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yodaladiehoo - Broc

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Grandpas Grub
Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
When you are cooking in cold temps. If you are cooking at say 350° dome or thereabouts and a low temp cook say 250° dome?

What are your vent openings on the medium?

Do you find you have to wiggle the lump to get to higher temps?

Kent
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  • Broc
    Broc Posts: 1,398
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    Howdy, Neighbor!

    Yes -- I really have to pay attention to airflow on my Medium... I don't know why, but the firebox over time seems to "vibrate" off center -- so I've learned to always check that whenever I clean out the Egg. I also clean the Egg at least once a week, and make sure all the airholes are clean.

    But -- I also remove the fire ring and the firebox and vacuum the ash that has fallen behind the firebox.

    In the cold and wind, I usually have the bottom vent open about 2" and the daisy wheel on, with the petals as open as possible [slid out of the way] to maintain 350F.

    Once the cook is established I use my coat-hanger-wiggle-stick often, whenever the Egg seems to struggle to hold temps. And, in the cold and wind, the Egg eats lots more fuel than in the heat of summer.

    ~ Broc
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Broc,

    Thank you.

    To clarify, the top vent slider is all the way open?

    My medium fire ring doesn't fit snugly insive the egg like my large does. Probably a 1/2" gap on either side (or front/back). Total of 1" gap. Wood chips fall down between the ring and egg.

    The firebox & ring will move/vibrate, I haven't checked to see if the firebox has moved from position down by the vent. I will look tomorrow.

    In this weather I am always having to wiggle stick the lump. I don't have enough experience on the medium to know if I am using more lump.

    I am going through more lump but I am finding that I often fire both the large and medium together and have attributed my increased lump usage due to using both eggs at the same time.

    I haven't cleaned the medium other than removing the ash from the lower vent - something I will have to pay more attention to.

    I have to cut some length off of my wiggle stick as the arm keeps getting lodged in the fire grate and continually knocks the grate out of alignment and I get a lot of hot ash falling onto the floor of the medium.

    When the lump is burning properly and there is proper airflow my lower vent is pretty close to what you use.

    I think it will be interesting to use the medium when the weather gets warmer.

    My large acts different in this cold weather than when using it in the summer. Very seldom would I use a wiggle stick in the warm weather and now I am almost having to use it on every cook.

    Thanks for the info... Kent
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  • Broc
    Broc Posts: 1,398
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    Yes -- I mean to say -- the diasy wheel is on top of the upper vent hole, but it is swung all the way open, as wide as possible. This isn't true in hot weather.

    I have another theory -- The Large holds more lump... it can have more lump burning at any given time... therefore you may find it easier to sustain higher temps.

    But -- since I have never cooked on a Large, I may just be whistlin' Dixie!

    ~ Best

    ~ Broc
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    As of now, I would say it is easier to cook on the large than the medium. However, cooking in this cold is all new to me.

    Once warmer weather hits I will be able to tell if there is much of a difference or not.

    The large is different than when using it in warmer weather.

    First winter with the eggs.

    Kent.
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