First Firing -- Temp Too High


 
P

Peter Friedrichs

New member
Hi all,
I lit up my WSM about 1 1/2 hours ago, using the Minion Method. The temp spiked at the beginning, over 300 degrees. Then it settled back and dropped to 205. I've been adjusting the vents and can't get it below 265 now. There seems to be some air (smoke) leaking out around the seal between the smoker and the lid. I've got the bottom vents 95% closed and have even closed the top vent 50%, but the temp still isn't dropping. Any suggestions? I'm using a Polder thermometer and the cord seems to prevent the lid from making a full seal, but I'm not sure that's the problem. HELP!
Peter
 
close the bottom vents altogether. Leave the top vent open at least 50%. I frequently run mine with all the vents totally closed at the bottom - my unit isn't tight enough to snuff it out, so it lets in just the right amount. If you close the all and it starts to drop, wait until it gets about 5-10 degrees above where you want, then open one of them about 5%. See if it stabilizes there, then you can get some rest.

Good luck.
 
Just relax...everything is normal.

1. You have a new smoker and they always burn hotter the first few times until the gooey gunk builds up on the inside.

2. You will see a bit of smoke seeping from the space between the body of the smoker and the lid. If you think its too much, or you just want to, take some foil and squish it up into a long "thread" and jam it in between the lid and body.

3. Yes you can close all the bottom vents until the temp drops...Ive had some out of control smokes where the bottom vents stay closed almost the whole time.

4. Dont close down the top vent. The build up of smoke may give a bitter taste to the meat. Some here may disagree with me but thats my two cents.

5. Relax and have fun. You will get the hang of it and everything will turn out fine.

You said that you closed the vents and the temp dropped to 205. Try opening JUST the down wind vent a crack (with the lid vent totally open but also down wind) and this may help. Also, if there is room in the water pan add more ice cold water or just ice...

What are you cooking??? And be sure to follow with how it turns out.

Jim
 
Right now (12:10) the temp is up to 280. I've got the bottom vents closed 100% and the top about 75%, so it should be dropping some. there is a slight breeze tonight that isn't helping. thanks for the advice. I made the mistake of inviting a bunch of folks over for pulled pork tomorrow, so I'm feeling the pressure. Probably not a good idea for my first smoke. I like the advice of "take it easy and have fun." I've got to remember that this is an adventure! I'll continue to post if there's anything to report and let you know how things turn out. Thanks again for your help!
Peter
 
Peter, Also keep an eye on the water level in the water pan. You can also add some ice to the pan to get your temp down as a last resort. Check and make sure the middle section is in the bottom charcoal bowl section correctly. Sometimes they hang up and this causes a huge air leak. Get a flash light out and check it out good to make sure it's together right. I just did a cook 2 days ago where my middle section hung up and didn't seat down into the bottom bowl right. I saw it right away but it's been known too happen.
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What's the right way to add water or ice to the bowl? If I take the lid off, that's going to spike the temp, isn't it? And once the lid is off, do I take the grill and meat off to add the water or ice? Lid Temp is 287 at 12:30 pm.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Peter Friedrichs:
What's the right way to add water or ice to the bowl? If I take the lid off, that's going to spike the temp, isn't it? And once the lid is off, do I take the grill and meat off to add the water or ice? Lid Temp is 287 at 12:30 pm. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Through the access door Bud. Some use a long spout watering can. I use a 750 ml. wine bottle to add water. If you want to add ice through the door then you'll need to improvise a little there. Get yourself a piece of cardboard or such and make a sliding board for the ice to slide down and into the water pan.
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Thanks, Bryan. It's good to have some support out there. The temp has actually dropped a degree. First time it's come down in 2 hours. I sealed the lid/smoker seal with foil and have bottom vents fully closed. I think I'll wait to add water until I see if the temp moderates more without it.
Peter
 
One good thing is that pork butt is very forgiving and another is that most people havent had really great bbq so they will still think its awsome. If its really dry you could always mix sauce into the meat to moisten it.

Remember every time you lift the top or open the door your doing two things...first is stopping the cooking process and adding time to the cook and secondly you are giving a smoldering fire a big gulp of air which will make it burn hotter. Only peek when necessary.
 
Peter--

When you have a minute you'll want to figure out why the spike occurred. If you started with the Minion and topped your unlit with lit then assembled the cooker, did you add the meat right away when you assembled?
 
And, given the behavior and eventual failure of my Polder (see my "flying blind" post), I'm questioning whether a spike actually occurred or whether it was a thermometer issue.
 
Putting the meat on right away is the right thing to do. The mass of cold meat moderates the temp climb substantially.

Your suspicion about your faulty therm might be your answer.
 
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