PapaJ takes a look at the Big Green Egg rEGGulator and New rEGGulator for best temp control on TBGE. This is a Beginner 101 video with tips and tricks for maintaining that perfect temperature.
i am so sick of it taking forever to heat up, if it gets a little too hot it is a huge pain in the ass to cool it down. then once i put the meat in there i can never get the temperature back up to where i want it... wishing i had got something different.
On the daisy cap, spin it round so “big green egg” text is at the back of the grill. Not the front. Physics takes over, and when you open the lid, the vent won’t move.
One other important part of temperature control is making sure your thermometer is reading accurately. You can calibrate the thermometer by getting a pot of boiling water going on your stove top, remove the thermometer from the Egg, and put the probe down in the boiling water. It should zero at 100 degrees C. There is an adjustable nut on the back of the thermometer that can be used to reset the thermometer to the correct read out. I do this once a year with both of my Eggs.
I agree about the new regulator not allowing the egg to cool down as quickly. This has happened even after I replaced my gaskets. I always replace the regulator with the ceramic cap to save my charcoal for the next burn and to cool if off quicker.
When I started with my egg 14 years ago I fought the vents back and forth never really having a system of dialing in the exact temp until an ol timer on the forums had a step by step for newbies and showed how to use the bottom vent as the master control to prevent going way too hot or cold then the top vent to dial it in exact. By keeping the bottom vent barely open for example I rarely have my temps get out of range when doing a low and slow. Great tip on using the cap even with the new regulator! I was thinking my gaskets were leaking even though I never saw smoke. Thanks for sharing your experience Papa J. 👍
Great video Papa J! What you just described took me weeks (and a lot of charcoal to discover. Been thinking about buying the new metal cap but I don't see a reason to. I think the old style with the butterfly wheel allows for PRECISE temperature control.
For low, long cooks temp control on the BGE is more trouble than it’s worth. Keeping at 225 for 8-12 hrs is important and yet too difficult. A pellet grill is much better for this type of cook (eg. brisket or pork butt). Unless I am doing something wrong?
When I do a long cook like that I add a lot more charcoal basically filling the fire box full, this reduces the air flow even more and makes it very difficult for the BGE to get above 350 even if I am trying.
I use the ceramic cap too. The new regulator is great but I find that it doesn’t cool the egg down as quickly as the ceramic cap. Great callout PJ!!! Great video!!!
Very good video thanks. I would like to share a couple thoughts. All lump burns different some burn better low slow and last along time, some burn fast and hot and burn up much faster but thats great for super hot cooks. You need to experiment with your lump and get to know it. You can damper down the fast hot lump or open up for the slower cooler lump brands. If you go back and forth between brands when you are new at BGE cooking it can get frustrating. All the brands work well but you just need to get a feel for them. I find if you want to do a very low temp cook the hot fast burn lump might be the better choice they are less likely to go out if you really want it low. As far as opening both intake and vent all the way to start thats what I do also but be CAREFUL in just 15 or 20 minutes while your doing food prep you can exceed 1000 degrees or more with hot lump, ask me how I know. Anyway thanks for sharing your video well done.
Thanks for the feedback. As for watching the time during prep, I usually set an alarm for 5-7 minutes that reminds me to go see what's happening with the Egg. I have forgotten too many times and you are correct you can hip 1000 very fast. I like the idea if using lump that burns hot for the low and slow - had not thought of that - good tip. Enjoy
Are you measuring temperature at the grate level or dome? I hear people say 260 degrees low and slow… but I’m not sure where they are measuring they’re temp from
Thanks for the video! I’m debating about getting the new regulator vs sticking with daisy wheel. For now I think I’ll keep the wheel. What air gun do you use? That looks awesome!
I went to Harbor Freight and got this one (I HAD A COUPON) www.harborfreight.com/1600-watt-high-air-flow-dual-temperature-industrial-heat-gun-69342.html THANKS FOR WATCHING
Papa J...great videos, please keep them coming. Where did you purchase the side shelves on your Large egg? They look nice, and somewhat larger than the standard.
Hi there. Really good video. I'm having a heck of a time with low and slow using the reggulator. I find the egg runs much hotter compared to with the daisy. Any suggestions on how to keep it at 225? Any chance you can do a low and slow temp video?
I find that each egg has a temp it like to run (when doing a low and slow). I have a more difficult time trying to keep a temp below 250 and my XL will sit at 275 for 16 hours no problem. as for when you can do to help maintain low temps take a look at a few of them videos and let me know if it help. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CUxQzb0NrPI.html Always important (to me) to clean the ash out before a S&L to make sure no holes are clogged and you have good air flow. You also might find this video helpful ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Z1JiLWN-gGE.html Thanks for watching and let me know if these help Thanks Again... Papa J
