Hi all,
I've been using a 18.5 WSM for the past 3 years using information from this board with exceptional results. In the last month I've also been using a stoker.
On the first two smokes I've done, I've had problems maintaining my target temps using the stoker. Both smokes have been short test runs.
Smoke 1
I smoked a boneless leg of lamb. I set the target temp to 250 and lit using the minion method. I used a foiled empty water pan. By the time I got the WSM together, the temps were already at 255. I closed the top vent to about half closed and eventually the temps started to settle down and the blower started to cycle. Here where I believe I made my mistake. I was afraid that the blower was cycling too frequently so I opened the top vent slightly. Upon doing this, the temp raised to around 260 and would not come back down even with moving the top vent back to where it was. The smoke finished with the blower never cycling on again.
My conclusion: I think I had it right and shouldn't have messed with it once the blower started kicking in.
Smoke 2
I smoked two chickens. I used 1 chimney of lit kingsford competition and a foiled empty water pan. My plan was to run at 300. When I got the WSM together, the blower kicked on and ramped the pit temp up to 285, but could never achieve 300. The blower ran the entire smoke. With about 30 minutes to go, the pit temp started to drop. It turns out that I was almost out of charcoal.
My conclusion: I probably should have used 2 chimneys of lit charcoal. The blower would have kicked on less and I would have used less fuel.
My question is: Are these types of issues maintaining a target temp with the stoker usual and part of the normal learning curve or do I have some other fundamental problem (WSM leaking to much air, etc.)?
I've been using a 18.5 WSM for the past 3 years using information from this board with exceptional results. In the last month I've also been using a stoker.
On the first two smokes I've done, I've had problems maintaining my target temps using the stoker. Both smokes have been short test runs.
Smoke 1
I smoked a boneless leg of lamb. I set the target temp to 250 and lit using the minion method. I used a foiled empty water pan. By the time I got the WSM together, the temps were already at 255. I closed the top vent to about half closed and eventually the temps started to settle down and the blower started to cycle. Here where I believe I made my mistake. I was afraid that the blower was cycling too frequently so I opened the top vent slightly. Upon doing this, the temp raised to around 260 and would not come back down even with moving the top vent back to where it was. The smoke finished with the blower never cycling on again.
My conclusion: I think I had it right and shouldn't have messed with it once the blower started kicking in.
Smoke 2
I smoked two chickens. I used 1 chimney of lit kingsford competition and a foiled empty water pan. My plan was to run at 300. When I got the WSM together, the blower kicked on and ramped the pit temp up to 285, but could never achieve 300. The blower ran the entire smoke. With about 30 minutes to go, the pit temp started to drop. It turns out that I was almost out of charcoal.
My conclusion: I probably should have used 2 chimneys of lit charcoal. The blower would have kicked on less and I would have used less fuel.
My question is: Are these types of issues maintaining a target temp with the stoker usual and part of the normal learning curve or do I have some other fundamental problem (WSM leaking to much air, etc.)?
