Adjust bottom vents equally


 
W

Werner

TVWBB Member
Hi...

Im curious when adjusting bottom vents for temp control whether people adjust all vents equally or not. It seems like adjusting them equally is generally the best approach however are there ever circumstances where you might want to adjust them differently? On a windy day closing the vent facing the wind and maybe opening the ones away from the wind? Other circumstances or reasons?

Thanks

Werner
 
I don't think it makes a big difference. The oxygen seems to get around with just one vent open; all the coals burn evenly. I've done entire smokes with only a single bottom vent open. I usually open the one furthest from any incoming breeze.
 
Good - thanks Gary.

That's just what I needed on my first long cook that's underway now. The temp started ramping up (too many live coals at the start of course) and I have throttled it back.
 
I generally run with all mine closed. Once it gets to 200 or so, I close them. It will creep up to a good temp 240-250 after that.
 
I put my smoker in a corner of my house, so it is blocked from two sides. I usually face one vent outside the corner and I keep it more closed than the other two. I try to keep the other two vents even.

My WSM is too airtight to keep the vents closed. I have to keep them at least 1/4 open to run 225 vent temps. On my last cook I closed the vents as the temps came up and the vent temp stopped at 160.
 
I'd think if you can cook with them all closed you have a pretty decent air leak somewhere. If I close all my vents it doesn't take long for the temps to start falling.

Personally I've tried both ways and I like using single vents as its easier to open one vent a large amount then 3 vents to slivers and keep accurate notes. Often for me I wind up runnning 1 100% open, and another somewhere between closed and a 1/2 open. The 3rd vent rarely has to be opened and i face it toward the wind.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill S.:
I generally run with all mine closed. Once it gets to 200 or so, I close them. It will creep up to a good temp 240-250 after that. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Looks like I spoke too soon....lol. Having to leave one vent open today....Go figure.
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My first long cook, we had a norther blow through Houston and the wind was getting gusty overnight (25+ gusts, 20 degrees F according to the log). I took the WSM apart about eight hours into the cook to check, stoke, add fuel to the fire. I had one vent pointed straight north and the other two SE and SW.

What I noticed when I took the cooker apart was that the fire was all but burnt out on the south side of the cooker and there was still some unburnt coal around the north vent. I all but closed the north vent for the rest of the cook and managed the heat with the other two. It worked fine.

I also had the lid vent on the north side of the cooker as it is up against the north side of my deck/fence. In the future, I would probably also rotate the lid so the vent was away from the wind.

I haven't had any trouble since and attribute that cook to the gusty conditions.
 
i found early on that it makes a big differance on how the vents are situated. so i always point the lower opened vent into the breeze and the top vent down wind. this would be on my wsm or kettle. as to the wsm i use only one open vent after closing the other two. seems to prevent cross flow issues and such.
 
I am currently using 2 vents open and one closed. Think I will try 1 open next cook and 2 closed. Tried water today for 1st time and got temps a lttle lower than without but the clean up will be more.With no water I have vents barely open and still reach 250 easy. I don't think I have air leaks as My lid is stuck and I have to pull to open. No smoke leaks anywhere. Smokin is good!!!!!
 
I adjust all the vents equally. I haven't had any problems so far with wind, but I'm seeing advice to close the upwind vent and open the upwind vent. Which is it?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Lew:
I adjust all the vents equally. I haven't had any problems so far with wind, but I'm seeing advice to close the upwind vent and open the upwind vent. Which is it? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The usual technique, when dealing with breeze or light wind in the absence of a good windbreak, is to position one bottom vent downwind, close down the other two completely, and open the single downwind vent more to compensate, e.g. one vent open 60% should approximate 3 vents each open 20%. Position the lid with its vent downwind as well.
 
one of the problems with both vents being down wind is that the internal air flow goes wacky. venturi effect kinda cancels out a good flow. i've actually seen the smoke reverse and come out the bottom. but again, use what works for ya.
 
I always adjust all three equally. When I do a Minion start, I take my push button propane torch and stick it into one of the holes on all three vents that line up with a charcoal ring hole.
That takes about 15-20 sec each, ( for lump ) then I hit one spot in the middle, add my smokewood, assemble, and away I go. On windy days I put the WSM into a 17 gal metal wash tub, which is tall enough to block the wind at all three vents.
That works for me..
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Tim
 
Thanks everyone......

I think I will adjust evenly, maybe play around with it on a windy day. This past weekend was windy in the Northeast, but didnt get a chance to use the WSM.
 
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