Cooler WSM constant temp issues


 
Jason Smart

Jason Smart

TVWBB Member
Can't seem to get my WSM to stay above 210-212 with the bottom vents closed using the minion method. I can crack is just a quarter on one vent and it'll shoot up to 250. This reading is on a stick thermometer (some call it a candy cane I think) that is stuck in the top vent. My Weber thermometer reads 190-195.....both were boiling water tested and tested right on at 212. I'm assuming I have the lowreading Weber issue most have but my stick thermo is usually dead on. The longer probed on the vent is about 3" longer".

Trying to do ribs at 225 with 1/3 of a bowl water filled. Is this a a product of my WSM not being seasoned since it is on its second smoke? Had the same issue last weekend with a brisket and ribs..

The temp is 92 degrees here right now if that helps.

Some pics

100_08241.JPG


100_0825.JPG


Beef on top...pork on bottom..

100_08292.JPG
 
Well flip....smoke is just about done and look what the mail lady brought today. I guess I'm off to the grocery store to get something to smoke tomorrow too.
icon_smile.gif


100_08373.JPG
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jason Smart:
Can't seem to get my WSM to stay above 210-212 with the bottom vents closed using the minion method. I can crack is just a quarter on one vent and it'll shoot up to 250. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Sure, with the vents closed. Go with 250 IMO. Many cook higher with fine results
 
The body or bottom can be slightly out of round, allowing air in. Next time try turning the body/middle section around and check the fit. My bottom section got out of round when I carelessly flipped it over to dump some water out.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JimH:
The body or bottom can be slightly out of round, allowing air in. Next time try turning the body/middle section around and check the fit. My bottom section got out of round when I carelessly flipped it over to dump some water out. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If air was allowed in wouldn't that increase the temps with vent closed?
 
Good question, Jason. If the center section and the bottom section are not quite aligned, you will have a very slight draw being created even with all the bottom vents closed. When you open them, even slightly, you would not only increase the air flow through the vents but the draw through the misaligned gap between the sections would also increase so you would get a much greater increase in temperature than you would normally expect.

Check out the alignment between sections just to be sure that you are not fighting that battle and then concentrate on figuring out how to manage the vents to get the temperature you desire. It will come with a bit more practice, just keep at it.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Vincent Carrocci:
Good question, Jason. If the center section and the bottom section are not quite aligned, you will have a very slight draw being created even with all the bottom vents closed. When you open them, even slightly, you would not only increase the air flow through the vents but the draw through the misaligned gap between the sections would also increase so you would get a much greater increase in temperature than you would normally expect.

Check out the alignment between sections just to be sure that you are not fighting that battle and then concentrate on figuring out how to manage the vents to get the temperature you desire. It will come with a bit more practice, just keep at it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I will do that, but I guess my concern is that my actual temp issue is I can't get it hot enough with the vents closed. Honestly it sounds like maybe the seal may be too good?
 
Your joking right??
Are you really saying that you can't get the temps hot enough with the vents CLOSED
Closing the vents shuts off the air supply to the coals, which in turn will lower the heat and if left closed long enough will extinguish the heat completely.
Opening the vents will increase the temps!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Al Silverman:
Your joking right??
Are you really saying that you can't get the temps hot enough with the vents CLOSED
Closing the vents shuts off the air supply to the coals, which in turn will lower the heat and if left closed long enough will extinguish the heat completely.
Opening the vents will increase the temps! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I can assure you I understand air flow....

I've seen a plethora of folks say that they can close the bottom vents and the temp stays at 225 for the entire burn and keeps a slow burn...It's not like these smokers are air-tight. I don't mind cracking it, but as many as I read and saw via video that had success with it, I was thinking this was the norm....
 
Each WSM seems to have its own slightly different personality so you need to experiment and see what works for you and your WSM. All at you read and see and get as advice is just starting points to be varied as you learn. I know that my WSM will smoke for hours at 250 with the bottom vents about 1/4 open while a friend finds that his ru s at about 240 with the same settings.
Remember that smoking is an art and not a precise science.

Have fun,
Mike
 
Don't close the bottom vents completely. Minion the start with a dozen lit. When you near 200 or so restrict the lower vents to just barely open.

That said, I see no need to cook at 225. It's not like it is somehow better than 250 if wishing to low/slow. Just longer.

If there are those that can close the bottom vents completely and maintain 225 the problem is theirs not yours. The coals should fade and go out with lower vents closed.
 
I think that when you see references to "closing the bottom vents" they mean closing them down to 10-25% open from the 50% or more they may start with. Out of curiosity, I like to hear from anyone who actually uses the WSM with the bottom vents fully closed. That will completely snuff out the coals on mine -- I do that to preserve charcoal for the next chimney load.

