Closing top vent


 
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Paul G.

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A lot seems to have been written this weekend, 3/28, on how to handle the problem of heat getting away from you while using sand. One solution I've seen posted a couple of times is to close the top vent. At least a couple of very experienced Q'ers have recommended it. I haven't had the problem yet but I want to be prepared. Early in the cook, I generate more smoke and it concerns me that closing the top vent will overpower the meat with this heavy smoke that is trapped. I've also heard the term "stale smoke" used and this is a bad thing.

Can problems be encountered in closing the top vent early in a cook as a last effort to reduce pit temp ?

Thanks,

Paul
 
I did a cook today which was my first using sand and using the minion method together. I asked on this site and the general process was to control the temp on the way up. I did this and it worked out great. I kept the temp at 225 all six hours the ribs were cooking except for a short time after the 3 hour mark when I took off the lid to turn the ribs. I did close the top vent to get control. To answer your question, I don't believe that closing the top vent will be a problem IF you haven't let the fire get away from you early on. Watch it close going up and if you do need to close the vent early, it wouldn't need to be closed for long. Note: After the temp got up to 175, I closed two vents and left the third about half closed. When I got to 200, I pretty much closed the third vent fully. At 225 I had all vents closed and the top vent closed very slightly. That held temp very well. The morale of the story is start shutting off the vents early - before the fire gets away from you.

By the way - the ribs were very good. I trid a new rub and didn't particularly like it, but the ribs had good texture and moisture, so the cooking part went well.
 
Paul.....

Do exactly what Jerry did....start closing those vents early!

I would not advise closing the top vent while the smoke is still coming out strong. But, you should have only about 45 minutes of heavy smoke, then it will settle down. It may take you that long to get up to temp anyway.

Just watch the RATE of ascent and be prepared to close the vents early.

BTW....this technique works GREAT with water as well....it is how I learned the ultimate in temp control.

Good luck!
 
Stale smoke is a very real thing and it's unpleasant. Perhaps little is absorbed by the food but I'd rather not try.

If your fire has gotten away from you why not simply spray the fire with some water instead?
 
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Thanks for the advise on my thread. I'm well aware of watching the heat on the assent and maybe that's why I've avoided the problem so far. It did appear to me that some others were having run away heat early and that why I wondered if closing the top vent could cause a smoke problem and sounds like it can.

I cooked soley with water in my WSM for 10 years and I'm enjoying the sand now. I especially like it on overnighters where I have a problem with temp dropping during the night even though I've got it stable when I go to bed. However this weekend I did 6 halves of spares and 3 halves of beef ribs with the sand and it was steady as a rock for the 7 1/2 hr cook. Did not foil the spares and they were great.

Paul

Paul
 
I used the 3/4 sand and 1/4 water combo for the first time this weekend and was able to control the temps pretty well. What I really liked was that it took less time to get up to temperature and by controlling early on, I was able to keep top vent mostly open and adjust by the bottom vents. I also liked not having to deal with the waste water as most all of the water had cooked off by the end.
 
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