How to drop temp on 22.5 WSM...


 
S

Shayne P

New member
So i've been doing some test runs w/ baby backs on my new 22.5 WSM. First cook was bad, temp spiked over 350 and I couldn't get it to come down. Yesterday was a success was about to hold and maintain 250 for 4-5 hours... today started out well around 250 then within 30 minutes spiked to 270 which I could deal with.. so I closed all the vents and cut the oxygen, keeping the lid vent open to allow the heat to escape.. however it is still creeping up. I'm at 300-310 now and not sure how to get the temp to come down? I used the same type and amount of fuel.. not sure why i'm having issues today.

Any suggestions? should I have closed all the vents immediately once it crept out of the 250 range?

Not sure exactly what i'm doing incorrectly and why my results are varying so much, i've been told when breaking in a WSM heat spikes are comman but dang this is a pretty big fluxuation in temp!
 
I hear you Shane. I have probably only used my 22.5 WSM a dozen times since I have had it which is going on for 3 years now. I still don't think I have broken it in yet. Only one time have I used it and it climbed to my desired temp of 250 and stayed there for the rest of the cook. I find when it climbs to 300 and above in the first hour I will pick up the top and let the heat escape out. I turn the top completely over exposing the bottom to the sky. Yesterday I cooked wings for my neighbor and had to do this about 5 times in the first hour till it finally leveled out to 250. I also adjusted bottom dampers accordingly. You will eventually get a "feel for it" as you go along.
 
How much lit & unlit charcoal are you starting with? Once the temps get about 25 degrees away from my target, I shut down 2 vents completely and leave the 3rd 1/2 open. After 30 minutes, I'll see where it settles in and adjust from there.
 
Chad i'm using the minion method so i've got a ring of about maybe 1/3 bag unlit then I drop 2/3 of a stoker lit. With 4 handfuls of wood chips in 4 piles on the outside ring.
 
I start with 20/25 ish lit briquets on top of a ring of unlit. Your 2/3 of a chimney full should still be ok, but you might wanna back that down. Having that much lit laying on top of unlit is going to literally double your cooking coals after a short amount of time. Which isn't bad, but catching/slowing the temps on the way up will be key. As in, after you dump your chimney on top - go ahead and completely close 1 or 2 vents and let it climb slowly. Sometimes I'm amazed how 2 completely closed vents while the 3rd is barely open will hold perfect temps for hours.

My $.02
 
Do you have water in your pan, I only ask because quite a few don't use water. If your temps continue to rise even with the vents closed it could mean your center section is out of round a little and air is getting in but I'd start with trying what the others are telling you about using fewer lit briquettes and catching your temps on the way up
 
You didn't say if you were using water in the pan, but I suspect not with those temps. If you want to run without water (which I do) start with only 10-12 lit coals and bottom vents at half. Around 220 shut two vents. Around 240 shut the 3rd vent.

Couple of things to be aware of. When shutting vents you will see temps stall and may even drop a little.. Sit tight and don't react to quick. The fire will rebound

Keep notes of your time/temps/vent position. And adjust as needed the next cook
 
I use ATC on both of my WSM and Im very happy =)
I will NEVER cook without one.
Just my 2c.

Peter
 
The unit will tighten up (less air leakage) as you use it. That will help. Also, make sure the door is as tight as you can get it. That seems to be where the air leaks most. If you can shut all vents and the fire goes out, then you're fine, it's not going to be air tight. As Chad said above, start shutting vents as you get close to target. Also, let the unit adjust. Sometimes it take awhile to settle in. Make adjustments and give it 15 - 30 minutes. With regard to your question, if I've lost control and the temp is way higher than I want, I will shut the top vent for a short period of time. If that bothers you, leave it open a little. At the end of the day, it's all about air flow. If you want to bring the fire down, you have to cut the airflow.
 
Did my first overnight cook last night with no temperature spikes. I used the minion method with Kingsford blue bag and some soaked apple chunks. I just got the WSM 22.5 3 weeks ago and put nomex seals on right away. I think this helped.
 
No i'm not using water in the pan, I did on my first cook which was two pork butts and really didn't like the way it cooked. I figured closing the top vent would help as well but it seemed to make it hotter because your trapping the heat in and not allowing it to escape.

