My recently-purchase used 18 which arrived damaged (fork lift or dropped) and out of round and leaks a LOT hit 360 degrees with the pan removed and all vents closed upon my first firing up. While I am sure, this is extreme. With working on improving the roundness, water in the pan and 2 bottom vents shut tight and the top open about 1/2, I can get her down to 250-260 which is fine for now, but I want to work more on seeing what I can do to get it to hold 215-250 better without have to shut off all the vents and just relying on leakage. This is the perils of purchasing a used unit where insufficient packing and poor handling by the shipper can cause the center barrel to go out of round and it is tricky to straighten it back perfectly, or if it can even be done! This is totally annoying, because unless I can get the fire to die by closing the vents totally, I will be unable to save charcoal like I can do with my more tightly sealed kettle. And yes, I am making a claim with FED EX. I have before and after shipping pictures, so wish me luck!