I cannot get the extra large big green egg hot enough it goes to 300 but really no further. With my leaf blower- blowing air into the intake i got it up to 400 but no further- this is the second time it did not get hot enough the dealer sold me some charcoal from hawaii should i use only big green egg charcoal

My XL Egg wouldn't heat past 290 degrees and I found that the soot from the charcoal was blocking the air intake holes underneath. Fire is about fuel and air and with the holes blocked, my Egg wasn't getting the air it needed to burn. The lump charcoal produces a soot that looks like sand and will clog the air holes over time.

The solution was easy: I used my ash tool to vigorously rake the cool lump charcoal (and I use only hardwood lump charcoal--but of various brands) around and around making sure that I raked the area inside the fire box that is directly over the air holes. This forced the soot down into the area where I could rake it out. This process took 3-4 minutes and after this process I was left with "clean" charcoal and clear air holes.

The result? My Egg now gets hot like it used to and cooks beautifully.

I've used Green Egg charcoal--but also Royal Oak Lump charcoal (which makes the Egg charcoal I believe) and the Cowboy lump charcoal. All work fine as long as you have an Egg that breathes.

Hope this helps. My XL Egg wouldn't heat past 290 degrees and I found that the soot from the charcoal was blocking the air intake holes underneath. Fire is about fuel and air and with the holes blocked, my Egg wasn't getting the air it needed to burn. The lump charcoal produces a soot that looks like sand and will clog the air holes over time. The solution was easy: I used my ash tool to vigorously rake the cool lump charcoal (and I use only hardwood lump charcoal--but of various brands) around and around making sure that I raked the area inside the fire box that is directly over the air holes. This forced the soot down into the area where I could rake it out. This process took 3-4 minutes and after this process I was left with "clean" charcoal and clear air holes. The result? My Egg now gets hot like it used to and cooks beautifully. I've used Green Egg charcoal--but also Royal Oak Lump charcoal (which makes the Egg charcoal I believe) and the Cowboy lump charcoal. All work fine as long as you have an Egg that breathes. Hope this helps.

If you will get a bbq guru computerized fan you will never have a heating problem and you will never miss getting perfect results.
You do need to take the insides, fire ring and firebox, out every once in a while and clean around the firebox and fire ring and of course keep the ashes raked out of the bottom. Be very careful with these items as they will break but I have never had one do it and have done this to my xlbge many times. Around the air intake you can use the bge ash tool to reach between the firebox and the outside wall as ashes tend to build up there often. Any good quality lump charcoal will give you high heat so the heat source is up to you. I was never told that I must use bge charcoal. If you will get a bbq guru computerized fan you will never have a heating problem and you will never miss getting perfect results. You do need to take the insides, fire ring and firebox, out every once in a while and clean around the firebox and fire ring and of course keep the ashes raked out of the bottom. Be very careful with these items as they will break but I have never had one do it and have done this to my xlbge many times. Around the air intake you can use the bge ash tool to reach between the firebox and the outside wall as ashes tend to build up there often. Any good quality lump charcoal will give you high heat so the heat source is up to you. I was never told that I must use bge charcoal.