Can't get enough heat


 

Karl Vacek

TVWBB Member
Thanksgiving turkey as my fourth cook with my 18" WSM, and I just can't get high enough temps. Full ring of Kingsford original, full chimney of lit on top. All vents open, and I've even been blowing into the lower vents with my fireplace bellows. First lit, I got a bit over 350 degrees, but it began dropping soon. Put the foiled empty water pan in, empty foil pan to catch drippings on the lower grill, and an 11-pound brined spatchcocked turkey on the top grill. All vents have been open all along. I can approach 275, but no amount of blowing gets much higher - certainly not to 325-350 as so many people recommend for turkey.

Prior cooks have been low and slow, but I usually wind up with vents way further open than I read about, often mostly wide open. I'm beginning to regret this Weber purchase, but everyone seems to have such great luck and I mostly hear about temps running way too high. Certainly not my smoker. I always have some charcoal left over at the end - it's not running out.

I need to build a HeaterMeter so I'll have a good draft and control, but it's supposed to work OK without a stoker. What could make my WSM run so cool?
 
I take my door off mine when I want some serious heat. I always end up putting it back on, but once I get the heat I need, it holds the heat well, with the door on
 
Are you using the lid thermometer to judge your temperature? If so you maybe running hotter than you think. I don't use water when cooking actually replaced the water pan with a clay saucer wrapped in foil. I have no problem at all getting the 18.5 up to 350 with all the vents open and usually shut down 2 once I get to 340 and let it climb to 350. I usually use Royal Oak briquettes or KBB for fuel and for temps above 300 start with 25 lit briquettes.

The only other things that could be causing a problem is if you are using Lump and it's not packed or with airflow in the WSM from ash buildup from previous cooks.

Sorry you're having temp issues.
 
Karl,

Where are you measuring the pit temperature AND what are you using to accomplish that ?
IF you are using the WSM lid thermometer, then your temperature is probably OK, since you indicated 275.

hope that helps...

Have 2 birds on mine (22.5" WSM) at present. Cruising along at 375 degrees
 
Have 2 birds on mine (22.5" WSM) at present. Cruising along at 375 degrees

I'm at my mother-in-law's, she has a 26lb bird cooking in an oven bag (stuffed) which according to past years will be overcooked/undercooked/dry and mushy at the same time.

It takes talent to be that bad...

Happy Thanksgiving Bob
 
Scott... Wishing you and Lee, Happy Thanksgiving also !
Totally understand 'bout the cooking talent ;)
Truth be told, had the Stoker set for 350, but also had one of the bottom vent fully open... opps. Closed it a few minutes ago, back down to 350.
 
My water pan is empty but foiled and in there. It's the huge new one (my smoker is only a couple of months old) and it gets so close to the charcoal that I can barely get the charcoal above the ring before the pan hits the coal. I'm using the lid thermometer which I verified. It's within 5 degrees at 300. As far as ash, I find that I get so much ash with the lovely Kingsford that I almost wish I could dump ash while it's running. I definitely dump the ash every time, and haven't been reusing left-over charcoal.

Why didn't I just buy the el-cheapo Bradley electric? No charcoal mess or cost, set it and go. I don't need another career tending a smoker every 10 minutes all day long. And then stinking like a cheap hot dog.
 
I have the door opened slightly but it doesn't do much. If I take it off the temp drops. I added a full large chimney of lit Kingsford and got close to 350 for a few minutes, but it dropped back to maybe 280 within 15 minutes. It's about 50 outside and only a light wind. The frustration just isn't worth it - if I can't figure this out I'm not going to bother with a stoker - I'll just sell this Weber and get something else.
 
OK - some miracle occurred. I left the door wide open for ten minutes and the temperature recovered and got up to 375. Propped open now about 3/4" at the bottom and it's staying hot. Smoked turkey might be a bit later than my wife's plain one in the oven, but we'll get to eat it eventually. THANK YOU to one and all for the suggestions, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!

PS - I guess I still need a stoker...

