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question on lighting the egg

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EggHead09
EggHead09 Posts: 52
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
OK...I feel like an idiot but I want to make sure that I amdoing the process correctly. After I remove the cover from the grill I take off the grate and I stir around all of the coals to get any excess ash out of the fire pit area. I will make sure that all the vent holes are not obstructed with lump or ash. Once that is done I will look in the vent area on the bottom and if there is excessive ash I will remove all ash with ash tool. I will then get a fire starter out and light it. Once it stays lit I will put it in the bottom of the existing lump pile. From there I will add my lump on top of that fire starter in a teepee fashion going to biggest to smallest in lump size. I am being careful not to plug up the holes on the side of the fire pit and I will then close the lid and remove ceramic cover and wait for desired temperature to come up and then put on daisy wheel and wait for all white smoke to go away. My question is....Is this the right practice and do I need to make sure that the air holes on the side are not covered by lump when adding new I.E. a lot of lump for a slow cook?! Also how long do I need to let the egg sit at that temp before I add food?! Or is there a better way? Thanks...

Matt
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    EggHead09,

    You are way over-complicating this. It is a barbeque. Don't pour new lump over lit lump, that is just wasteful. Every once in a while, three or four cooks, stir the old lump. You can pull it up on one side, only because it lights quicker, add your new lump and mess it around. I use a steel spider every once in a while to make sure the holes in the firebox are clear. If you want to do an overnight without a pit minder, take the old lump out, vacuum the inside and stack your big pieces of new lump at the bottom, medium on top of that, the old lump, the small and the dust on top. It's just a question of allowing airflow. Sometimes, I think the advice here may scare folks off.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    As you are new I understand your angst. You will find with time you can stir up the old lump, dump new lump, break up the starter cubes and place in the 3 & 9 o'clock positions and light the cubes....let the fire go for 5 minutes or so and then close the dome and watch the temps climb. If you are using the platesetter put it in at the same time you close the lid.

    Let the temp get to desired level and let all of the bad smoke clear out. This usually takes 20 minutes give or take a few...keep asking questions and in no time you be surprised what you have learned... :)
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  • Lazydogsaloon
    Lazydogsaloon Posts: 213
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    good advise from both you should have it now.

    I just drop a starter cube in the center and leave it for about 10 min, then shut the lid and set my temp.
    Make a drink and let it do its thing.

    Lazydog B)
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  • Grregger
    Grregger Posts: 13
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    Having some ashes to clog up the air flow makes it easier for me to maintain 200 or lower for salmon, but your set up sounds great for T-Rex mode.
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  • EggHead09
    EggHead09 Posts: 52
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    wonderful thank you for all the advice. I am full of questions...I just want to make sure I get the most out of my smoker. I am working on purchasing either a medium or another large egg and building a huge table for the both of them to sit in. I want to know the ins and outs so I can be efficent with both...THANKS!!!

    Matt
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  • Firetruck
    Firetruck Posts: 2,679
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    If you are doing a average grilling just simply stirr in some fresh lump and light it all together.

    If you are doing a low and slow, clean out everything and start over. I never stack lump. I just pour it in and whatever happens happens. I have literally cooked for 23 hrs straight at 230 deg and had some lump left in my large.

    K.I.S.S. method works best for me. ;)
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  • EggHead09
    EggHead09 Posts: 52
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    sounds like I need to invest in a shopvac LOL!!! I am looking forward to some low and slow cooks here pretty soon. My wife has entered me into a BBQ contest at her work. I guess she has way more faith in my cooking and so do some of the people she works with since they have had some of the food I have prepared on the BGE. We are to smoke a boston butt and see whos turns out the best...I think I may be up to the challenge.....
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  • Rolling Egg
    Rolling Egg Posts: 1,995
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    Egghead,
    Take your time and don't get frustrated. You will learn your own lighting technique and be an expert in no time. You will get a 1000 different answers on lighting an egg. All of them are proven and probably will work. Just figure out which one works well for ya. I personally just stir my old and then on top with the new unless Im doing a low and slow. Then I do as previously stated. Get a good cleanout and layer my lump with large on bottom protecting the holes. Good luck with your butt! Happy Egging!
    IMG_4274.jpg
    IMG_4277.jpg
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  • probe1957
    probe1957 Posts: 222
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    I used to use the starter cubes but found out a MAPP torch is, for me at least, easier.
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