I'm going to try and get some more cooks in this coming up week and the following weekend for sure. I do have the door as tight as it will get, I was actually inspecting that today when I cleaned all the ash's out. Eventually i'll purchase an upgraded door.

Sounds like I just need to cut back on the amount of lit coals i'm dropping, i'll try to cut it in half or so and go from there on the next cook.

If more lit coals are needed how are you guys going back adding additional? I majorly screwed up on my first cook and didn't put any unlit in the ring so I was trying to add the coals after the fact which was a real PITA. I was adding them by opening the side door and kinda tossing them in... yea... it was a major newb mistake.
 
Shayne P said:
If more lit coals are needed how are you guys going back adding additional? I majorly screwed up on my first cook and didn't put any unlit in the ring so I was trying to add the coals after the fact which was a real PITA. I was adding them by opening the side door and kinda tossing them in... yea... it was a major newb mistake.
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Shayne,

Just some food for thought... (speaking for myself only...) I have NEVER done a cook in which there was LESS than a TOTALLY FULL load of UNLIT charcoal. This includes cooking short term smokes. After the cook, I shut down all vents which puts out the fire completely. Those coals are then reused for the next time I cook.

(added) BBQ should be enjoyable, right from the beginning. So far, there have been too many variables and you and the WSM are chasing each other. You need to reduce those variables in order to attain some level of consistency. The most obvious variable, and the easiest variable to control, is the number of unlit you have been starting with. Fill it full with unlit and scatter no more than 1/2 a chimney of lit ON TOP of the unlit. Do this for every cook until you are in full control of your cooks.

Bob
 
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There have been lots of good responses here already and I have to mirror them given my limited experience with my 22.5... My first overnight (first cook period) was an intense learning experience where I found I didn't start with enough unlit but the roughly half chimney of lit I added worked well as the temp settled into 225 nicely WITH water in the pan and some vent adjustment. I feel the two things you have working against you here is too many lit coals and no water in the pan. Couple that with some air leaks at the door and the middle section and you have some serious temp spikes...

The advice given on vent control is solid and I cant offer better.
 
Jerry N. said:
if I've lost control and the temp is way higher than I want, I will shut the top vent for a short period of time. If that bothers you, leave it open a little. At the end of the day, it's all about air flow. If you want to bring the fire down, you have to cut the airflow.
Click to expand...

Jerry is quite correct. When the top vent is open and exhausting, negative air pressure is being created inside the smoker. This is what draws air into the cooker from the bottom vents. If your cooker is out of control, smother the fire for approx 20 minutes or so. In order to do this you have to eliminate oxygen. Close all the vents. If you leave the top vent open you will in effect create a vacuum and given the construction of these units it will find air. Yes the temp might rise in the next few minutes but not for long before it will start to fall because your fire's ability to burn is being eliminated. The fire will not go out for about an hour or so if you have no air leaks so you won't lose it but it will give you a chance to re-group. No oxygen, no fire.
 
I'm also noticing when I close all vents to try and save some of the coals for my next cook the fire still burns. Which would suspect an air leak somewhere. When I open it up the next morning there's maybe 5-10 half burnt coals in the ring.. everything else is done.

I will run with all the advice I have gotten thus far and post my results!

thanks again to all the helpful hints
 
Ahhh...

With a work light or flashlight inside at night see where the leaks are. Double check for roundness of sections, tweak if needed.
Most leaks will be taken care of during your following cooks as the gunk builds. If they are major, they may need human intervention.

Bob
 
Good advice above on vent control, closing vents off when 25 or so from target....etc. etc. However, do not take the lid off to let the heat out, then you have just given the thing a bang of air to further fuel the fire.........................d
 
Also before you shell out the cash for a Cajun Bandit door, take a piece, make it a large piece of foil and fold it over then put over the door, place the door back on and lock it into place then just fold what's sticking out back around the door edge this will make a nice temporary seal. take your center section and place it on a flat surface and see if it rocks and light get in around the bottom then GENTLY push in on the edge of the wall, just a little and try the rock test again, if it rocks little to none reassemble and try the flashlight inside trick a few good cooks later you'll be tighter than a ...whoops, almost forgot this is a family friendly forum ... :rolleyes:
 
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