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Hight Temp Question

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Skids
Skids Posts: 32
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Maybe it's just me (probably is, but I feel better when I off-load). I've had my egg for about 3 weeks now and I'm happier than a pig eating slop. I've cooked ribs, chickens, bread (my very first & second), pizza and then this weekend was my first attempt at a rib eye. Everything I've cooked has come out much better than I would have expected...and my expectations were reasonably high. I thought I would take a conservative approach and not do any high cooks until I had nearly 10 low to moderate cooks behind me. I've never had a problem getting the fire started (I use a small piece of paper towel with some veg oil at three locations). Here's the question, do you all really get your temps up to 800+? I had just cleaned out the entire Egg, put in new lump all the way to the top of the firebox, had the bottom vent all the way open (including the screen) and left the lid open until there was a good even fire. I then closed the lid but had nothing on the top...totally open. I watched as the temp grew to 500 and prepared my room temp rib eye as TRex advised. I even employed "patience" as I anticipated the best steak I would have ever cooked. Though I'm sure it doesn't matter much, I even used a cast iron searing grate. The highest the temp would go was 600. After more than an hour of being "patient" I decided to sear/cook the steak according to TRex. Now I'm not sure how good this steak would have tasted had I reached temps of 8-900, but that steak was easily the best steak I ever cooked. I realize I'm biased, but I'd go so far as to say the best steak I've ever eaten (and I've eaten a bunch). So, the stories of 800+ temps; are they real or just a myth? If it's real, then what do you think I did wrong? Remember, I had a clean, well ventilated, good even fire that caught quickly (only one match) and I waited more than 60 minutes (isn't that being patient?). Oh yeah, for no other reason than simply to share; I never experienced any "flash back" and my gaskets look darn near like new...credit is not mine, but all of yours for your advise on how to avoid "flash backs." OK, what say you?
Skids
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Comments

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    Personally, I haven't noticed a really big difference between a 600 degree sear, and an 800. A little more char on the 800, but not much.

    As far as getting the Egg super-hot, I'll confess that its still somewhat of a mystery to me. Most often, it just runs right up with the needle sweeping past 700, but every now and then, it'll stall out at 600. I suspect its just how the pieces of lump happen to be touching. I've found that taking a pie pan and fanning the fire from below helps boost the heat.

    I plan to get bellows sometime soon for those times when the heat just isn't happening fast enough.
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  • Klag
    Klag Posts: 208
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    My medium Egg pegs the temp guage if I leave both vents open. I get flames shooting out the top of the egg almost 2 feet if I use enough lump. For the first 7 years I had the Egg, I only used it for high temp cooks. I've been through 4 thermometers too :o

    I also have no gasket whatsoever, and haven't for 8 years. No problems with low and slow, even without the gasket.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    when im using the cast iron grid i only bring it up to about 650/700 for the sear, with the origional grid 750/800 is what i want. if you only got to 600 something was blocking the air flow or it just needed a little more time. with a full load ive held 900 for a long time with everything open, then all of a sudden it climbs past 1100 degrees dome (my large will do this, my small will not)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Mike in Abita
    Mike in Abita Posts: 3,302
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    Heat is a matter of how much lump is lit and how much oxygen you have. For a high temp cook I will light the lump on the bottom. (Move most of the lump to one side and lite a few places after that is established then cover that with more lump.)

    If I remember correctly lump will burn at 1800+ degrees. You can get your egg this hot, I really don't know why you'd want to. It's just a matter of fuel and oxygen. Enough of each and you can cook just about anything.
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
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    They are real, but they don't matter. A steak seared close to the coals is actually searing at much higher than the dome thermometer indicates.

    As long as the steak was good, why worry.

    MiniJammin.jpg
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  • lil goat
    lil goat Posts: 6
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    I have seen mine go all the way around to zero again, but I have also been in a hurry and done them at 600, works fine. I am going to do a porterhouse on my new cast iron grill tonight, we will see if this makes any difference.
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    i took this pic, as i was going to post about talking with the bikini clad neighbor while drinking a beer.


    minidimensions038.jpg

    i was shooting for 250°
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  • FlaMike
    FlaMike Posts: 648
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    Did you clean behind the firebox? In time, the ash falls thru the holes in the firebox, and obstructs the airflow.
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  • NibbleMeThis
    NibbleMeThis Posts: 2,295
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    I seem to share your experience. Even with a clean egg (vacuumed) and fresh BGE lump, bottom vent wide open, and nothing on the top vent, my large BGE typically levels off at around 600, maybe 650. Seems to work great though.

