I put three 6-lbs. butts on the smoker at 7:30 a.m. Temperature control was a little volatile throughout the day (used Kingsford initially dumped over Royal Oak lump via the Minion method throughout the cook), but I averaged around 220. By 5:30, the internal temperatures in the butts had only gotten to about 170. I thought that ten hours under those conditions would be fine, but I was wrong. It was cool that day, and I had trouble holding a temperature above 210. I would stir the ashes and add a little lit from time to time to keep it hovering between 205 and 235. The whole experience was very discouraging because I had to wrap and finish them in the oven, and that never makes for as good of a result. I cook on the Weber at least two times a month, but I have never been so frustrated with results as I was on Saturday.
Cold weekend in Carolina made for tough cook
- Thread starter C. Moore
- Start date
Chris Finney
TVWBB All-Star
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by C. Moore:
I put three 6-lbs. butts on the smoker at 7:30 a.m. Temperature control was a little volatile throughout the day (used Kingsford initially dumped over Royal Oak lump via the Minion method throughout the cook), but I averaged around 220. By 5:30, the internal temperatures in the butts had only gotten to about 170. I thought that ten hours under those conditions would be fine, but I was wrong. It was cool that day, and I had trouble holding a temperature above 210. I would stir the ashes and add a little lit from time to time to keep it hovering between 205 and 235. The whole experience was very discouraging because I had to wrap and finish them in the oven, and that never makes for as good of a result. I cook on the Weber at least two times a month, but I have never been so frustrated with results as I was on Saturday. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Either buy a BBQ Guru smoking jacket or get some good water heater insulation to wrap the WSM in. It'll help.
I put three 6-lbs. butts on the smoker at 7:30 a.m. Temperature control was a little volatile throughout the day (used Kingsford initially dumped over Royal Oak lump via the Minion method throughout the cook), but I averaged around 220. By 5:30, the internal temperatures in the butts had only gotten to about 170. I thought that ten hours under those conditions would be fine, but I was wrong. It was cool that day, and I had trouble holding a temperature above 210. I would stir the ashes and add a little lit from time to time to keep it hovering between 205 and 235. The whole experience was very discouraging because I had to wrap and finish them in the oven, and that never makes for as good of a result. I cook on the Weber at least two times a month, but I have never been so frustrated with results as I was on Saturday. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Either buy a BBQ Guru smoking jacket or get some good water heater insulation to wrap the WSM in. It'll help.
Scott M
TVWBB Fan
Hey C.
Were those temps at the grate or lid?
That makes a difference because 220 at the grate would be around 235-240 at the lid which is where I usually like to be.
I agree w/Brandon and Robert - I did a high heat brisket on Saturday and maintained 350-375 for about 4-5 hrs and it was 30° throughout the cook. I don't think you need a jacket or insulation, I'd try going with a full ring and maybe some more lit at start up.
Were those temps at the grate or lid?
That makes a difference because 220 at the grate would be around 235-240 at the lid which is where I usually like to be.
I agree w/Brandon and Robert - I did a high heat brisket on Saturday and maintained 350-375 for about 4-5 hrs and it was 30° throughout the cook. I don't think you need a jacket or insulation, I'd try going with a full ring and maybe some more lit at start up.
dave caston
TVWBB Fan
Another thing you might want to try/do, after you get the fire going real good put the smoker together with out the food on it, I give it about 5 min to heat up that cold steel. Cold steel and cold meat takes a while for everything to get heated up. this has worked for me in the winter and on very cold days/nights. and as said above start with more fuel then normal and if windy add a good wind break. I use a 55 gal. platice drum, it has held up real good even doing high heat cooks.
Just my .02 worth
Just my .02 worth
Eric Aarseth
TVWBB Super Fan
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Brandon A:
Only 235 with vents wide open? Was it windy? Are you using water? Maybe damp coal? You shouldent have to buy a guru or jacket to run your WSM at 235 easily regardless of the outside temp.
