Just can't maintain high temps


 
K

Kirk Boorman

TVWBB Super Fan
I don't know how anybody manages to keep their WSM over 300 for any length of time unless it's a brand new unit. I have one fairly new and one well seasoned WSM. I can keep temps between 300 and 325 at the lid as long as I keep dumping fully lit coals into the newer one, but the older one won't go above 275 for any length of time. I did a speedy butt and a meatloaf in my older unit yesterday. Well, the butt wasn't that speedy and the meatloaf took too long (wife kept asking when dinner would be ready). It was 95 degrees, not much breeze, I had no water in the pan, the door cracked slightly and I made sure that the chimneys were fully ashed over before dumping them in. What else can I do besides get a powerwasher and clean the older unit to within an inch of its life? (don't say Guru) I know it's only a matter of time until the newer unit behaves the same way.
 
I wish I had an answer for you. I've been able to maintain a temp of 350 for a period of at least 8 hours without adding fuel. All this with all the vent's open and about 20lbs of meat in there cookin.
 
Kirk,

Leave the water pan out completely. Usually for me with a full lit chimney and no water pan I can keep temps above 300 for 4 or 5 hours with all vents wide open.

Randy
 
Kirk -- what kind of fuel are you using? Have you tried different types? Is it possible that your charcoal got damp? I've had no problems with high temp cooks with Kingsford (old and new).
 
I have had similar issues and found that even an empty brinkman pan is so large it will displace alot of the heat. Either try removing the pan completely or try using a lump charcoal or all wood chunks.

Thanks
Rick
 
I like to maintain the indirectness of the heat, so I always leave the water pan in place, dry and foiled. If you're having trouble getting the temp higher, you just need more oxygen, which can be achieved by propping the door open somewhat. About 3/8" usually works for me-- I stack my old small chimney in my Weber chimney and set them right up next to the WSM door.

Of course, hotter burning fuel means faster-burning, too, so be prepared to add lit coals at some point. I find I can get about three hours out of a full ring of lit on a 10-12 pound turkey on a 50° day.
 
Lol, don't say Guru? I also would question how you store your fuel. Fuel and good air flow is all you need, and with all vents open, door cracked open like you mention, you should have no problems. If you still can't get it, go to Wall Mart and get one of those little "turbo" fans for $9, stick it about 3-4 feet from one of you botton vents on low. That'll give you a little more air flow w/o needing to buy a %#&%. I did that before I had my $*$* when I had some damp fuel giving me a problem. Goodluck!
You going to New Holland this year to look around?
 
I am another that doesn't have much trouble holding 300-325. I do have to crack open the door as Doug mentions.

I am curious, do put your thermometer in one of the vent holes? When I used one of my vent holes it seemed like I couldn't get it as high. I don't know if that was coincidence or actually something to it.
 
I think most problems achieving or maintaining high temps are caused by three things -- water in the pan, not enough fuel, or the wrong method of starting the fuel.

For a sustained high-heat cook, I start a full chimney, let it get going nicely, and then dump it into the empty charcoal ring. Then I fill the ring with unlit. When it's burning good and hot, I assemble the WSM, using an empty, foiled, pan.

With all vents open 100%, I usually hit 400 degrees and hold 350+ for several hours. I have to close the lower vents a bit to keep it around 325-350.

This is with new Kingsford.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I think most problems achieving or maintaining high temps are caused by three things -- water in the pan, not enough fuel, or the wrong method of starting the fuel. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You forgot "not enough air". I assume the vents were all open. If so, I'd say it was the type of fuel. Briquettes create a lot of ash which can restrict air flow. That's why folks with ceramic cookers use lump. It creates very little ash compared to briquettes and reduces the problem of air flow to the charcoal. I actually read many posts were folks using lump in there WSM have trouble keeping temp down.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I am using up the last of my stash of old Kingsford. It is possible that this particular bag might have been damp once, but it's been dry for a long time. I store my stuff in one of those deck boxes. It sheds water from the top pretty well but if the water rises from below the contents can get wet. I haven't let that happen again since the first time I noticed it.
This isn't a new problem for me. I've tried using old K, new K, Royal Oak lump,... I get similar results from all of it (even when I used to store it indoors). I have my therm permanently mounted in the lid so it's not blocking the vent, the pan's dry, the door's cracked, the vents are open and I don't let the ash build up. I just don't get it. The cooker was over 130 degrees just sitting in the sun!
Like I said, the only time I've been able to keep the temps up for any length of time was when the cooker was new.

