Kingsford Charcoal Smoker


 
D

DAMIAN

TVWBB Member
I know the Kingford is not a WSM, but I hope someone can assist on this matter. A store near me was selling the smoker for £100, due to my location it is quite expensive to get hold of a WSM so I thought I would see how I went with this first.
My problems is I have been to the Kingsford site and cannot see any mention of this smoker and also I am having trouble with the temperatures, when the lid thermometer reads around 175, if I drop the lid thermometer that comes with my Weber Kettle through the top vent that reads 350 which is a big difference.
Has anyone experience of this smoker and has anyone any advice ?
Thanks in advance
 
If you can remove the thermometer from the Kingsford smoker, put it in a pot of water on your stove. Bring the water up to a boil. This will allow you to monitor the thermometer and see if it is reading correctly. Hope this helps,
Tim
 
That's quite the diff in temps. It looks like an ECB on wheels. I doubt the built in therm is anything of quality, just something to give you a ballpark number.
I'm a top-venter when it comes to measuring temps in the WSM. I would stick with that and see what the results are like.

Tim
 
Test both thermometers. It does seem like a big difference, but there will be some difference in temps near the vent versus elsewhere in the cooker. If you can get the mounted thermometer out, test the other one and then when you take the temp try to get the tip of your "mobile" thermometer as close as possible to the tip of the mounted thermometer and see what difference you get.
 
Thanks for the responses re the temps.

Is there any advice for controlling the temp, I seasoned it as advised in the manual without any food and filled the charcoal grate with briquettes and then placed a few lit pieces on top and put in a couple of wood chunks, there is a long vent at the bottom which I had open but then had to close because the the temperature started to rise to fast and it hit 300-350 and I couldn't bring it back down even using the top vent.
 
I don't use it with my WSM, but water should help a lot in keeping temp under control - is it a water smoker? The other thing is air flow. You have to restrict the air enough to keep the fire from taking off. You want to do this early in the cook as it is much harder to bring temps down than it is to keep them from getting too high.

In general, make sure your access door and the joints of the sections fit tight. If you closed the top vent (and presumably all vents) and the temp did not go down, air is getting in there some how. Also, I don't know what a "few lit pieces" are, but do start off with a small fire.

At the end of the day, WSM or any other cooker, you're going to have to do some cooking and get a technique down to keep the fire under control. the good news is that even at 300-350, you'll still produce some good BBQ. It will be done quicker, but it can still be good.

Did you test your thermometer(s)?
 
It should be more easier to control temps once you add some cold meat in it.
Most of us start closing the bottom vents when about 25deg shy of target. Till yours gets sealed up with schmoke residue, try shutting down sooner. And like Jerry pointed out use the water till ya get a handle on it. Good Luck!

Tim
 
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