Brandon </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I've held temps of 250 easily for 12 hours+ with ambient temps of 15 degrees (slight breeze) with no problem and no added fuel (minion). I don't own a BBQ blanket and during my winter with medium wind (less than 10 knots) impromtue wind breaks have been sufficient.
I'm not criticizing what you have done, I offer what has worked for me to support what others have asked re: leaks, wind, coal, etc. Bottom line, you should be working harder at keeping your temp down to 250, not trying to get it up.
Only 235 with vents wide open? Was it windy? Are you using water? Maybe damp coal? You shouldent have to buy a guru or jacket to run your WSM at 235 easily regardless of the outside temp.
Brandon </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I've held temps of 250 easily for 12 hours+ with ambient temps of 15 degrees (slight breeze) with no problem and no added fuel (minion). I don't own a BBQ blanket and during my winter with medium wind (less than 10 knots) impromtue wind breaks have been sufficient.
I'm not criticizing what you have done, I offer what has worked for me to support what others have asked re: leaks, wind, coal, etc. Bottom line, you should be working harder at keeping your temp down to 250, not trying to get it up.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Robert T.:
I agree with Brandon as I frequently use the WSM in the winter and do not usually have a problem holding temps. I do use more fuel than normal, however.
Bob </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
It depends on your WSM. Mine has run cold from day one. I can open all vents in the summer and never get above 275º on most days. But more often it's more like never get above 250º-260º
Even though they look the same, they don't all burn the same.
Some are tight, some have gaps, and some have really big gaps. Only you know how your WSM works.
I agree with Brandon as I frequently use the WSM in the winter and do not usually have a problem holding temps. I do use more fuel than normal, however.
Bob </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
It depends on your WSM. Mine has run cold from day one. I can open all vents in the summer and never get above 275º on most days. But more often it's more like never get above 250º-260º
Eric Aarseth
TVWBB Super Fan
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Robert T.:
I agree with Brandon as I frequently use the WSM in the winter and do not usually have a problem holding temps. I do use more fuel than normal, however.
Bob </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
It depends on your WSM. Mine has run cold from day one. I can open all vents in the summer and never get above 275º on most days. But more often it's more like never get above 250º-260º
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Bryan, you favor the high-temp brisket (350 F), so what do you do to attain those temps? Do you use the temp mod of foiling the section joints?
inquiring minds want to know.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Robert T.:
I agree with Brandon as I frequently use the WSM in the winter and do not usually have a problem holding temps. I do use more fuel than normal, however.
Bob </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
It depends on your WSM. Mine has run cold from day one. I can open all vents in the summer and never get above 275º on most days. But more often it's more like never get above 250º-260º
Bryan, you favor the high-temp brisket (350 F), so what do you do to attain those temps? Do you use the temp mod of foiling the section joints?
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Eric Aarseth:
Bryan, you favor the high-temp brisket (350 F), so what do you do to attain those temps? Do you use the temp mod of foiling the section joints?
inquiring minds want to know. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I leave the lid hang off just a little, about 3/16" to get the high temps out of my cold WSM. Here's a recent post for you that might help. Link to my method
Bryan, you favor the high-temp brisket (350 F), so what do you do to attain those temps? Do you use the temp mod of foiling the section joints?
I leave the lid hang off just a little, about 3/16" to get the high temps out of my cold WSM. Here's a recent post for you that might help. Link to my method
Eric Aarseth
TVWBB Super Fan
Got it. More air, hotter fire. My fight has always been to keep the temp down. I assume my sections are slightly out of round and therefore I have more air leaks. So I assumed all WSM's ran about the same - learned something new again. Thanks.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Eric Aarseth:
I assume my sections are slightly out of round and therefore I have more air leaks. So I assumed all WSM's ran about the same - learned something new again. Thanks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Eric, Oh where to start. When I got my WSM years ago, it was a mess. Gaps, is an understatement. So what I would do is I would work the bottom and mid section a little each time I would cook to get them to fit tight. Well after doing this and getting the door right, my WSM is tight. And then there's the double grate mod for using lump. So with all that, it runs very cold. The sections are really tight fitting, and I have 2 charcoal grates, then pack lump in there, airflow is restricted big time. I can close all my vents and the fire is out, and the WSM is cold in 45 minutes or less. Yeah it's tight but this hampers high heat cooks, so this is what I have come up with over the years. Yes it works for me, not saying it will work for you though.
