Just can't keep my 22 OTS temp consistant (indirect) even w/ Fire Bricks


 
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Paul Chan

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Hi ya'll

I'm relatively new to the game... recently converted to charcoal, I picked up a WTS on sale new for a great price...

Being as anal as I am, I've read tons and tons of methods and just want to know whats the best...

I came to the conclusion that, I am using too many mixed methods.

Indirect - concept is simple

What I've done..
Placed about a Chimney's worth of lump to one corner... over a vent (I was told this was important) While doing this, sandwich wood chips/chunks inbetween the charcoal for a more consistant "smolder"

Used 2 firebricks to corner it off and made sure to ramp towards the edge of the kettle away from the food

Placed a drip tray w/ a can of beer besides the bricks

Light a 1/4 or less of a chimney of lump and place it to one end of the charcoal to use it like a wick... kinda a Hybrid Minion method?

Place the food grill back on

Place a firebrick on the food grill right above the fire, again as a heatsink (I heard as good if not better than a water pan)

Let it heat up to 230-250 and place food on.

So far I've done that

I must admit, it hasn't been the most ideal day. Its been raining and windy and I've been seeing a typical variation of 75deg..
Anywhere from as low as 210-285
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Most of the time it sits within 260-270, and anytime I try closing down the vents, the temp drops rapidly

I'm doing a shoulder, its been on for about 4 hours so far... I've only opened the lid to mop and only a few minutes ago to throw on some more wood chips and to tap off some ashes..

What I've found is that the product looks good, the firebricks are very warm (as expected) but the fire burn rather weird... leaving me with more ash towards the firebricks than towards the kettle edge.

Let me throw some pictures to show what ya'll what I'm seeing.

starting fire

W/ firebrick on top
Also to hold the 260... I've basically got the bottem vent closed, and the top vent only 1/3 open... not what I'd expect, as I've been told to just control the heat with the bottom... too much coal?

Should I have just poured the lit coals just on top, instead of on the side?

Waterpan instead of Firebrick on top?

Or no heatsink at all?

Also... thermometer

Is typically the temp I'm at... this is of course the dome temp... so is this alright? I hear there is potentially a 20deg variance, when under 300 deg, between the food grate and dome.

Am I safe w/ a dome temp of 275?
 
get rid of the brick on the top grate. i no longer use liquids. kettles like to be around the 275 area. i cook between 275-350. don't micro manage the temps. my vents on the bottom are always almost closed. the top is left wide open. also wrap foil around the coal grate so that there is only an opening were the coals go.
 
I'm finding this, when I throw in handfulls of wood chips, the temp spikes for a brief period...

Also when adding unlit charcoal, I will let it get started then close the bottem and keep the top only 1/4th open, which seems to sustain 260 for a while, until it starts to drop, where I will either open the top vent more, or crack the bottem, dependant on how imminant I need more heat.
 
I think if I wanted to leave the bottom open, I'd have to use less coal, and light less with the minion style... perhaps a water tray on top of the coals too
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Paul,
I think you're making a mistake trying to be so scientific about the process. You can divide the charcoal grate in half with two fire bricks (those are fire bricks?). Dump unlit on one half, the amount depending on the estimated length of the cook. I'd use a full chimney of unlit, maybe more, for a pork butt if you are trying for about 275*-300*. Place a sheet of foil on the charcoal grate opposite the coals to catch drippings. Light about 7 coals in chimney and spread over the unlit when they are hot. Put wood and meat on without waiting to come up to temp. You will get there fast enough will all vents open. At about 200, close bottom vents half way and top half as well. At about 250 close bottom half again, leave top half open. As more and more coals get hot, make bottom vent adjustments as needed. Go for a range, not a precise temp or you will drive yourself crazy. I'd forget about the water pan, certainly not on top of the coals and the brick on the cooking grate.
 
As I had to add coal, I decided to scoup up the ambers, and re-try the minion method by throwing the ambers on top of the unlit (ramped up to the edge)

Brought up the temp as suggested w/ food inside and vents open until 200, then reduced the bottem by half until it reached 250, of which I reduced the top vent by half and basically closed the bottom.

So far... I'm sitting pretty between 260-280 pretty well... seems like the temp the kettle likes

Can't seem to get it much lower enough w/o causing it to smolder out.
 
again, the top vent should be open. i have kept my kettle at 125 but i struggled. problem is that its near a 100 here. i found that food cooks just fine were the kettle likes, 275-350.
 
I think you're right its just a fact to live with... however I was told the smokenator can really does a great deal w/ the water tray..

I may just give it a go, or order a Cajun Bandit... but seems like the Smokenator is less hassle overall as the OTS/OTGs just aren't air tight.
 
i've cooked brisket, butts, picnics and ribs with no issues once i understood the kettle. i don't use water nor do i foil the meat. comes out just fine. i'm still testing with the bricks. i like them so far. i think that the kettles are more than air tight enough. even the wsm has "leaks".
 
I've taken the Smokenator philosophy and used Dave's suggestion on how to light today and so far its hold temp very well at exactly 240-250 dome temp.

So, the somkenator is only 6" deep, so I pushed the firebricks to corn off maybe 6-7" deep to fill coals in. I filled up enough coal for today's project, some pork back ribs, which ramp'd up nearly to the food grill.

Like the smokenator, I put a water pan on top of the charcoal, but unfortunately it sits on the food grill and not "in" the coals.

I added probably 10 briquette sized lit lumps
on top, minion style.

Brought it up as Dave posted, fully open to about 200. Closed both top/bottem vents half. Then when it got up to 250ish, adjusted the bottem to hold steady.

So far its been holding 240 steady... real steady

It must be using water as a heatsink thats giving me this advantage.

The smokenator I guess is a great compromise..
Though you have to add water and stoke the coals/add fuel... its otherwise maintenace free, yet its 6" depth maximizes cook space.

However if my firebricks/waterpan does the trick, well I'll keep what I have
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So I finished my cook, and overall it was almost hassle free.

Only thing was... I did have to fill the water tray, which I used a foil drip pan, on two occations. By the end, the pan was virtually discinigrated, still holding water but all black inside and out.

Also, problem is, am I just steaming my food as opposed to Q'ing it?
 
I always keep my top vent 100% open with no problems.Bottom vents about 15 to 20% open will set at 250 degrees for 2 to 2 and one half hours.
 
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