New Egger

Congratulations Richard and welcome to the forum.

I have not used an oval so I am not sure of the characteristics of it.

How much lump did you put in the medium and what did you use to light. What were the vent setting when you lit and how long did you leave the dome open?

You are going to get a white smoke when lighting and that smoke will turn clear or a clear blue. Once the smoke is clear blue (with flavor wood in the lump) and if you are at temperature you are ready to cook.

GG

I am not sure what a "natural packet lighters" is.

There a lot of ways to light you ceramic cookers and you will get a lot of different methods.

Here is what I do.

Fill your medium to at least above the bottom air holes in the fire box. If you are going to to a hotter cook or possibly a longer cook then fill up to the top of the fire box. If an over night cook I will fill up to the top or almost the top of the fire ring.

Lighting. I used to use starter cubes, have gone to vegetable oil and 1/2 sheet of paper towel. Sometimes I will use a MAPP torch and sometimes if it is freezing out side and I don't want to be out in the cold I use a weed burner.

With all lighting methods I take off the DFMT and fully open the bottom vent and screen.

If using starter cubes. I break the squares in half and push in the sides to to get the cube more loose fibers rather than a hard cube. I move the lump over just a little so I can place the 1/2 cube down in the lump.

I use 2 cubes (4 - 1/2 pieces) and place them at 3, 6, 9 o'clock and center. I hold them in some food tongs and get the 1/2 cube fully light and place them in the positions. I then move some of the lump close to the top of the burning cube.

You are going to have to decide if you want the dome closed or leave the dome open for a time.

Hope stike doesn't read theis... this hurts to say this (I wasn't going to tell anyone). However, stike said to close the dome as soon as the starter is light. I have to do some more testing to be sure, but it is looking like it works better to follow stikes suggestion - I think. (you are new, this is a joke for stike if he ever sees this - he will get the last laugh and I won't live it down).

With starter cubes, your natural starter, oil / paper towel you will see the dome temperature climb.

At some temperature at or above 500° (about 650° for me) the temperature peek and then steadily drop down to somewhere around 230° where it will hold and then begin to slowly climb.

This step is important... When you get about 40° below your desired cook temperature close the bottom screen and close shut the bottom vent to about 1/3" open. Put the DFMT on the top of the egg. Close the slider and close the petals to about 1/4 open. This setting will get the egg stable somewhere around 250° or so.

If you want to cook at 350° open the petals more and let the egg climb to where the temperature increase stops. Check again and adjust your vents. If you want to cook at 400° or higher then open the bottom vent (screen closed) to about 1/2".

Only play with one vent at a time. Use the lower vent for course adjustments and the DFMT for finer adjustments. You will soon learn what your vent setting should be for a given temperature.

Don't over heat the ceramics as far as cook temperature goes. It takes a long time to get the ceramics to cool back down and the process from going high to low is an easy way to choke out a fire.

Oil/napkin method to see how this is done check this link - How To Use Oil & Paper Towel"

On the large egg I use 2 (1/2 sheets) and on the medium I use 1 (1/2 sheet).

You will get the same up down temperature as detailed above.

A lot of people use a MAPP torch. I find the oil / paper towel lights just as fast.

Here are my settings on the large for a 450° cook with lump filled low in the egg.



That is enough for now. Ask if you have questions.

GG

Hey,
The only other thing I can think of mentioning to you is that some charcoals seem to give off more than others, especially at lighting. I had a bag of Cowboy charcoal that I needed to use up and it smoked like a leaf-burning until it was all lit. Also, the lighting squares seem to generate a lot of smoke until they burn off. Has anyone else noticed that some brands generate more smoke than others?

the early temp rise is just flame from the starter stuff (whether cubes or paper or whatever). i don't even look at the thermo really, because you pretty much know that you just lit it, and the temp can't "really" be that high.

actually, i probably spend a few minutes futzing around bridging lump over the fire, and covering gaps where the flame shoots out. it really gets the fire going, but it also probably keeps the flame from going as high as the thermometer. i don't think i really ever see high temps while lighting the egg...

After that first rise and following dip in teperature there will be slower climb in temperature. Sometime in that second increase the white (bad smoke) will change to clear or to a clear blue. You then want to stabilize the temperature. Once you have done that you are ready to put your food on.

The dome temperature will most always drop when 1. the tome is opened. 2. any furniture (plate setter etc.) 3. put flavor wood on the lump 4. put food on. All this is normal and should be expected.

If you have truly stabilized the egg do not change vent settings as the egg will come back to the previously stabilized temperature.

Before opening the dome visually look at the settings of the DFMT and after closing again visually check again. If by chance there was a change then move the settings back to before opening the dome.

If flavor wood had been put in the lump when lighting there may always be white smoke (good smoke). You can cup your hand over the smoke coming out of the dome then smell the aroma of the smoke. If the smoke has an acrid aroma the food will have an acrid flavor. If the white smoke is has a pleasant aroma then the food will get the flavor you intend.

GG

Welcome! Congrats on your new BGE, you will not regret it. Please show us pics of your outdoor kitchen...