Hey all,
Well I have a rib cook coming up for my Dad's Birthday. I usually don't have a problem with keeping temps with my Etemp pitminder. However since the colder weather has been upon us this winter I have really struggled to get my cooker to hold temps above 200°F. Im usually starting out with a ring full of unlit K and then a chimney full of lit K. Assemble the cooker, dial in the temp, and then turn the Etemp on.
This works flawlessly in the warmer months but its seems to me that I am blowing the hot air out of the cooker. Hence it never gets up to temp. My pitminder is equipped with a 4 cfm fan, so its not overly powerful. My fan couling points down under the charcoal grate. I have made sure all the other bottom vents are closed. I use an empty foil wrapped water pan. I have turned the damper down on the fan from full to half and also played with the top vent closing it from full open to almost all closed. I also tried the leave the lid ajar by 1/4in that didnt work much either.
If you guys have any ideas and also post what you are smoking with and what placement you have the dampers on the fans and the top vents set too that would be very helpful. Oh Im also from NH so we are talking that when I started the last cook it was 16°F outside. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.
Well I have a rib cook coming up for my Dad's Birthday. I usually don't have a problem with keeping temps with my Etemp pitminder. However since the colder weather has been upon us this winter I have really struggled to get my cooker to hold temps above 200°F. Im usually starting out with a ring full of unlit K and then a chimney full of lit K. Assemble the cooker, dial in the temp, and then turn the Etemp on.
This works flawlessly in the warmer months but its seems to me that I am blowing the hot air out of the cooker. Hence it never gets up to temp. My pitminder is equipped with a 4 cfm fan, so its not overly powerful. My fan couling points down under the charcoal grate. I have made sure all the other bottom vents are closed. I use an empty foil wrapped water pan. I have turned the damper down on the fan from full to half and also played with the top vent closing it from full open to almost all closed. I also tried the leave the lid ajar by 1/4in that didnt work much either.
If you guys have any ideas and also post what you are smoking with and what placement you have the dampers on the fans and the top vents set too that would be very helpful. Oh Im also from NH so we are talking that when I started the last cook it was 16°F outside. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.