I assume my sections are slightly out of round and therefore I have more air leaks. So I assumed all WSM's ran about the same - learned something new again. Thanks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Eric, Oh where to start. When I got my WSM years ago, it was a mess. Gaps, is an understatement. So what I would do is I would work the bottom and mid section a little each time I would cook to get them to fit tight. Well after doing this and getting the door right, my WSM is tight. And then there's the double grate mod for using lump. So with all that, it runs very cold. The sections are really tight fitting, and I have 2 charcoal grates, then pack lump in there, airflow is restricted big time. I can close all my vents and the fire is out, and the WSM is cold in 45 minutes or less. Yeah it's tight but this hampers high heat cooks, so this is what I have come up with over the years. Yes it works for me, not saying it will work for you though.
I had the original post on this one. I liked the theory of some WSMs simply being colder than others, but some of you have also indicated that you tend to fight to keep temperatures down rather than up. If you have a 12 or 14-hour cook coming up, and you want your temperatures to hold steady at 240 degrees, how exactly do you set up the cooker? Assuming we are talking about the minion method, how much of what kind of lit and/or unlit fuel do you add at the outset? Thanks.
JimK
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I just did a 14 hour cook this past weekend. I'm still pretty new to all of this, but this cook was much, much easier than the last. It did get cool overnight, but not too bad (low 30's). Filled the chamber w/ a combo of lump and Kingsford (with my wood chunks in there too). Then I shimmied it back and forth, packed it, and got it all settled in. then I topped off w/ more K. So I had a nice, tight ring of charcoal. I fired 15-20 coals in the chimney and put them all in the middle of the charcoal chamber - not widely disperesed. The cooker settled in at a little under 250 and stayed there for almost ten hours. Bottom vents were at 25% or a little less. After 10 hours, I opened the vents up a hair more, kicked the legs to settle the coal; and the cooker settled back to around 240 for another 2.5 hours. At the 14 hour mark, I took the meat off with a little coal left, and temps still at 225.
Winds were calm - if there at all; so that helped. Or, maybe I just got lucky. As I said, I'm still pretty new at this.
Winds were calm - if there at all; so that helped. Or, maybe I just got lucky. As I said, I'm still pretty new at this.
Being from the great white north, I can tell you that you shouldn't have problems with cooking in the cold.
As people have said, the killer is the wind (more often then not). I personally don't care how "ghetto" my set up looks, as long as the cooker is sheltered. I have used old doors, traffic signs, wheelbarrows, plywood... just about anything that can stop a breeze. Wind will push all your hot air through every crack and vent.
If you think about it, the process is the reverse of thawing meat. If you leave meat in the sink to thaw it takes a long time... you run water over it and it thaws MUCH faster. Only in our case, the wind is the water and we are trying to minimize heat loss.
As people have said, the killer is the wind (more often then not). I personally don't care how "ghetto" my set up looks, as long as the cooker is sheltered. I have used old doors, traffic signs, wheelbarrows, plywood... just about anything that can stop a breeze. Wind will push all your hot air through every crack and vent.
If you think about it, the process is the reverse of thawing meat. If you leave meat in the sink to thaw it takes a long time... you run water over it and it thaws MUCH faster. Only in our case, the wind is the water and we are trying to minimize heat loss.