    I have hit 700+ a few times but I can't get it consistently. In fact the hottest I every got it, it was by accident when I wasn't paying attention:)
    Knoxville, TN
    Nibble Me This
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    i did not think it necessary to post this as skids has only been cooking for few weeks But! mike is right on.. after a bit of egging the raceway between the firebox and the inner wall if the egg fills with ash and little pieces of lump you need to remove the firebox or stick the vac hose in this space push it all the way around.,
    also the entrance to this space is ofter blocked by ash and lump from dragging the ash out the door. hard to see stick your fingers in. i will get pics of this soon as the issue comes up often.
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  • Skids
    Skids Posts: 32
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    I used a shop vac when I cleaned it and I'm more than confident that there were no obstructions anywhere. I think I may not have held my mouth right. I realize that 800 may not give me anymore than what I get from 600, but I just didn't want to be left out of the over 800 gang...it's all about the brag.
    Skids
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  • Skids
    Skids Posts: 32
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    Actually I used my shop vac and was very sure I got all that could be gotten. Given how good the steak was and the fact that I can get from 600 to 400 (for the "roasting" phase) faster, there probably isn't much need for me to go higher. I just wanted to keep up with you 800+ folks. I wanted bragging rights.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    you will also get to join the melted gasket club and the broken firebox club, my firebox is a 9 piece model and i dont use gaskets anymore. also beware that at real high temps, the dome band expands and loosens and you could join the dome fell out and shattered club.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    carefull with that... i had some S.A. lump to get rid of and decided to clean the egg ... 950°-1000° let it burn, really cool, jet blue flames shooting out the top ..what a creosoted melted gasket black crap running done the outside of the egg disaster.
    any way don't forget about the space between the firebox and the inner wall when you clean . and makes sure to put the bigger lump on the grate. if you are a lump dumper and at the bottom of the bag you might have had too many small pieces blocking the holes.
    bill
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    i forgot the firebox , i have the 3 piece model but i will keep tying to improve

    minidimensions.jpg
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    i wonder if this is the kind of bragging rights skids was refering to, i took this pic about this time last year, wonder how many pieces i have now. skids, if after a couple months you still cant get the high temps you can raise the lump grate on 3 bolts which allows more airflow around the bottom plate. i made my own plate from a high temp alloy because the castiron was melting out on mine, but ive seen others modify the lower grate. extended high temps will loosen that band though so care should be used when opening the dome, you dont want to try and catch a 900 degree dome as it falls out of the band.
    100_1654.jpg
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    heres the melted lump grate club
    100_1071.jpg
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Skids
    Skids Posts: 32
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    Maybe I should be content with the way things are...I don't think I want to join those other clubs; even if it gives me bragging rights.
    Skids
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  • Haggis
    Haggis Posts: 998
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    Per some others, the high temps are real. My first attempt to TRex was a lot like yours in setup except my temp gauge needle went clear around to something beyond 100 again - you can extrapolate the temp but, quite frankly, it was way too hot. I rarely take it up beyond 700 any more because that is quite effective at achieving the desired results.

    Others have made recommendations about cleaning. You might also want to make sure you don't have too much small lump - it fills the gaps, slows the air flow, and holds down the temp. You can also get a high temp by letting the lump get fully hot but at a lower temp constrained by the doors, then open everything fully. The heated-but-not-yet-red coals will often take off pretty quickly at that point.
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  • Ike Witt
    Ike Witt Posts: 195
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    Here is some advice that worked for me. Get your fire going good, by this i mean a hot, even bed of coals with flames coming up to the grid. Do this with the lid open. If you have the hot bed and flames you are at searing temps. Throw on the beast and listen to it sizzle. After you sear both sides, shut the bottom vent to about 1.5 inches and the daisy closed with just the petals open. Shut the lid and look at the temp if you want, it really doesnt matter what it reads. In about 15 mins, you should be down to 400 to finish roasting the steak. I guess the point was you never really need to be over 600 at the grate to sear, and the lid doesn't need to be closed. Saves on gaskets and fire boxes. Some one posted this about a month ago with pics.
    I think it was Thirdeye, but not sure.

    good luck
    allen
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    as darth says "very impresssive".. i bought a turbinator from bbqguru so i have not had the chance to melt my grate [yet]
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  • Skids
    Skids Posts: 32
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    Thanks. I think I can get my ego to accept sage advice.
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