Sustained temperature drop after removing lid


 
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T.R. Markovic

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Yesterday while smoking chickens on the WSM, I removed the lid after three hours to check on chickens, potatoes and habeneros. Before removing the lid I was at 230, after putting the lid back on, I couldn't get above 200 until I added more lit charcoal. Is this normal? I did expect the temperature to drop when I removed the lid, but 25 minutes after replacing the lid, the temperature was still down at 200. Is 25 minutes too soon for the temperature to climb back? Does the fact that I started with only half of the charcoal ring full have an impact on the ability of the WSM to get back up to 220-250 after the lid is removed? I did have the lid off for about 5-10 minutes because I was showing off the chicken to my wife, would this effect the WSM's ability to get back up to 220-250? It was a nice sunny day yesterday in the 60s with little wind so I don't think the weather played a part. Just curious what some of you more experienced users have seen.
 
No, I don't think that's normal. I would think the temperature should have recovered within a half hour, assuming you had plenty of fuel left and were using a good, hot briquet.

However, five or ten minutes is way too long to have the cooker open...but I understand the temptation to show off. You just need to resist that temptation.
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Sometimes when I'm taking pictures for use on the Web site, I leave the cooker open too long, and this actually causes the temp to jump quickly, since you've lost your vent control. Lots of air rushes into the cooker and the coals get fired up, then it takes a while for me to get the temp back down. Clearly, you didn't have this problem.
 
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