Heat control - high altitude any different? - and misc. comments


 
A

Alan Rockwood

TVWBB Member
I live at an altitude of about 4300 ft. Is heat control different for WSM operation at these altitudes than at lower altitudes? Also, are cooking times different here than lower altitudes?

Here is why I ask. I sometimes find it a little hard to keep the heat up, especially for long periods of time. Sometimes it is hard to even keep it at 225 degrees, let alone higher.

Also, My cooks tend to run a little long. For example, today I had temperature of 240 degrees (with vents full open), which is a little higher than usual in my experience, and it was pretty stable for about four hours, but then it began to drop rapidly, so I had to start more charcoal.

Anyway, I figured that a couple of racks of spares (7.5 pounds total) would run take about five hours on the top grate, but for today's smoke it was closer to six and a half. I also had a chicken in the lower shelf of smoker, and it took the same cooking time, though I expected to it to be a little faster than the ribs.

I generally find my cooking times run a little long, or sometimes very long compared to my expectations.

The ribs and chicken both turned out very good today. In fact, the guests raved about them, though I think the rib meat was near the boderline of being too firm. I think a bit longer in the WSM would have been nice and made them a little more tender, but we were already an hour late in starting to eat, so I went ahead and took them out a bit before I would have liked.

By the way, for today's smoke I used three corncobs from last night's dinner. The smoke flavor was light, and the flavor of the meat was very good.

Thanks.

Alan
 
You need more airflow (vents open more) and more fuel to approximate the heat of another cook doing the same thing at a low altitude. Expect to use more fuel and expect cooktimes to be longer.

For Minion start-ups you'll need more lit than someone at a low altitude.

If using Kingsford alone, consider switching to a blend of Kingsford and quality lump. That should help you hit and maintain temps better.
 
Alan,

I have had my WSM now for a few years, and I live in Colorado around 6000 feet, so I feel your pain. I have found a few tricks that now have made every experience much easier and wastes less charcoal.

When I fire up my smoker (I almost always use the minion method and reuse unburned fuel) I tried and tried to get my temps to come up easaily with more charcoal in the chimney. It failed over and over again. Here is what I have tried that totally solves the problem:

I put the standard 20-30 briquettes in the chimney and light them. After they have started warming up (5-10 min) I place my chimney full of brewing coals DIRECTLY ON TOP of the pile of charcoal in the ring of my WSM. This just begins to ignite some of the coal in the ring. Since I started doing this I have no problem getting my pit temps up to 250-300 easily. the 10-15 mins of hot coals on top of cold gets them going just enough to provide a boos in initial temp. then you dump your chimney of coals into your ring and you can immediately close your vents to about 50-60% open. Your pit will be at 250 before you know it, and if it is a little slow, you can always prop the access door open about 1/2" for a few mins.

I battled low temps and had difficulty controlling my temps for a long time. With this technique, I have found it uses much less fuel (sometimes get 18-20 hours on a full ring of kingsford) and my temps are stable as the day is long. I often throw a pork butt in before bed at 10 and my temp is usually within 5 degrees of where it started at 6 am the next morning.

Let me know how it works out for you but it should help a bunch.

SMOKE ON!!

Hunter
 
I can vouch for Hunters trick. He mentioned the same idea in one of my threads so I went ahead and tried it Sunday. Worked like a champ.

Thanks for the tip!
 
Originally posted by Hunter Lewis:
Alan,

I have had my WSM now for a few years, and I live in Colorado around 6000 feet, so I feel your pain. I have found a few tricks that now have made every experience much easier and wastes less charcoal.