Bob, the New Holland event is on my birthday this year. I might be able to use that as an excuse to get out of the house for the day. We've been pretty busy since we had our first child in January.
 
Well Kirk, looks like you're getting a lot of good answeres to your question. I'm going to play the devil's advocate for a moment and disagree with one thing.

I don't believe that cracking the door a little will help raise the temp. In fact, I believe it actually will make the temperature drop, based on my own experiences. Think about the dynamics of what's going on inside the smoker. The bottom vents allow air in which fuels the coals to make heat. The hot air rises, heats the meat, and then escapes throught the top vent. When you open the door, the only thing you are doing is allowing some cool air to mix with the hot air that is rising, thus keeping your lid or grate temperature a little lower.

One other thing I haven't seen mentioned. Make sure you start with the bottom section completely emptied of ash. The more that builds up, the more you choke off the air flow. Eventually, it will completely block the vents.

JimT
 
Kirk,

I reread your post, and I suspect you aren't using enough charcoal to begin with, or too much of it is burning away before you start your cook.

Try lighting one chimney, but don't let it ash over all the way. Just let it go until fire is coming out the top. Then, dump the lit coals in an even layer into the empty charcoal ring. Cover the lit coals to the top of the ring with unlit. When it's burning well, you can assemble and cook. I usually assemble when everything but the top side of the top layer of coals is ashed over.

For shorter high-temp cooks, I find that I don't have to fill the ring to the top. One chimney of unlit dumped onto a chimney of lit is enough.

Steve,

I didn't forget "not enough air" I did mention that I keep the vents open. I think most folks know enough do that when they want high temps, so I didn't include it as one of the top causes of problems with high-heat cooks. And with all the vents open, you should get enough air for a high-heat cook, without using a fan or opening the door.

Yes, damp charcoal can be a problem, but I think it often takes the blame when the problem is something else.

Lump does burn hotter, and does create less ash, but you don't need lump for a high-heat cook. My high-heat cooks work just fine without it.

I still think what I said is true - most failures to attain or maintain high heat in the WSM are caused by those three mistakes. But here are the keys to a successful high-heat cook:

1) Use enough charcoal.
2) Get it all lit and burning well.
3) Leave all the vents open.
4) Don't use water in the pan.

That's all there is to it. If you do all that, you will reach high temps and maintain them.
 
I hear you Jim about the door thing, but it will actually raise the temp at the lid. Along with the cool air comes oxygen which make the coals burn hotter. Try leaving the door off sometime and watch your lid temp. I want to get away from this method though because if the wind's blowing, it happens exactly as you described. As far as the ash is concerned, you don't really have a choice if you're not using lump. Kingsford makes so much ash you have to dump it every time or the vents would be covered immediately.

David (any relation to Arch Stanton?), I've tried one lit chimney, 2 lit, a full ring lit, everything. When I'm trying a high heat cook, I always make sure that only fully lit coals go into the cooker.

The only things I can think of that relate to a new cooker are:
1. No gunk sealing the sections together = more air & hotter temps
2. No gunk on the inside of the cooking chamber = a more heat-reflective surface which reduces conductive heat losses though the sides of the cooker.
Watcha think?
 
Pitminder (there, I didn't say Guru).

90-350 within 10, whenever you want it.

Life is better on the Dark Side.
 
Thanks Mike but I've already spent so much $$$ on BBQ equipment this year, I couldn't possibly justify that. My Chevelle (oh, and my wife...) just wouldn't understand the allocation of funds to such a luxury.
 
I like the little fan idea. If you just want high temps, a guru is rather expensive if a dollar store fan will do the trick.
 
Kirk,

No Arch that I know of.

I think your mistake is in the lighting of the charcoal. No need to get it all lit before adding it to the charcoal ring -- in fact, I'd bet that you are losing much of your fuel in doing it that way. Try it once the way I suggested -- one chimney of lit dumped in an empty ring as soon as you see flames out the top of the chimney, then top off the ring with unlit. Let that get going, then assemble and cook.
 
David, that was an obscure reference to one of my favorite movies of all time, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." The money that they are after in the movie is buried in a grave marked "Unknown" next to the grave of Arch Stanton.
icon_smile.gif

As far as the charcoal, what's the difference whether it is full lit from the chimney or is allowed to light fully in the ring before assembly?
 
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