cant get above 250 degrees


 

Al Howell

New member
Hey guys---I am having trouble getting my yemps above 200 degrees and have never gone above 250...i have cooked in temps ranging from 30 degrees to 80 degrees and still cant make it happen---tried opening all four vents and every combination in between---i am cooking a ham this afternoon and need some advice as i want to cook it at 225-250...

please advise...
 
What kind of fuel are you using?

How are you starting--Minion or standard? If Minion, how much lit? If standard, how much lit?

Waterpan with water? What temp is the water when you add it and when do you add it?

When are you putting in the meat?

Vents control air flow. They shouldn't be closed at all if temps are not climbing.
 
Have you checked your thermometer in boiling water to verify that it is accurate?

Ways to raise temp.

1. Prop open the door about half an inch.

2. Use a terra cotta flower pot base instead of water, or just run with an empty water pan.

3. If your temps are too low, your vents should all be wide open.
 
Al,

I had the same problem until I stopped using water in the water pan. Last time out I was flirting with 400F with a Minionized start, half-load of Kingsford, and wide open vents.

If you go without water, you'll need to foil the pan to avoid impossible clean-up issues. I run foil across the top to make a "drum-like" pan. I think the trapped air acts as a thermal barrier.

Jim
 
All true--but temps above 200 and not above 250--well, temps in this range (and somewhat higher) should neither require propping the door nor no water. I'd suspect therm accuracy, as David questions, or a single or combo of causes having to do with fuel quality and quantity, start-up issues (like using cold water for a MM start), air flow (closing vents too soon), etc.
 
Kevin, thanks for the clarification that you shouldn't need to mess with the door or water pan in this temp range. I only prop the door open when going for temps in the 325-350 range.
 
Let your fire get really hot before reassembly.

You may be choking temps down because your intial chimney dump didn't get hot enough.
 
wow---thanks for the quick and numerous replies---im getting ready to strt fire now---i wil be doing the following to start--fill ring with kingsford briquettes(sp), light full chimney with kingsford and hwen they are grey ashy then dump on top of the unlit coals----i will not use water, but rather a foild lined pan---iw ill keep all vents open---im cooking a ham, already cooked--trying to cook at 275 until internal temp reaches 150, then apply glaze and bring up to internal temp of 160...cook time 2-3 hours---i think this is dr bbq recipe....we will see what happens----thanks again---still open for suggestions---
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">You may be choking temps down because your intial chimney dump didn't get hot enough. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Or, conversely, that the chimney is left too long before pouring and much in the way of available BTUs has been blown through. I am not a new Kingsford fan. It seems to me that in my experiences with it (admittedly not all that many), that when left in the chimney to the 'completely ashed-over' stage (judging by the briquettes on the top of the chimney
), much of the heat potential of the bottom half's worth of the briquettes has been played out--the oomph is gone when poured.

On the few occasions where I am not Minioning the start--and I'm using K'ford--I find I get better results by lighting two half-chimneys at the same time. I guess YMMV, but that's been my (again, admittedly limited) experience, and my solution.
 
what kind of hardwood charcoal does everyone recommend? when i started the fire earlier, i let the chimmney burn then dumped just befor ethe coals became grey, then after i dumped it, i waited a few minutes before i assembled the grill---it got to 275 before i put my ham and two fatties on----will add some abts in a about 30 minutes....cant wait....
 
i think i have figured it out--- I propped open my door to really get teh fire going and went to check on the temp---my tel true thermo that is installed on the lib read 275, however the cheapo oven thermometer that is resting onthe cooking rack itself read 350 degrees....so, im guessing i will need to verify my teltrue with boiling water and if correct then remember that my lip temp is different than my grate temp---

275degrees=350degrees
 
Al. What I do is get 2 chimneys started (I use Lump). When the top coals get "ashy" I put some more unlit in the ring (Minion - Amount depending on how long I think I will be smokin'-I always have some left over when I kill it). Then I dump the coals on top, add the smoke wood and assemble.
 

 

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