He knows his Master's voice!

[Doug Lax]

I have recently used the WSMs of two different friends .I have followed my BBQ procedure religously . They have identical rigs even down to there themometers( I installed them for them).
Their smokers don't seem to temp the same as mine
they either run a lot hotter or a lot colder!
Is this unusual?

 

[Dave Lewis]

In order for the comparison to be "scientifically" accurate, you would need to use the same charcoal from the same bag to rule out fuel factors and operate the WSMs side by side to rule out environmental factors. Theoretically, you would want each WSM to have been used exactly the same number of times before your test to equalize the smoke/grease buildup before your test. Just my $.02.

 

[Rick Jones]

No, it's not unusual. Each of these things runs a little different, which I suspect is mostly due to differences in fit. Just a little more draft will make a difference in temperature. It seems like each one has a mind of it's own, i.e. they will find their own temperature level and stay there with minor adjustments.

Rick

 

[Doug D]

It wasn't until about my third cook-- on a still day-- that I happened to notice my access door was warped enough to leave gaps, about 1/8" at their widest, almost 4 inches long on either side of the door. I guesstimate that to be about 2 vent holes worth of airflow. Breezy conditions previous to that had apparently drafted the smoke mostly out of the lid.

 

[Konrad Haskins]

No it's not unusual. There are too many variables including interior cleanliness, size of the lumps of charcoal, how much well each fire was started and the fit of all parts. What never fails to amaze me is folks who think something should cook for x minutes per pound at a given tempreture. IMO you will never get great results doing that be it bread or brisket.