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Cooking at higher elevations

BBQ-Gator
BBQ-Gator Posts: 35
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
I'm looking for a little help with cooking at higher elevations. Being from Northern Wisconsin, I typically do my low and slows at 225 - 250F. I have been reading that at higher altitudes you should cook at lower temps due to the boiling point of water dropping as you go up.

I am just starting to venture out and compete this summer in a number of events and will be cooking in Colorado in June. My team will be competing in Pueblo, Canon City and then Frisco. Elevations range from 4662 to over 9000 ft.

Just curious, what temps do eggers use in the higher elevations and how this effects cook times.

Thanks for youe help.
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Comments

  • Cory430
    Cory430 Posts: 1,073
    Nah...fire that egg up to 250° dome and let'er rip!
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    I mostly cook at 5k feet and sometimes at 7,500'.

    The only difference I notice is getting the lump lit and and the egg up to higher temperatures.

    I adjust the thermometers for 5k feet and cook to the temps suggested in the various recipes.

    I am not sure about other altitudes but lighting the medium with lump filled to the top of fire box, using 1/2 sheet of napkin and oil, it can take 1/3 the lump to get my medium to 500° and up to 40 to 60 minutes to get there.

    I can do some modifications using the same paramaters to get my medium up to 500° and holding in 10 minutes.

    For some reason on the large my start up times and stabilization times are much the same as others have reported.

    GG
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  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    Hey BBQ-Gator,
    Look me up when you get in the state. I would love to meet you and watch you compete. Let me know if you need anything while here.
    Shoot me a email.
    Molly
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
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  • BBQ-Gator
    BBQ-Gator Posts: 35
    Hey Molly,

    If you are in Colorado Springs, you will be quite close to us. We are competing in Pueblo on June 5-6, Canon City June 12-13, and Frisco June 19-20. Frisco looks like an awesome event. My cooking partner owns a business and caters and vends so we will be both competing and vending at these events. He has a 24ft trailer equiped with a kitchen and smoker. We will use that for the food we vend. I will have 2 LBGE's for competition. Should be interesting. Will be a fun June.

    Let me know how to contact you as we get closer.

    Hope to see you then. We can always use some support :)
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  • BBQ-Gator
    BBQ-Gator Posts: 35
    Thanks GG. While I don't own one at the moment, I will most likely be using a BBQ Guru (CyberQ) for these cooks. I have been talking with both Shotgun Fred and Bob. I assume they will be able to tell me how to recalibrate for these special conditions.
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  • BBQ-Gator
    BBQ-Gator Posts: 35
    Thanks Cory. Where is Littleton in relation to Denver?
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    When using a powered vent system being the CyberQ or Stoker, you most won't likely need to do anything at all.

    Without a powered vent system just make sure the fire grate is clear and the lump is not to compressed in the egg.

    Liquids take a little longer to boil and cooking times may be a little longer.

    GG
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  • Cory430
    Cory430 Posts: 1,073
    About 20min south. The one important difference that I forgot to mention (GG hit it though) is to remember that the boiling point is a little lower up here. This has to be taken into account when calibrating thermometers. Beyond that, I haven't had any temp issues or noticed much in the way of longer cook times...maybe closer to 2hrs/lb on PP vs 1.5hrs/lb, but even that is pretty minimal.

    Maybe Molly and I could hook up and come see ya'll compete.
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  • momcooks
    momcooks Posts: 247
    I'm right at 7000'. I cook at 300 generally, and depending on the mass of the food cook longer.
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  • PhilsGrill
    PhilsGrill Posts: 2,256
    250 degrees is 250 degrees at any elevation. Thermometers don't have an elevation chart with them. It may take longer to get to 250, but that is all.
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  • Cory430
    Cory430 Posts: 1,073
    It is true that 250° is always 250°, but typically you calibrate thermometers in boiling water and the boiling point of water is lower at higher elevations. As in the boiling pt at my elevation is 203° vs. 212° at sea level.
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