When I fire up my smoker (I almost always use the minion method and reuse unburned fuel) I tried and tried to get my temps to come up easaily with more charcoal in the chimney. It failed over and over again. Here is what I have tried that totally solves the problem:

I put the standard 20-30 briquettes in the chimney and light them. After they have started warming up (5-10 min) I place my chimney full of brewing coals DIRECTLY ON TOP of the pile of charcoal in the ring of my WSM. This just begins to ignite some of the coal in the ring. Since I started doing this I have no problem getting my pit temps up to 250-300 easily. the 10-15 mins of hot coals on top of cold gets them going just enough to provide a boos in initial temp. then you dump your chimney of coals into your ring and you can immediately close your vents to about 50-60% open. Your pit will be at 250 before you know it, and if it is a little slow, you can always prop the access door open about 1/2" for a few mins.

I battled low temps and had difficulty controlling my temps for a long time. With this technique, I have found it uses much less fuel (sometimes get 18-20 hours on a full ring of kingsford) and my temps are stable as the day is long. I often throw a pork butt in before bed at 10 and my temp is usually within 5 degrees of where it started at 6 am the next morning.

Let me know how it works out for you but it should help a bunch.

SMOKE ON!!

Hunter
Click to expand...

So, let me be sure I understand. First you get some coals started in the chimney starter. After they get part way going then you stand the chimney starter on top of the pile of charcoal in the ring inside the WSM. Then you continue to let the coals in the chimney heat up, which has the side effect of heating some of the coals in the pile, maybe even starting a few. Then you dump the coals from the chimney onto the pile. Then you continue as described. Is that what you are saying?

Thanks.

P.S. I realize it is an old thread.
 
Alan,

I also live in Colorado and I can vouch for what you're trying to confirm. Basically get the chimney lit and then just place it on the coals. By the time your chimney is ready some coals beneath it will be lit from radiant heat.
 
Really dumb question from a guy who lives pretty much at sea level but grew-up at about 4,500 feet, why not just start with more lit?
 
I'm at 4500', no probs. Are you using water in your pan? I just use regular K & smoke wood in mine.
 
Having same issues in Denver and wind and outside temps that vary from 40 to 80 in one cook or sunshine can have a great effect.

I usually fill the ring 3/4 and then dump 3/4 to an entire chimney of lit on top to minion. Regular K or K-comp. I do not use water in the pan--water only boils at 203F in denver and that will kill your temps.

Using this method with vents open 100% I can get 220 with a couple butts or 6 racks of ribs. Temps will rise to 250-265 (lid) as the meat loses moisture and cooks. I have my bottom vents closed to 50 or 25% toward the end of cooks. I can NOT get to 300 no matter how much charcoal I use if I have more than a chicken (see weber kettle)

I once set the chimney on a grade above the ring and got distracted and it eventually lit the whole ring--oops.

Using a small stick to prop the lid open will raise temps 20 degrees or so. I prop the side door open some and that helps a bit too.

I am considering drilling holes to install 2 or 3 additional bottom vents like one of the posts from Calgary did.

Stoker/BBQ Guru has no problem getting 350F temps so air is the issue.
 
We are at 5200 ft I agree with Kevin. I use a mixture of lump and briquettes. It is good to burn and you have less ash which on a long cook can be a bother. Jim Minion suggested this to me and I like it....tom
 
I'm another one who lives in Colorado at 6000 Ft. and experienced some temp problems at first, but now just load a full chimney (smaller than Weber chimney)of hot (reg. K) coals on top of unlit briqs in the ring and I'm up to temp just in 10 to 15 mins. max. We do have to contend with lower oxygen levels, so airflow is important. I only cook with a foiled clay saucer, no water because of what Chris E mentioned about the low water boiling point and have never had to open the side door, thus far.

I think I'll try Hunter's technique for my next cook with fewer hot coals to see if there any difference. Thanks Hunter for the tip! Good luck Alan
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Originally posted by Tom O:
We are at 5200 ft I agree with Kevin. I use a mixture of lump and briquettes. It is good to burn and you have less ash which on a long cook can be a bother. Jim Minion suggested this to me and I like it....tom
Click to expand...
Tom, do you go with 50/50 K and lump?
 
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