Can I get some Big Green Egg stoke please?

[Bobby Stainless]

Attachment 182292
Love my green egg!

I just had to rebuild all the metal parts on this one. Check out the big as trademark R they used to use. Dimple game wasn't on point either.

[Bobby Stainless]

I like to wrap when the fat cap splits. Soak it down with apple cider vinegar and wrap.

[::: :::]

i should have snapped a pic, but I met 4 old dudes taking a break from fishing by their campsite and were waiting on an all-day smoke for ribs. They had a tall box smoker fired by a propane tank. I told them they were clearly professionals at enjoying the weekend.

[jamesp]

I tapped the fire grill before putting coals on it but didn't clean the ashes out of the pan underneath - is this what you mean? & yes I was cooking low & slow when it burnt out. I didn't worry about the ashes underneath as they didn't seem close to the burning coals on the fire grill?

Maybe I'll try the burn down thing. Otherwise, is it better to spread the lit coals around or keep a little pile close together in the centre?

top down didn't work, fire still died down out after ~6hrs with plenty of unburnt coals. WTF?

[schwerty]

I love this thing!

Temp control learning curve is steeper than I thought tho.

[Bobby Stainless]

Yeah. I bet you are all over the place right now.

Start low, and build up.

Get a Maverick Remote set up.

Or you can beat it with technology.

[MakersTeleMark]

i should have snapped a pic, but I met 4 old dudes taking a break from fishing by their campsite and were waiting on an all-day smoke for ribs. They had a tall box smoker fired by a propane tank. I told them they were clearly professionals at enjoying the weekend.

[Unkajunebug]

top down didn't work, fire still died down out after ~6hrs with plenty of unburnt coals. WTF?

Sounds like maybe you're using charcoal briquettes instead of lump charcoal?

Briquettes dont work for shit in my experience.

[jamesp]

Sounds like maybe you're using charcoal briquettes instead of lump charcoal?

Briquettes dont work for shit in my experience.

using lump charcoal

[Cruiser]

top down didn't work, fire still died down out after ~6hrs with plenty of unburnt coals. WTF?

Seems to me that I have to take the 2 ceramic pieces out of the egg and remove all the ashes about every 3rd cook that I do in order to keep the air flowing optimally. It's not a hard job and I really do find that my it helps the egg heat more quickly and consistently. Also, I used to do a chimney style charcoal starter but now I light it right in the middle with a butane torch and then a fan it with a hair dryer in order to get the coals nice and hot before shutting the lid and slowly bringing it up to temp.

[jamesp]

about how many coals do you light to start? I was getting ~1/3rd of a chimney going. How far open is the top vent? There seems to be a ton of airspace all inside & around the fire on my Akorn, & I have been making sure to pile the charcoal in the centre of the fire grill, i.e. so there is space around it. Feels like the fire doesn't settle or adjust down so the next layer of coals never end up lighting properly.

This is all when I am trying to cook low & slow. The fan on the temp controller cycles on & off regularly. Maybe I should turn the temp controller up a little more to see if that helps? eg: 250f instead of 225.

[schwerty]

Yeah. I bet you are all over the place right now.

Start low, and build up.

Get a Maverick Remote set up.

Or you can beat it with technology.

Does that control the airflow vents? Looks cool!

I think I have it dialed for high temps but the lower temps are a trick. Too hot too early and it's a challenge even at 7k' to get the temp down.

Thx for Th advice!

[Cruiser]

about how many coals do you light to start? I was getting ~1/3rd of a chimney going. How far open is the top vent? There seems to be a ton of airspace all inside & around the fire on my Akorn, & I have been making sure to pile the charcoal in the centre of the fire grill, i.e. so there is space around it. Feels like the fire doesn't settle or adjust down so the next layer of coals never end up lighting properly.

This is all when I am trying to cook low & slow. The fan on the temp controller cycles on & off regularly. Maybe I should turn the temp controller up a little more to see if that helps? eg: 250f instead of 225.

I assume that an akorn is pretty similar to the egg inside but I'm not totally sure. Either way, I almost always use a pretty full load of lump since it's cheap but I only get enough of a fire going with the torch so that it'll stay lit when I hit it with the hair dryer. Then I get it really crackling hot with the dryer and shut the lid leaving both vents all the way open while it comes up to temp inside. It seems to build a nice sturdy fire right in the middle of the bed of charcoal so that it can continue to grow as the time wears on. All in I'm probably close to an hour getting it up to temp for a low and slow cook though so I still go pretty slowly.

[jamesp]

my 1/3rd of a chimney is that much cracking hot burning coals, they are probably burning in the chimney for ~10mins then onto the centre of the fire grate. Once I close the lid its at ~230 within 5mins max, who process takes 15mins.

[Unkajunebug]

I know it's not the initial startup that's giving you fits, but I would suggest ditching the chimney approach. Dump a good amount of lump in the pit and use the weber starter cube with the vents fully opened.
I've had my akorn go out after 6 hours of smoking @ 225 as well. I attributed this to the renderings dripping on the charcoal, not allowing them to take the flame with the limited venting. (In reality it is the fact that i've basted myself with too much beer/smoke and have neglected to make some minor vent adjustments.). I've never had the coals extinguish when cooking at 275 and above.

[manwithoutacountry]

I use a weed burner that I got at harbor freight to light my charcoal. Hose everything down with the torch for a couple minutes, vents wide open, let it burn for 5 minutes or so. Close lid and adjust vents to whatever temps I want. I can get pretty much any temp I want inside of 10 minutes.
Word of caution: Lump tends to spit at you when you burn the shit out of it with a weed burner, haha

For long over night cooks I cheat and use a DIGI Q

[Bobby Stainless]

I use a piece of metal that gets really hot when plugged in. Slowly starts the coals. Then I work up to my temp.

Yes the Cyber Q and Pit viper control airflow, and keep a static temp.

[retirwntm]

I had some fucking looftlighter thing that worked well. For a month. Now I light it with a propane torch.

[lemmycaution]

got a BGE (a komado (big) joe) a few weeks ago as a hand-me-down from someone who never figured out how to use it- awesome. done some roasting and ribs on it a few times now. in terms of your fire dying out, i am no pro but concur that you dont want to use a chimney- use a starter brick or a torch. clean out everything, new coals, no chimney. going to do my first pork shoulder in a week or so- any good instructions / recipes out there anyone can refer me to please?

[Skidog]

not mine a good buddies though. Thought you Big Green Eggers would appreciate.

[Cruiser]

Wiping the drool from my chin...

[Pegleg]

That right there is livin', son. L-I-V-I-N.

[BigKuba]

I use a piece of metal that gets really hot when plugged in. Slowly starts the coals. Then I work up to my temp.

Yes the Cyber Q and Pit viper control airflow, and keep a static temp.

I heartily endorse this post, event, or product - both the metal thingy and the Digi-Q/Party-Q

Only problem is what to do with the glowing-hot metal right after use -- I just put it on the rocks behind my egg, but I also don't have kids trying to touch it, and my dog is smart enough not to lick it

[~mikey b]

Bam! Damn!

[undertow2]

not mine a good buddies though. Thought you Big Green Eggers would appreciate.

Your friend must be a dentist... And the envy factor is high with me... I will have an outdoor setup like this when my ass retires in Bend...