Cant hold high temp for turkey cook?

[Jameson Muller]

I have smoked two turkeys this year and with each one I have not been able to keep the temps up around 325-350 without opening the side door about half an inch. I have an 18 inch bullet and started with 2 lit chimneys of charcoal and all the vents are wide open. Any tips to keep the temps up? I don't have problems holding temps for low and slow cooking like brisket so I am not sure what it might be.

The good part was both the turkeys tasted great.

 

[ChuckO]

For high temps, don't spare the charcoal. Fill your charcoal ring
When you light it, spread the lit charcoals all over the pile so you have multiple start points
Don't assemble the unit for at least 10 minutes or more (this will get the heat going)
When you do assemble it, leave all the vents wide open and only close them (bottom) up slightly if you get too hot, it doesn't take much to choke it back
Use your defuser, no water

 

[Jameson Muller]

For high temps, don't spare the charcoal. Fill your charcoal ring
When you light it, spread the lit charcoals all over the pile so you have multiple start points
Don't assemble the unit for at least 10 minutes or more (this will get the heat going)
When you do assemble it, leave all the vents wide open and only close them (bottom) up slightly if you get too hot, it doesn't take much to choke it back
Use your defuser, no water

I have put in 2 chimmneys already lit. Are you saying fill the ring and them dump a lit chimney on top of that?

 

[ChuckO]

That's how I do it. Fill the ring, and drop lit charcoal on top. It's "the original" Minion method

 

[Dwain Pannell]

I lay a skewer across the center section between it and the lid after filling the ring and dumping a full large chimney of lit on it.

 

[Paul Pearson]

I use 2 chimneys of at least 50% lump when doing turkeys. This year i added two extra intake vents in addition to the extra lid vent i added last year. This allowed me to maintain 350F for 3+ hours with 2 14lb birds on.