Karl
 
Karl, try using a quality lump charcoal - such as Royal Oak lump.

Ash was a problem for me, but there is not much ash with RO lump, and RO lump gets hotter than KBB too.
 
I've found with my 14.5 that if I prop the lid up on the lip, that helps boost temps too. On my Masterbuilt Electric smoker, it only goes as high as 275, so it wouldn't work to get that crispy skin you would want.
 
Hello...do you have a pic of the saucer wrapped in foil in the Weber? What size saucer did you get? I'm curious to see how it sits in the smoker.
Thanks
Rob
 
Karl, try using a quality lump charcoal - such as Royal Oak lump.

Ash was a problem for me, but there is not much ash with RO lump, and RO lump gets hotter than KBB too.

I'll definitely try some. Kingsford is expensive, not any bargain, and now that I've read about the borax in it, I'd rather at least try something else. I see Royal Oak around here, so it's an easy option. I'll need to use two fire grates at 90 degrees, right?
 
Hi Karl,

I saw in your original note that you had a chimney of lit on top of a chimney of unlit.....If this was the case it can explain why you could not get up to 350. Try two things....1) pour lit over unlit but make sure all is greyed over before cooking (should get you to those high temps).....Or, and my recommendation, get another chimney and pour both lit in at the same time (which should get you up there as well). Also, as mentioned above, opening the door also goes a long way.
 
A full ring of Royal Oak lump with a full chimney of lit on top, all vets wide open, shift the lid slightly out of its groove to increase air flow. You should get 400+ reliably.
 
Put two 1.5" machine screws in the top of the door. Use them as legs to prop the door open when installed upside down.
 
I always light 2 large chimneys of lump when cooking poultry otherwise it takes a long time to get up to 350. I have extra air vents in my smoker as well, i was running 375F with the lid and door cracked open with two 14lb birds inside.
 
I'll definitely try some. Kingsford is expensive, not any bargain, and now that I've read about the borax in it, I'd rather at least try something else. I see Royal Oak around here, so it's an easy option. I'll need to use two fire grates at 90 degrees, right?


That's not a bad idea, but from my experiences, it hasn't been necessary so far. There are some smaller chips in the bag, but they are not that many, in my opinion, compared to the rest of the bag.

Let us know if RO lump makes a difference or not.
 
Put two 1.5" machine screws in the top of the door. Use them as legs to prop the door open when installed upside down.

I have two doors, and I would like to try that option soon, but I have been using a scrap piece of wood (with the door installed upside down) to prop the door open for the time being.
 
Hello...do you have a pic of the saucer wrapped in foil in the Weber? What size saucer did you get? I'm curious to see how it sits in the smoker.
Thanks
Rob

If you meant this question for me, the original poster of this thread, I took pictures of how close the water bowl comes to the top of the fire ring in my new (September) WSM 18", but I can't find a way to attach a picture unless it has a url. But I did measure and there's not quite 1" clearance between the water bowl and a full load of charcoal right up to the top of the fire ring. Dump a few briquettes on top of a full ring and the water bowl hits the charcoal.

All in all, with the expense of charcoal (I get less than one cook per half bag) and all of the hassle, I'm not sure how long I'll be playing with this. I really admire those of you who spend all the time necessary to work with this, but I have little patience and am pretty disappointed so far. Every cook turns into many hours of near-full-time attention and fiddling. I'm about to put in a load of country ribs, marinated all night in orange juice and spices - hoping to set it and go away for an hour at a time, but I really expect to be playing with the darn thing all afternoon.

Maybe a HeaterMeter will make temperature control more reliable (read possible), but at this point I'm really wondering whether doubling my investment in this setup is a good idea. Could've had a Kamado for just a bit more than I'll have in this after I add a full-up HM with probes, etc. I've seen friends just light and forget their Big Green Eggs...

Thanks to all for the help. Finishing the Kingsford today, next trial is a bag of Royal Oak lump for whatever we smoke next.
 

 

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