Still can't get the heat up.


 
B

Brian B (Muncy)

TVWBB Fan
I tried cooking 3 racks of baby back ribs this weekend. I can not get this thing to heat up. I ended up throwing away the ribs again. I made ABT's to go along with the ribs and cooked them for 4 hrs till they were done. The ribs dried out before they finished. I can't get the heat over 180. I'm at my witts end. I put 1 chimney of unlit, started another chimney of lit. Empty/foiled water pan. it stalls at 160. I crack open the door, nothing. Crack open the lid, nothing. Take the door all the way off, it climbs 10 - 15 degrees. This isn't rocket science but.... There doesn't seem to be any issues with the thing being out of round, I don't see any leaks. When all vents are open it seems to be chugging away smoking good out the top, but I can't get the heat up. I'm thinking of selling the whole setup.
(1) 18.5 WSM (one month old) (2) webber chimneys (1) Maverick et-732 (3) 24# bags of kingsford $350 obo
 
All vents completely open - lid and lower - right?

Start with a full chimney fully lit then dump a chimney of unlit on top of that. See where that gets you.

No need to have tossed the ribs. They were undercooked, not dried out before they were done.
 
All charcoal is fully lit, glowing orange. All vents, upper and lower fully open. Empty water pan. The ribs were dried out almost like jerky, I don't think there was any saving them.
 
First of all- buy some new briquettes.
I had the same problem that you have for my first runs. A new bag of briquettes fram another store solved the problem.

Secondly, you can try to add lump instead f briquettes. It burns faster, and gets warmer. If I want to bump my WSM let's say 20 degrees, I add three handfulls of lump. just as easy as adjusting the vents.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The ribs were dried out almost like jerky </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
If that's the case they were overcooked, meaning at some point prior they were done.

I would try new fuel as well, and I'm wondering about your cooker therm.
 
The ribs aren't fully cooked, I pulled the one off of the bottom grate at 4.5 hrs. The meat was not fully cooked. And like I said it took over 4 hrs to cook the stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon, so I doubt it's my thermometer. Honestly, I give up. Best reasonable offer buys this thing.
 
Where are you? Not that I couldn't use a cooker at my Okla home, but if you're somewhere I travel through I'd be happy to stop and help you figure it out.
 
Don't give up. Something is obviously wrong. You just have to find out what the problem is. Once that is done, you'll be happy smoking for years and years.
 
I would double check with a oven thermometer. I doesn't make sense, with that much lit charcoal the cooker should heat up no problem.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jon Chappel:
I would double check with a oven thermometer. I doesn't make sense, with that much lit charcoal the cooker should heat up no problem. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I'm not being rude but we've already been through this. Both therms were checked for accuracy via a boiling test.
 
Brian, my suggestion would be to use 2 lit chimneys of coal and take the water pan out. Let the thing go for 10 minutes without the lid and then put on piece of chicken on the lower rack. It should fry. Next add back the water pan and flip the chicken it should still fry, next with all vents open put the lid on and add another fresh piece of chicken to the top grate , it should be hot enough in there to brown the bird. I also like the idea of getting an oven therm. Place it on the top grate . I suspect it has to be a therm problem but even without a therm the meat should cook. I know this is unnecessary but recheck the vent openings to make sure there is air flow. Have you talked to Weber Customer Service. I bet they would love to problem solve this one. Do you have a friend who has a WSM? Do you have another grill or smoker?

Mark
 
This might sound like a really stupid question but here goes. I can't imagine it would make that big of a difference if any but I foil both grates with HD foil. There's still room around the edges so I'd imagine the heat would still get up around.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by mk evenson:
Brian, my suggestion would be to use 2 lit chimneys of coal and take the water pan out. Let the thing go for 10 minutes without the lid and then put on piece of chicken on the lower rack. It should fry. Next add back the water pan and flip the chicken it should still fry, next with all vents open put the lid on and add another fresh piece of chicken to the top grate , it should be hot enough in there to brown the bird. I also like the idea of getting an oven therm. Place it on the top grate . I suspect it has to be a therm problem but even without a therm the meat should cook. I know this is unnecessary but recheck the vent openings to make sure there is air flow. Have you talked to Weber Customer Service. I bet they would love to problem solve this one. Do you have a friend who has a WSM? Do you have another grill or smoker?

Mark </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I can try that, I was thinking of making a hamburger tonight I may substitute it for chicken. I check the vents to make sure they aren't clogged with ash, I empty all ash before each cook. And there is a steady stream of smoke coming out of the top vent so I'd imagine there is plenty of airflow. That added to the fact the charcoal is glowing orange would tell me it's got plenty of air. I don't have an oven therm, just the webber therm in the lid and the et-732. And no I don't have a friend that has a smoker nor have I called Webber customer service.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
Your problem is the foil. Do NOT foil the grates. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
You're kidding right?
 
No question about it. It explains everything. Heat is being blocked and reflected on the underside of the lower grate, and being reflected down from the upper. This would cause rather uneven cooking of anything on the lower grate, precisely what was described. Heat is being blocked by the upper grate causing rather slow cooking of anything there, precisely what was described.

There is utterly no reason to foil the grates period. Get rid of the foil and you'll be rid of the problem.

[I do know Muncy, btw. I'll be in Milton and Williamsport after the threat of snow is gone.]
 
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