Fighting temps on my first cook on the 22


 
M

Mike U

TVWBB Member
Finally got around to Christening the new 22 today and it's been a constant battle to lock into a stable range. Shooting for 260 or so at the dome. Minion method start though in retrospect i wonder if i used enough lit lump for the larger ring. Vents at 100% all the way around at it stays around 230 or so. I crack the door a bit and I'm up to 280+. Close it and it's right back down again.

I don't remember if I went through this on the 18 when I first got it, I was too lost to know what I was doing, but does this sound common for the first cook with a new bullet? I always thought that they ran hot for the first few cooks, but I haven't seen anything about a big range of temp swings like this.

Worst case scenario - I'll still soon be eating some ribs :)
 
230 is not a bad temp but with all vents open that sucker should be running way hotter. Is your top vent wide open like it always should be?? I always fill my ring up full no matter what I am cooking. I just shut her down for next time and it is one less thing too worry about.
What kind of lump ya using? Is it good sized or medium to kibble size..............
 
Yeah, everybody's wide open. I use lump from a place called Gordon Food Service. Really nice size, I've used on the 18'' forever and loved it. The only way I'm getting it going good is to crack the door. Oh well, guests will be here in 10 minutes and the bones are tearing away nicely. Just way more baby sitting than i'm used to with a wsm.
 
It may be a matter of learning to work with your 22. The Weber temp gauges are not known for being accurate. Just use her a few times and learn where she likes to smoke. My 18 will sit and smoke at 245 for ever and my friends 18 smokes at 240 with the same vent settings and produces the same results in the same time. You cannot make your 22 do something, instead learn to work with her.

Mike
 
Thanks for the help guys. My 18 locks in at 240 on the Maverick probe, but that's with all the vents a third open. I was barely hitting that on the 22 with all of them wide open. Makes me worried I won't have enough upside if I need to go higher. Still wonder if it's because it's the first cook. I'll keep playing with her and hopefully we can learn to get along.
 
Yeah, water in the pan. Is it that much of a difference on the 22? With my vents wide open and water in the 18 I'm over 280 easily.
 
Hi Mike, Could be that your your lump may have picked up a little humidity or moisture. I find that storing my fuel in my cabin outdoors will greatly affect the moisture level in the fuel. I always make it point to store in a dry environment now.
 
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Mike, every wsm is different, and it sounds like your big bullet is like mine and pretty tight in fit. If mine didn't have a second top vent, cooking two racks of chicken at 275-300* (dry pan) would be difficult, but my smaller bullet runs even lower in temp. The second top vent helped it, as well.

I suspect you were right about starting with more lit charcoal. Starting with hot water and even some boiling really helps, as well. One other tip I forget half the time is to let the meat sit out a bit and lose it's chill before putting on the cooker. Also, be sure you're comparing apples to apples regarding the two different cooker's temps. What I mean is, as you probably well know, temps vary tremendously inside the dome, so be sure the probe tip is in the exact same position in relation to the meat and cooker. Good luck with it. I cook for a crowd, and since getting my larger wsm, my smaller bullet probably feels neglected.
 
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