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HOORAY! Got my Small Egg Past 650¼!!!

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Judy Mayberry
Judy Mayberry Posts: 2,015
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
A few weeks ago I was whining to you all that in 5 years I've never gotten the Small Egg over 500¼, so I can't get the roaring sear for the T-Rex method. Stike was kind enough to point out that the meat is so close to the lump it was the equivalent of a great sear in the Large. Apparently I wasn't getting it close enough.[p]Since then I've been thinking, "meat close to lump" in the back of my mind. And yesterday I saw the occasionally mentioned Cowboy brand lump at Lowe's--have never seen it in San Diego before. [p]So I brought it home and prepared a nice clean Egg with it, loading it higher than ever before, to about an inch below the top of the fire ring. The lump pieces were almost all medium sized and mostly FLAT, so that I built a fire with lots of air spaces in the lump. It was at 600¼ within 20 minutes. Looking into the flaming and glowing lump, it looked like a honeycomb with so many air spaces--I could see quite a ways down into it. At that point I seared a small pork loin roast at 660¼ (although I really wanted to wait and see just how high it would go).[p]Now, someone tell me what made this magic: using Cowboy over BBQ Galore, BGE, Maple Leaf, etc.? the height of the lump fill? the air spaces? alignment of the stars? [p]I have to add that an unbelievable amount of lump was left this morning, and I'd never seen so many flat lump pieces before. ALSO, I'd cut off part of a Costco "seasoned pork loin roast" in Cryovac to cook and it was so unbelievably salty I could barely eat it. The rest of the piece is going back to Costco today.

Judy in San Diego
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Comments

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    <p />Judy Mayberry,
    i was steered away from cowboy the first year or so because so many poo-pooed it. but i like it, ESPECIALLY for searing in the small. it's what i christened the small with, as a matter of fact (see above).[p]it is lighter (less dense), and that just helps it burn faster, and faster is hotter (more draft). it's also scrap lumber, and i can't help but feel there is more airflow.[p]you are right, too about the amount of charcoal left. fishless pronounced the small a "miser", and it is. this is how much ash i cleaned out of the small after cooking on it for a week at the lake last year.[p]2006augustLakeWvacation033.jpg
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • eggfoot
    eggfoot Posts: 138
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    <p />Judy Mayberry, although I am not sure why your small wont go over 600 I have had my small for close to 7 years and I bet I have had that poor guy past 750deg 100 times or more. Makes me wonder what is going on with yours. I have used 4 or 5 kinds of lump over the years all of which have worked fine. Keep trying :)

    [ul][li]OMAHA Eggfest[/ul]
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  • bobinaz
    bobinaz Posts: 44
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    Judy Mayberry,[p]Congrats Judy!!! Maybe it was the lump or how high your lump was. At any rate, now you know what works for you in your small egg. Start searing those steaks!!!
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  • BurntRaw
    BurntRaw Posts: 565
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    Judy Mayberry,
    Wow![p]I also have NEVER been able to get my small over 500 and I have tried everything that you had listed.[p]Not sure what is going on.[p]Congrats.
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    Judy Mayberry,[p] I had a boat load of witnesses that Ms. Penny got above 700 degs last Friday. She did a fine job searing some French cut lamb ribs and some London Broil.[p] I don't use Cowboy. She was fueled by Wicked Good last week-end.[p] IMHO It the way the air is allowed to flow.[p]
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  • BENTE
    BENTE Posts: 8,337
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    Celtic Wolf,
    happy eggin
    tb

    happy eggin

    TB

    Anderson S.C.

    "Life is too short to be diplomatic. A man's friends shouldn't mind what he does or says- and those who are not his friends, well, the hell with them. They don't count."

    Tyrus Raymond Cobb

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  • Judy Mayberry
    Judy Mayberry Posts: 2,015
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    stike,
    Two things to say to you:[p]1. What a good-looking gasket you've got! Mine looks like it's had 3 tours of duty in Iraq.[p]2. How can you get that much fire with SO LITTLE LUMP????
    Judy in San Diego
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    judy, judy, judy. (my best cary grant accent)[p]that was my initial cook, see how white the ceramic is?
    ..and so my gasket looks, well, good as new (it was).[p]the fire was from my cowboy lump and using my starter-twisty-olive-oil-napkin things. fresh lump, lots of air, two starters, and that thing is cranking in fifteen minutes
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • QBabe
    QBabe Posts: 2,275
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    Judy Mayberry,[p]One word...[p]AIRFLOW![p]That's the key to a hot fire. [p]Although, that said, I don't really believe you have to take an egg to "nuke" temps anymore.[p]Happy Eggin![p]Tonia
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