HH Method - Trouble maintaining temp


 
B

Brent Berwick

New member
I've done a few high heat cooks on my 18.5" and I always have trouble getting to and maintaining 325. I start with a full ring and light a full chimney. I've tried lump and briquettes. I keep all vents open and have to keep the door propped for the entire cook. One thing I've never tried is removing the water pan altogether - I normally just foil it with no water. I've read that some people do this but it seems like it acts as a heat shield to provide better indirect heat. I live in Southern Louisiana, so its warm (80 degrees) when I'm cooking.

What am I doing wrong? Am I not letting the fire build long enough before assembly? One thing I noticed is that the water pan is almost touching the coals when I start with a full ring and full chimney. Is it smothering the fire?
 
I'm a newbie myself, but the first thing I would do is remove the water pan completely and use a clay saucer "wrapped" or a pizza tin "wrapped" in its place. This would allow better airflow and still provide shielding.
 
Try flipping your charcoal door upside down and leave it open at the bottom. This will allow extra air to enter and may help you get your temp up.
 
I've read about the clay saucer and may try that, thanks.

I'm already flipping the door and having to leave it open for the entire cook, still topping out around 300.
 
High heat to me is around 275 to 325. Trying to maiintain that temp for long will just fustrate you. Temps will go up and down so don't try to micro manage the temps.
 
For me, when I need high heat, I use my Performer. I can have it as high as 550* in 20 min. and maintain that for a while. There are people on the forum that don't have WSM's and use their Weber kettles for smoking so you can maintain higher heat for quite a while. I have had issues when smoking above 325* on my WSM22 so I tend to only go up th 275* and anything above that on the Performer. It's not to say my WSM won't go above 300* but maintaining it consistantly can be a problem for me. I have had runaways peak very high but that uses a lot of fuel and the goal is maintaining constant temps for 10 to 15 hours without refueling.
Just my 20 cents but that is what I do.
 
Yea, you have the newer WSM with the deeper water bowl and that can snuff out a full load.
Brinkman had a replacement pan that would work but I think they went belly up awhile ago. I also think I read that someone uses the heat shield in place of that same water pan for HH cooks.

Tim
 
The bowl is a bit much. If you can find a clay saucer or a sturdy pizza tin, use that on your second shelf. You want heat? Open all the vents wide open and dump a full load of fully lit charcoal onto your charcoal. Spread it around, and I guarantee you...You'll never see south of 300 and you might see 400
 
Part of the problem with high heat in the WSM is a lack of venting in the lid. The single lid vent is the bottle neck. Yes propping the door open helps get the temp up but its has to function as an intake and exhaust. I have a spare lid that I put a second vent in then places a river bbq temp gauge by the handle. The second vent was placed where the original weber thermometer was. With both top vents open and the door propped open I can get dome temps of 350 deg F. with a full water pan.

You might try placing a piece of wire or a kabob stick across one edge of the WSM lid to slightly prop it up to make for a little more venting action.

I also have a couple screws through each corner of the top of the door, to act as feet for propping the door open when installed upside down.
 
So just an update, I did a high heat cook of a 7.5 lbs bone-in pork butt this weekend and it came out great. It ran about 6 hours and I was able to hold 325 - 350 for the entire time without adding fuel. I started with a full ring and full chimney and left the foiled empty water pan in place. One thing I did differently was I gave it about 20 minutes to catch before assembling and that seemed to really help. I also pulled the butt from the fridge about an hour before it went on to let it come to room temp. I actually had to go back and forth between propping the door and closing it throughout the cook when the temp would push 375. I think giving it a little extra time before assembly was the key. As usual I forgot to take pics, but it came out great, next time I'll take pics.

Thanks for all the responses.
 
When I do a HH cook, I remove the water pan. I can hold 350* easily that way. Also let all the coals get lot before starting.
 
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