • BSR
    BSR Posts: 165
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    You'd be surprised how fast it will cool down if you put a stainless bowl full of water in there. Takes a lot of energy to boil water.
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  • iudex
    iudex Posts: 79
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    Wait, you can boil water in the egg?  B)
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  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,142
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    My method is to set the vents to where I know my egg lives at my target temp, and the egg will eventually drop and stabilize there.

    Once my lump gets going, I’ll do the same, even though it’s not heated up. 

    You’re right about learning as we go - I learn something every time I cook. Keep it up!
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


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  • td66snrf
    td66snrf Posts: 1,822
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    When the egg has gone nuclear and I need to bring it down quickly, I dump more lump in. The fresh lump smothers the existing fire and settles things down. Wait for the VOC's to burn of and your ready.
    XLBGE, LBGE, MBGE, SMALL, MINI, 2 Kubs, Fire Magic Gasser
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  • danhoo
    danhoo Posts: 684
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    iudex said:
    Wait, you can boil water in the egg?  B)
    Hard Boiled
    current: | Large BGE |  Genesis 1000 | Genesis E330 | 22 inch Kettle | Weber Summit Kamado
    sold:| PitBoss pro 820 |  WSM 22 | 
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  • Mark_B_Good
    Mark_B_Good Posts: 1,521
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    I heard someone threw ice cubes into their green egg to cool it down. Anyone else have success with that method?

    Napoleon Prestige Pro 665, XL BGE, Lots of time for BBQ!
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,391
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    Mark_B_Good said:
    I heard someone threw ice cubes into their green egg to cool it down. Anyone else have success with that method?

    I did toss ice cubes into my LBGE to shut down a grease fire that got rolling several hours into a brisket cook.  Everything was progressing just fine for hours.  Fortunately this was early afternoon and I can see my dome thermo from my computer desk.  I look out and the temperature is on the move (was stable around 275*F prior).  Now clearing 300*F and not slowing down.  Run with a PSWoo so I donned the fire gloves and pulled everything out.  Got a nice grease fueled fire going so, toss around a dozen ice cubes on the fire to knock it down.  Worked fine.  Reloaded the brisket and completed the cook. 
    Turns out when foil lining the drip pan I had created a channel for the grease to flow into the lump.  Once the fire found the grease soaked lump away it went.  Only time I ever had that happen.  I now pay a bit of attention to the foil lining install.  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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  • Langner91
    Langner91 Posts: 2,120
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    We have all been there.

    Here's a little video of an alternative way to do it:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1StbTW47KU
    Clinton, Iowa
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    IIRC, some tailgating folks cooled their egg down by pouring water into it. Can’t recall who it was. 

    Be careful when pouring a bucket of water in, though. Steam burns are hell. Especially to the eyes. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,529
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    caliking said:
    IIRC, some tailgating folks cooled their egg down by pouring water into it. Can’t recall who it was. 

    Be careful when pouring a bucket of water in, though. Steam burns are hell. Especially to the eyes. 
    That’s how @lousubcap boils water caveman way  =)
    canuckland
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,391
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    Ice cubes for the win every time. 
    An alert if you are getting your BGE from an eggfest, make sure the prior cook fire is completely extinguished before loading it up.
    Been a few stories of reignition on the road trip home- and not for a planned cooking event.  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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  • Elijah
    Elijah Posts: 688
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    I've done water several times. Just trickle it in on hot spots. 
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    iudex said:
    Wait, you can boil water in the egg?  B)
    I see what you did there. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    lousubcap said:
    Ice cubes for the win every time. 
    An alert if you are getting your BGE from an eggfest, make sure the prior cook fire is completely extinguished before loading it up.
    Been a few stories of reignition on the road trip home- and not for a planned cooking event.  FWIW-
     After the Salado Eggfests,  the Ace sponsor volunteers would scoop all the coals out prior to loading the egg in a vehicle. I'm sure that was appreciated. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,748
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    Haven't overshoot to 600 degrees, but I have poured water into the drip pan and that will definitely lower the ambient temp in the BGE. Hunk of cold meat will also help.
    Stillwater, MN
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  • Teefus
    Teefus Posts: 1,208
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    The good news is you picked a very forgiving cut of meat to make this error with. I took me eyes off the ball once too. I just shut it down like you did and waited 30 minutes to smother much of the fire. Then I opened the egg and aired it out, quickly shutting the lid again and cracking the vents. It stabilized after a bit. A hot Egg is like a big flywheel. It takes a while to spin down.
    Michiana, South of the border.
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  • ksmyrl
    ksmyrl Posts: 1,050
    edited May 2023
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    I bought my mini max from the GA Mountain eggfest when mini maxes were all the rage. Loaded it up in the back of the truck and made the 4 mile drive to the rented cabin. Took mini max out and carried it to the porch. Opened it up and coals were nearly ready for our burger cook. Saved me some time. My guess is the wind in the pick up bed re-ignighted coals. Great advice @lousubcap
    Fish, Hunt, Cook....anything else?

    1LBGE, 1MMBGE, somewhere near Athens GA
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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,977
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    I would strongly advise against pouring ice cold water into a very hot Egg to cool it down.  
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,391
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    For the record ice cubes are fine as the chill shock is quite localized.  =)
    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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