Cooking on a OTS


 

Tom Young

New member
I am used to using a drum so getting my OTS up to temp is a little confusing.I put 15 unlit against the side, and put 5 lit on top. top vent 100%, bottom 100 for 45 minutes, then 10%. 15 minutes later, the grill temp across from the coals was 163F.
this is the first burn on my kettle, did i miss something?
 
I was going to cook some chicken with indirect heat for lunch. Friday I am going to do ribs the same way. I thought I'd be closer to 275F after an hour.
 
When doing this on my 22.5 OTS I use 1/3 chimney unlit and 15 lit on top, bottom vent 1/8" open and top 1/2 open.
 
I cook chickens at much higher heat - >400? - so use all lit to start. But the problem is not enough lit to begin with, as Glenn notes.

You want enough lit at the outset so that you can start cooking pretty soon after setting up. Otherwise you are just burning through the lit you started with while the unlit is lighting.
 
hmmm... weird, i use ALL lit charcoal (at least 3 quarters of a chimney) and keep it to one side in the kettle and grill the chicken direct a few minutes (yes, there are a few minor flare-ups) then settle them on the cookin' grate opposite side of the coal.
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butt that's me.
 
And I put lit on both sides, chicken in the middle, and do the whole cook indirect. At high heat the skin comes out crispy (my favorite) and, indirect, I can do something else while the chicken cooks.

Several possible methods to use.
 
Thanks for all your help. I added more 'coal, change the vents to 1/8 and a 1/2, and put the thermometer through the top vent. within 20 minutes it was cruising at 280F. I put the chicken on, and after settling, the temp went back to 280, and stayed there. I opened it once for a pic, then left it for an hour. the street smells like 'Que. Ahhh, the smells of summer. Only 2 visits from neighbours so far.

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