Eric Aarseth
TVWBB Super Fan
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by C. Moore:
I had the original post on this one. I liked the theory of some WSMs simply being colder than others, but some of you have also indicated that you tend to fight to keep temperatures down rather than up. If you have a 12 or 14-hour cook coming up, and you want your temperatures to hold steady at 240 degrees, how exactly do you set up the cooker? Assuming we are talking about the minion method, how much of what kind of lit and/or unlit fuel do you add at the outset? Thanks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Following the minion method, I prefer the 20-hot coal start and just take a little more time to get it up to temp. However many hot coals you start with, get it up to the target temp before putting the meat on. My WSM doesn't run cold, but if it did I'd follow Bryan's advice - get more air into the fire (open bottom vents, prop the door, prop the lid, I even read about using a hair dryer to stoke the fire
- whatever works).
Toward the end of one cook and my temps were dropping some, all vents were about 25%. I open the vent on one side 100% as it was facing the wind and that produced a better air flow over the fire.
At the beginning you said you cook a couple times a month with your WSM. Maybe this was just an off day and the next will run as usual.
Having had the fight to get temps down, my general rule for my WSM in my backyard is to gradually get the smoker up to temp and stabilized before I put the meat on. Your general rule may be different, but you'll figure that out over time. Unless your fighting the clock, how bad can it be to have to tend a smokey fire, the smell of cooking meat and a Fresca in hand?
I had the original post on this one. I liked the theory of some WSMs simply being colder than others, but some of you have also indicated that you tend to fight to keep temperatures down rather than up. If you have a 12 or 14-hour cook coming up, and you want your temperatures to hold steady at 240 degrees, how exactly do you set up the cooker? Assuming we are talking about the minion method, how much of what kind of lit and/or unlit fuel do you add at the outset? Thanks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Following the minion method, I prefer the 20-hot coal start and just take a little more time to get it up to temp. However many hot coals you start with, get it up to the target temp before putting the meat on. My WSM doesn't run cold, but if it did I'd follow Bryan's advice - get more air into the fire (open bottom vents, prop the door, prop the lid, I even read about using a hair dryer to stoke the fire
Toward the end of one cook and my temps were dropping some, all vents were about 25%. I open the vent on one side 100% as it was facing the wind and that produced a better air flow over the fire.
At the beginning you said you cook a couple times a month with your WSM. Maybe this was just an off day and the next will run as usual.
Having had the fight to get temps down, my general rule for my WSM in my backyard is to gradually get the smoker up to temp and stabilized before I put the meat on. Your general rule may be different, but you'll figure that out over time. Unless your fighting the clock, how bad can it be to have to tend a smokey fire, the smell of cooking meat and a Fresca in hand?
Eric Aarseth
TVWBB Super Fan
Well, I'll put my claim to the test Friday that the cold doesn't have that big of an affect on the WSM's perfomance. 2 butts Friday night, minion method (20 coal start). I'm imagining about a 12-hour cook. Weather forecast is a low of about 8 deg F. and no or little wind. If it goes as usual, I won't need to add any fuel and should have a couple hours or more left of fuel. No blanket. I'll put the butts on cold from the fridge once I stabilize the smoker at about 250 deg F at the top grate. (wish there was an Graemlin with an icicle frozen to his nose).
Fire, smoke, meat and Fresca.
Fire, smoke, meat and Fresca.
Thanks for everyone's advice. Eric, when you say a 20 coal start, are you referring to 20 Kingsford briquettes? That really does not seem like much. I usually start with a full chimney of lit Kingsford and pour it "minion style" over a mixture of mostly Royal Oak lump and some more Kingsford.
Just to further.... I am doing two 8 lb butts tonight with a top rack of about 8 lbs of short ribs. Outside temp is about 10 F or lower. Minimal wind but I put up my windscreen in case.
Started with about 20 briqs.... got them GOOD and hot. Assembled with meat on grates and within 30 min I am at 250 lid.
Trust me.... this thing is no problem in the cold.
Started with about 20 briqs.... got them GOOD and hot. Assembled with meat on grates and within 30 min I am at 250 lid.
Trust me.... this thing is no problem in the cold.