I'm doing a butt and I was doing alright, not fantastic, but pretty good with holding the temp. Then about 3 hours in the pit temp started to take off. I closed all the vents except the top vent and nothing was helping. I had a heck of a time bringing it back down. What would cause this. Any tips on keeping the temps down. It seems to run a bit hotter than I would like with little to no bottom vents open. I am using a terra cotta diffuser and for this cook I have at the steamer ridge level because there was too much fuel for it to sit on the bottom like I intended to do.
Temp troubles
- Thread starter J. Winn
- Start date
Dave Parry
New member
G'day
I'm only been using my mini smoker for a short time now and I'm still getting used to it. I recon you've arrived at your temp with too much of the fuel lite. And of course it's hard to damp it down.
I assume you using the minion method to get a small fire for those extended hours.
I use the coffee can minion to get things going. 10 beads in a chimney and dump these in a coffee can ( with no ends) in the middle of the bead bed. Withdraw the can and wait for the heads around it to start to catch.
Then assemble the smoker. Side vents set both at 1/4. That small fire has to then heat the smoker and the ceramic pot base. After about 1/2 an hour this starts to happen and the temp rises.
Before it gets to temp I place in the meat and of course the temps go down due to the meat and the lid being off.
I then back of the vents to about 1/8 each and wait as the meat heats the temps rise again and hopefully I settle under the 250 C mark. If it's under a lower temp a little crack more open on those bottom vents will give you your desired temps.
From what I've been able to figure out it's easier to add a little more lower vent air to bring the temps up than it is to use them to damping things down.
Hope something here might help
Regards dave
I'm only been using my mini smoker for a short time now and I'm still getting used to it. I recon you've arrived at your temp with too much of the fuel lite. And of course it's hard to damp it down.
I assume you using the minion method to get a small fire for those extended hours.
I use the coffee can minion to get things going. 10 beads in a chimney and dump these in a coffee can ( with no ends) in the middle of the bead bed. Withdraw the can and wait for the heads around it to start to catch.
Then assemble the smoker. Side vents set both at 1/4. That small fire has to then heat the smoker and the ceramic pot base. After about 1/2 an hour this starts to happen and the temp rises.
Before it gets to temp I place in the meat and of course the temps go down due to the meat and the lid being off.
I then back of the vents to about 1/8 each and wait as the meat heats the temps rise again and hopefully I settle under the 250 C mark. If it's under a lower temp a little crack more open on those bottom vents will give you your desired temps.
From what I've been able to figure out it's easier to add a little more lower vent air to bring the temps up than it is to use them to damping things down.
Hope something here might help
Regards dave
Thanks for the reply. That's a good idea with the coffee can. This is my first cook on it and I just filled up the basket and put one of the paraffin cubes in the middle and lit it. Once it gets going a bit I assemble everything. I was going to buy a chimney but they cost so much here in Oz; I'm living in Adelaide right now. I found the same thing with what you are saying with the vents. A little adjustment really gets the temp up but close them takes it a bit longer to respond. I will keep experimenting and hopefully as I use it I will get more accustomed to it.
Dave Parry
New member
G'day
Don't blame you those chimney starters are expensive and too big for a doz beads. Go and have a look at one you'll soon figure out how to make one. My mini chimney is an old stainless steel cultry holder. The handles a U shaped piece of aluminum stock pop riveted to the side a couple of pieces of wood on that to protect the hands from the hot metal. Some heat heads in the bottom place on a couple of bricks and let it do its thing. It will produce 12 heat beads all Ashed over in 20 mins or so which is what you want.
Regards dave
Don't blame you those chimney starters are expensive and too big for a doz beads. Go and have a look at one you'll soon figure out how to make one. My mini chimney is an old stainless steel cultry holder. The handles a U shaped piece of aluminum stock pop riveted to the side a couple of pieces of wood on that to protect the hands from the hot metal. Some heat heads in the bottom place on a couple of bricks and let it do its thing. It will produce 12 heat beads all Ashed over in 20 mins or so which is what you want.
Regards dave
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CaseT
TVWBB Platinum Member
It's always easier to keep the temps lower than to com back down once they are to high. For every cook that I do I use a torch and light the fuel that way. I'll be up to temp in a matter of minutes and I can maintain a consistent temp through out a long smoke. Longest to date was 14 hours, perfect conditions though. So what I do is a fill the charcoal basket heaping full and I add 3-4 (2"-3") chunks of smoke wood. Put the pot on light my torch and insert it through one side vent. I torch the charcoal for 3-8 minutes depending on the temp the I want Note that the temp inside is going to be higher, but it will come down after the torch is removed. It will usually drop to below 200°f. If it is close to 200°f I will let the smoker climb to temp and slowly adjust the lower vents. For a low temp smoke (anything under 250°) I usually have one of my ball valves just barely cracked and all the other lower valves closed. I use this same method for short smokes. If there is any leftover fuel, I shake the basket and add new to the old. For hotter smokes I will usually torch through both vents to get things rolling.
Pot removed for clarity:
Pot removed for clarity:
Tommy B
TVWBB Pro
That is a well used mini!
CaseT
TVWBB Platinum Member
That's mt original pot that I built and modified and modified some more! Now it's the mini-za, It's my primary camping/traveling rig. That way I can smoke or make pizza and not have to haul another set up.