As for your candy thermo, I suspect it is either in contact with the lid or really close to it and is getting hot from that. I would ensure that you have something in place to secure it away from the lid and smoke vent as far as possible. If any part of the metal from that thermo is close to the lid, it will conduct from the REALLY hot lid metal.

Rich
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RichPB (richlife):
I think that when you see references to "closing the bottom vents" they mean closing them down to 10-25% open from the 50% or more they may start with. Out of curiosity, I like to hear from anyone who actually uses the WSM with the bottom vents fully closed. That will completely snuff out the coals on mine -- I do that to preserve charcoal for the next chimney load.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

There are several, but here is one for your viewing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNb7AGxAKyE


<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">As for your candy thermo, I suspect it is either in contact with the lid or really close to it and is getting hot from that. I would ensure that you have something in place to secure it away from the lid and smoke vent as far as possible. If any part of the metal from that thermo is close to the lid, it will conduct from the REALLY hot lid metal.

Rich </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No sir...I have it in a piece of cork...

But that doesn't matter anymore...I'll be using the ET732 for now on.
icon_cool.gif


For the record I have smoked meat for 14 years on an offset wood smoker. This is however my first around with a charcoal bullet type smoker. I was under the impression it would hold constant or around 225 and wanted to know why mine would not. I use the minion method....when it reaches 200, I crank down the vents and it climbs to 235 and then settles at 210. I'm learning that with these bullet smokers that constant doesn't mean consistent...I just need to find out what works for mine.

I'll just keep playing with it and seeing what vent position keeps mine at the temp I prefer... Thanks for the replies..
 
Sorry Jason but I quit watching two seconds into the youtube video when I saw the description: Step by step instructions on how to smoke fall off the bone ribs.

I still can't understand why you want to cook with the vents completely closed. The WSM is excellent at maintaining consistant temperatures using the techniques listed upthread.
 
Sorry if that video was beneath you Jerry R. The food nor end product was the point of it...the WSM staying at 225 with vents closed was.

Please see the last sentence in my last post for the answer to the second half of your post...
 
As others have suggested, there is a decent amount of variation from smoker to smoker. Some based on how much air seeps in, some based on other factors like outside temperature, humidity, wind, sun, & seasoning of the cooker. As guru Kevin suggested, it's a GOOD thing that you aren't running hot with your vents closed. After a few smokes, you'll get a good feel for the vent settings for the temperatures you want to hold. If you have trouble holding a temperature as low as you want (which does not sound like your issue), there is a gasket mod to give you a better seal. If you have trouble holding a high temperature with all vents open, you can flip the door & crack it open a bit to let in more air.
 
My last two cooks I've had to have the vents closed for a portion of the cook, else my pit would shoot up well over 250. I didn't TRY to cook with the vents closed. The weather was pretty nice (little wind/sunshiny) my last two times out, maybe that has something to do with it.

I did a brisket over Memorial Day, and I closed the vents down to 0% at 9am (in an effort to curb the temperature rise), and the pit held like a rock at 230-240 until 6pm when I took my brisket off. Any time the temperature seemed like it started to fall off, I cracked the vents to maybe 10%, and the temperature would shoot up over 260 in a matter of minutes. I got 15 hours of solid heat from that cook, 2 full chimneys of KBB. It was best I'd ever seen my WSM perform.

Sometimes it just works out that way, I guess. Before last weekend it had never happened to me, though.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jason Smart:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RichPB (richlife):
... like to hear from anyone who actually uses the WSM with the bottom vents fully closed. That will completely snuff out the coals on mine ...
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

There are several, but here is one for your viewing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNb7AGxAKyE


<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">... If any part of the metal from that thermo is close to the lid, it will conduct from the REALLY hot lid metal.

Rich </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No sir...I have it in a piece of cork...

But that doesn't matter anymore...I'll be using the ET732 for now on.
icon_cool.gif

...

I'll just keep playing with it and seeing what vent position keeps mine at the temp I prefer... Thanks for the replies.. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks. Interesting video, but though I might try their rub, I'll avoid the "closed vent" technique.

And yeah, I don't think it will be long before you find what works for your WSM. Most of the posts I've seen and my own WSM thermo show the ET-732 to be about 25-50* hotter than the WSM. But my WSM thermo tests out as pretty accurate and I don't worry about the difference.

I do find that my 18.5 WSM is pretty constant in holding temps -- though, if anything, the tendancy is for it to continue to go lower. I need to use the door at times to get it back up to where I want.

Rich
 
Jason,

I appologize if I came off as flippant, did not mean to. I now understand that you believed, that after reading that some folks were able to get temps around 225° with the vents closed, that you should as well.
Most folks cannot unless there are significant air leaks. Also, the Webers tend to run hot until seasoned a bit.

Again, sorry! and welcome.

Al
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top