Bottom Vent Opening For Clay Saucer Butt Smoke


 
S

Scott Borsick

TVWBB Member
This will be my first time butt smoke w/o water but with a clay saucer. Probably an 8 lb. Want to start about 9:00 pm. From some previous posts, looks like I may have to choke back a bit. Any suggestions for vent settings for a 18 inch WSM? I like to have them set at the beginning to prevent a runaway. Thanks
 
something you cant be afraid to do is close the top vent, when i started it seemed that was the wrong thing to do from everything i read, never once have i tasted anything bad just dont close it all the way. if it runs away on you close it to about half.
 
I haven't used a clay saucer before but I do run with just a foiled water pan. On my 22.5" when I am running around 250/260 I have two of the three completely closed and the third open about half to slightly under. However that is for my cooker and everyone's is different. I also have all three wide open to begin and catch my temps on the way up. I am assuming your previous butt cooks have been with water. So I would set them slightly under what you normally do with water.
 
marty makes a very good point, everyone has their own way of doing it and that comes from learning how your cooker runs based on your enviroment, catching the temps on the way up is probably the best suggestion. I also start with all vents open then close 2 and adjust with the third placing the top vent opposite of the bottom vent I'm using but my set up is different from most, I don't use sand, clay saucer water or just a lined empty pan, I have a steel disk in mine about 1/8 thick.
 
Scott, yes, you'll want to have the vents shut back some from how you set them when using water in the pan. But how much so depends on your cooker and I'd only be guessing if I said 25% less open.
 
I agree with the others that it's dependent on how your particular smoker runs. I run with a foiled clay saucer and start with all bottom vents open, then close as I approach to 225degF. Typically during the cook, I end up closing all 3 of them until about 25% open (and usually to about 10% open).
 
Thank all..6.25lb butt on at 9:10 last night and finished at190 degrees exactly 12 hrs later. Came up to 200 in about 20 mins. Shut all vent but one at 1/8th open. Held steady all night at 234-244. Mini stall this am at 185. Also one rake of the coals around 7:15.
 
NealT said:
I agree with the others that it's dependent on how your particular smoker runs. I run with a foiled clay saucer and start with all bottom vents open, then close as I approach to 225degF. Typically during the cook, I end up closing all 3 of them until about 25% open (and usually to about 10% open).
Click to expand...
My experience is quite similar. I typically only use a clay saucer smoke for my ribs, as I like the lid temp to be in 250-275 range. I start with a Minion and 100% open bottom vents, and, when it hits about 200-225, I usually close the two most "windward" vents and set the "leeward" vent at 25%. I then give it at least 15 min. to stabilize and start adjusting accordingly to get to my target.

I've found the clay saucer approach works great and is easy to administer.
 
I've only done one cook (St Louis cut ribs) with a clay saucer vs dry pan so my one data point does not make a trend. This is what I did: I started my minion fire with about 1/3 of a chimney of completely lit (white ash over all coals) Stubbs over a ring of unlit Stubbs with all vents (including top) set to 100%. It was a long time into the cook (maybe an hour plus?) before I needed to adjust lower vents. Once I did, it settle in with all three bottom vents set about 25% open and top 100% open.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top