Can't get 350 in WSM


 
Chris E

Chris E

TVWBB Pro
I'm at altitude in Denver and can't get the WSM much over 250. I've been using regular k 3/4 full ring and minion method a full chimney of lit on top, no water. Works great for long cooks but get only 225-250 lid temp with all vents 100% open. fine for ribs/butts. As meat gets more done I can get the temp up to maybe 260 with a stick prop on the lid or door partial open.

I want to be able to smoke roast chicken and do HH brisket. I'm thinking I either need to put 2 chimneys of lit charcoal and feed the fire throughout the cook and or use lump for higher heat.

I checked lid thermo in boiling water and it's right on.

Chix came out OK but looking for crispier skin.

Six Dancing Chix
 
I am amazed how the altitude does this, just don't seem right. I am at 300ft, got to be cautious to keep temps from spiking here.

Them birds look like there playing cards!
icon_biggrin.gif
 
try letting the lit coals sit open on the unlit for a little while before assembling the cooker. give it like 20 mins or so to get some more coals going.
 
Those birds sure do look good. I would say start with more hot coals and less cold if you want higher temps right from the start. Sounds like you might just want higher temps at the end tho, and you might get enough heat to cripsen the birds by only using the the bottom grate and no water pan at all.
 
Just remember... its fuel + oxygen. All the lit in the world won't help past 1 hr if you don't have airflow.
The airflow is restricted in the WSM so you have to find a way to increase the flow. Look are proping the side door upside down or leaving the lid slightly off. Both of these will allow more airflow and give you the oxygen you need.
 
Best way to get to my WSM to HH cooks is to tilt the lid a bit. Propping/cracking the side doesn't seem to do much for me. HTH
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">is to tilt the lid a bit </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
ya, that works really well ... just shift it a bit to one side

or you could go all out and drill a bunch more holes in the WSM

2008-11-03a005.jpg


lid pic here
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Shawn W:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">is to tilt the lid a bit </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
ya, that works really well ... just shift it a bit to one side

or you could go all out and drill a bunch more holes in the WSM

2008-11-03a005.jpg


lid pic here </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Interesting! Do you have vent covers on the additional holes in the bottom?, If no doesn't the extra air flow make it hard to maintain temps in the low 200s? Also where do you get the xtra vent covers for the lid?
You learn something new every day.

Mark
 
Yeah baby that's what I'm talking about. Shawn do you get high temps with all six vents? Calgary is almost 4K altitude and cold and windy like CO. I was thinking about putting a spare vent on the side door but if you need 3 more bottom and 2 more top vents to get the WSM up to 350 one aint going to do it to the door.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Do you have vent covers on the additional holes in the bottom? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Yeah, I installed two extra WSM dampers in the top and three in the bottom (ordered the parts from a Weber dealer).<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Shawn do you get high temps with all six vents? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I figured the net result was ability to run an extra 100ºF hotter.

Details of my mod are posted here.
 
Chris, you might want to consider a Guru smoking jacket or a home made water heater blanket equivalent.

With my Guru jacket and no water my WSM will cruise around 275ºF for up to 20 hours on one load of charcoal. One top vent full open (the other 2 closed), 3 bottom vents open about 1/3 (the other 3 closed).
 
Chris,



This is interesting.....since I'm just down the road from you in Highlands Ranch at 6000 feet ABS and I had a very different experience. Last Sat., with my first cook on my new WSM (ribs)my temp went up to 350 in less than 10 mins. from start and I had to shut all 3 bottom vents to get it down to 250 at the dome. Since I'm new to the WSM I filled the charcoal ring to about 90% full of K (I knew it was overkill, but wanted to see briq consumption, etc.)and poured two half chimneys of lighted briqs on top. In less than 10 mins., as stated, I was off to the races. I used a foiled water bowl and clay pot saucer instead of water. As you might recall it was cool (54 degrees F) with approx. 5 mile per hour wind and some light showers.

I'm not complaining mind you, but it seems sort of a mystery, to me. I'm now anxious to see what happens on my second cook. I'll let you know what I experienced.
 
Yes as Paul experienced, running "dry"is very different.

First your temps come up MUCH faster as you don't have a big bowl of water to heat.

Second you need to start with much less lit charcoal and you MUST catch on the way up. Typically my minion starts use between 14-20 briqs depending on outside temp.
 
I don't have the clay saucer but I'm running a foiled pan with no water. I usually do 3/4 ring full of unlit k and minion 3/4 chimney lit with all vents open It might spike to 250/260 but won't maintain this temp with all the meat in there, drops right to 190-200.

So I can smoke perfectly, but like I said I'm looking to try the high-heat brisket recipe and need to maintain higher temps for quite a while.

Paul, is your cooker sheltered?

I balked at the smoking jacket cuz it was so pricey.

Keep me posted on your next cooks.
 
I would not recomend the smoking jacket as your problem seems more like airflow.

For high heat I still think you will need to do something to put more oxygen across your coals.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Scooter B:
I would not recomend the smoking jacket as your problem seems more like airflow.

For high heat I still think you will need to do something to put more oxygen across your coals. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>The point of it is to retain more of the heat you ARE getting. It works very well. I cut a hole in the top of mine above the vent but I think the newer ones have incorporated some sort of flap or top vent.
 
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