How do I start and keep large egg at 250

search the web or this forum for "elder ward". Besides being a great pulled pork recipe, it is the best way to build a fire in the BGE for low and slow cooking.

not too hard ....make sure your firebox is nice and clean and that you've cleaned any ash out from under the fire grate. ...put a nice load of lump in the egg (for a good long cook, at least up to the top of the fire box/bottom of the fire ring). ...for a lo and slo i like to light the fire at the back of the load of lump (think 12 oclock as you look into your egg). ...if your using a map torch, hit it in one spot for about 60 seconds. ..if you're using a starter cube just use one. .. now, leave the bottom vent wide open, close the dome, with the daisy wheel completely off. ...keep your eyes on the dome temp thermometer. ...as the temp starts to creep up to around 200 degrees, open the dome, and put in any wood chunks/chips you plan to use, your plate setter in, any drip pans, the grid, etc, get all set up. ...now, close the dome, you will see the temps drop back down since that cold plate setter will have an affect on temps, thats ok. . .at this point though, start tightening down your vents. ...goal is to "sneak up" on 250. ..close the bottom to the point that it is the thickness of a credit card (about 1/16th inch). ...put the daisy wheel on top and close the slide completely, but leave the little holes completely open. .. as the temps get close to 250, start closing the little holes in incriments until you achieve the desired temps. ..

now, here is an important tip i learned from none other than DRBBQ.. ..every egg, in fact every cooker, is a little different. ..no matter what you do, some eggs just don't like it at 250 ....if you egg is happier at 260 don't fight it, just work with it at that temp. ..i own two large eggs. .. one is perfectly happy at 250. ..will stay there all day long with no sweat ...my other one is happier at 275 (even when using a bbq guru). .. .that 25 degree difference is no big deal, even when doing lo and slo bbq . . .so even when doing all the things i've described, don't fight it if your egg is 10, even 20 degrees or so off that 250 degree target you are aiming for ....

also, if you do see temps going up or down, don't make drastic changes in your vent settings, or you'll be all over the place. ..make subtle changes to try to stay dialed in. .. . and don't open the dome every 10 minutes to admire your ribs. ... 'set em and forget em'. ...if you are dialed in good at 250 degrees, those ribs ain't going anywhere the first 3 hours or so, so leave em be :-)

good luck. ..

Here's a link to my webpage on temperature control:

Temperature Control

Good luck!