Increase temp


 
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David Little

TVWBB Member
I have been trying to get my WSM temp to get up to and stay over 300 to cook some poultry and I can't seem to get it to stay up there. All vents open, full ring of lump, minion method, and 2 or 3 fist sized pieces of apple wood. It will climb up to 300-325 but it wants to come back down and hang at 235-250.
 
That a little wierd. How much lit are you starting with? You may want to start with more lit to help keep the heat up.

Sometimes it starts high and after you put the meat on it takes a while to climb back up.
 
David,

A couple of questions: Is your water pan filled with water, sand or a clay saucer? You don't want any sort of heat sink for temps over 300; an empty water pan is fine.

When you say Minion Method, how many coals are lit? For a high temp chicken, I'd light a full chimney of lump/charcoal.

Lump burns hotter than briquettes so you normally shouldn't have a problem maintaining high temps. Your situation reads like there is some form of heat sink being used or not enough lump lit.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by David Little:
I have been trying to get my WSM temp to get up to and stay over 300 to cook some poultry and I can't seem to get it to stay up there. All vents open, full ring of lump, minion method, and 2 or 3 fist sized pieces of apple wood. It will climb up to 300-325 but it wants to come back down and hang at 235-250. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

How much are you lighting to begin with?
 
I'll second that, sounds like you need to start with more lit. When doing high heat cooks on my WSM, I light a chimney full of charcoal (I use, briquettes, but the same would work for lump) when all the coals are lit, I'll dump the chimney into the ring, then add another chimney of unlit to the ring. When all the coals are going full blast, it's time to cook. Temps will be around 400+ with all vents open.
BTW, I use no water pan.
Hope this helps,
Steve
 
I do what Steve Z does, 1.5 - 2 full chimney's fully lit and BLAZING before re-assembly and empty stock water pan. If I have just food on the top grate, I'll have 400 at once and easily maintain 350. If the whole cooker is filled with cold meat, it's sometimes harder, but still I can get 310-325 maintained.

Take off the side door and turn it upside down and then prop it open an inch if you have to to feed more air in there.

Todd
 
I had a 3/4 full ring of unlit and used a full charcoal chimney of lit and placed in the middle hole I caved out for the lit. I did have a little water in the pan but not much. Sounds like I needed to use more lit. Like 2 chimneys full. I may leave out the water pan all together next time as well. Thanks all.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by David Little:
I had a 3/4 full ring of unlit and used a full charcoal chimney of lit and placed in the middle hole I caved out for the lit. I did have a little water in the pan but not much. Sounds like I needed to use more lit. Like 2 chimneys full. I may leave out the water pan all together next time as well. Thanks all. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Try using an empty foiled water pan next time, that will help alot. Water is a heat sink/baffle.
 
Ya, when going high heat, you really need to have all the charcoal lit and blazing before assembling the cooker. 1.5-2 full chimneys is what I use on high heat because you can always shutdown and capture unlit charcoal and use it on the next cook.

I'd use the foiled empty water pan like Larry says because you still want to cook indirect and that empty water pan will still direct the heat up and around the food. Plus you don't want any flare ups or grease catching and the pan will grab those.

Todd
 
I cook high heat most of the time and always Minion the start. I never use that much lit--or what's the point?--just maybe 30 lit or so. Empty pan.

Additional air is often necessary so I just prop the door open a tad.

I do briskets and back ribs (325-375), butts and spares (275-300) this way routinely. Only with chicken (well over 400) do I start with a lot of lit.
 
Try the old Weber kettle trick: Tilt your lid open a crack. It typically gets me 25 more degrees on a hi-temp cook.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
.. I never use that much lit--or what's the point?-- </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I think it's a "what works for you" situation, Kevin. I do it like the others with a lot of lit charcoal. Works for me!
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Bill
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I think it's a "what works for you" situation, </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Obviously, Bill. I guess I'll spell out my point:

I never use that much lit [because it is not necessary to use a lot--as was suggested several times upthread] to get higher temps--or what's the point [of bothering with a Minion start]? [A key point of the MM is to ramp temps up more slowly. For higher temps you just let them climb more. If you want to keep the 'Minion' elements then you don't need to start with a lot of lit, you need more air. It works for me.]

Clear?
 
No, I don't Bill. But the OP clearly states that the MM was used. Whether that is an important element to David, one he would like to maintain, I have no idea. My post was to counter the notion that 'more lit' was a requirement for higher heat by saying what I do.

I did not say my approach was better nor did I imply it. If you choose to infer some sort of intention on my part there isn't a thing I can do about that.
 
when I grill chicken, I put the wsm's char. holder onto my adjustable grates, and light a mm start w/ a full chimney of lit on top of however much amount of unlit I think i'll need. I believe this keeps a steady 350-375 for better, and absolutely longer then if I lit less charcoal at a start. Also same story if I didn't have the unlit in there at all. to me, this is a use of a minion method, and to me is "the point" of a mm, to not refill (open lid/door, etc.) w/ enough lit every hour or whatever to keep 375. and works every time as do everyones ways were stuck in
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so, does ramping temp. up create a better product? I never heard that before but would sure give it a try, i suppose.
 
When I first started doing high heat cooks I would MM the start with 30-40 lit, 1/4-1/2 of chimney of lump. Well I soon figured out that something happens when I do high heat cooks. I go into high/fast mode myself so I was getting very impatient waiting for the temps to come up. See when I'm cooking low and slow I'm in slow relax mode and don't mind waiting the hr or so for the temps to come up. But man I was going nuts when the temps weren't coming up fast enough on high heaters. So these days it's a full lit chimney in there just so I can relax.
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I avoid all the problems and use a GRILL for high heat cooks and a WSM for low and slows!! Basically what they're designed for, but that's just my opinion......
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In all seriousness, either will work for either method, it all depends how you want to cook and how much effort you want to put into it.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Larry Wolfe:
I avoid all the problems and use a GRILL for high heat cooks and a WSM for low and slows!! Basically what they're designed for, but that's just my opinion......
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In all seriousness, either will work for either method, it all depends how you want to cook and how much effort you want to put into it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Larry, I know you do Turkeys and packers low and slow. I only do 2 high heat cooks, they are Turkey 50/50 and Brisket flats. I don't think I want to do them on the grill though.
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Thanks for all the info guys. I realize some things work better for some and not for others. That's what makes queing so interesting and fun. Everyone has a different or alternate method for acheiving the same end result....great BBQ!!! I'm going to practice with some chicken and ribs on Saturday. Getting ready for Lawrenceburg, TN next weekend. Hope to see some of you there!
 
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