M R Wilson
New member
I just purchased my first weber smoker last weekend. Smoked first set of ribs and they were not bad I surprised myself. Hope my questions are not too basic as I want to learn everything.
First post
- Thread starter M R Wilson
- Start date
Welcome M! Glad to have you aboard.
We've got a special forum where no question is too basic to ask: New WSM Owners
We've got a special forum where no question is too basic to ask: New WSM Owners
Lew Newby
R.I.P. 1/26/2024
Welcome aboard M R. We have a bunch of good folks here eager to answer the most basic question. Don't worry about asking a stupid question. I asked all of them when I started learning BBQ and no one here made me feel stupid. 
. We've all been where you are and just want you to have a good start. Congrats on a good first cook.
. We've all been where you are and just want you to have a good start. Congrats on a good first cook.M R Wilson
New member
Thanks to all for the welcome. I have the 18.5 inch weber smoker. I had problem with constant heat. I used kings ford original charcoal. All seemed good for first hour. Then the temp dropped to about 150. Any tips on keeping temp steady. I opened bottom vents and it spiked too high.
Lew Newby
R.I.P. 1/26/2024
M R, My first WSM was the 18.5 and I'm trading a pellet grill with my daughter to get it back. I use Kingsford Blue Bag also. Your question will get a lot more answers if you post it on "New WSM Owners". What temp were you shooting at? How open were your bottom vents when the temp fell? Was your temp taken with an electronic thermometer or were you using the lid thermometer? I think folks will need a tad more info to give their best advice.
However, a few general guidelines. Assuming your bottom vents were partially open and top vent fully open a temp drop of 20°+ is a good indicator that it's time to open your lower vents more but not necessarily full open. When you do open them to 100% you need to monitor the rising temp and reset them at least 20° below your target. BTW, most folks have a problem with high temps on their first cook. If you look at Chris's cooking log on the TVWB site you can see what percentage he had his vents open. That's just a guideline and not necessarily what you'll need on your cook. Also, as you probably noticed it's quicker raising temps than it is lowering them.
Keep asking questions.
However, a few general guidelines. Assuming your bottom vents were partially open and top vent fully open a temp drop of 20°+ is a good indicator that it's time to open your lower vents more but not necessarily full open. When you do open them to 100% you need to monitor the rising temp and reset them at least 20° below your target. BTW, most folks have a problem with high temps on their first cook. If you look at Chris's cooking log on the TVWB site you can see what percentage he had his vents open. That's just a guideline and not necessarily what you'll need on your cook. Also, as you probably noticed it's quicker raising temps than it is lowering them.
Keep asking questions.