Lump will not get hot


 
T

Tim O

TVWBB Fan
I've done over a dozen cooks on my 18.5 WSM and have noticed a common trend with all my cooks: my WSM struggles to get over 250 degrees.

I use Gary Wiviotts "KISS" method - that is, filling the charcoal ring with about two full chimneys of lump then dumping a fully lit chimney on top. The results have been underwhelming. Most of the time the cooker only hovers around 210-215. That's with the vents fully open and water in the pan.

I try and allow the chimney to fully ignite, getting the charcoal bright red. However, most of the time I feel like the lump underneath never fully catches on. In fact, the temps seems to always climb towards the end of the cooks.

Am I doing something wrong? Am I using a bad method? Am I smothering the lump? Is there an issue with the WSM being airtight?

Thanks for any advice.

Tim
 
use water in the pan if you want 225. If you want to go to 300 and above keep an empty pan. The water absorbs heat and boils it off at 212 that is why water is good for low and slow. I use water when I do ribs and butts. If if do chicken or turkey, I want a crispy skin and shoot for 325-350 with no water in the pan, all vents open and two chimneys of lit in right away. Turkey and chicken are lean meats and do not need the low and slow treatment like ribs, butt or brisket.
 
I foil my water pan and NEVER use water. I have no problems regulating the temperature, either.

When doing low and slow I use the tin can minion method with 12 lit coals and a charcoal ring full of unlit. When doing butts I keep the temps between 225-250. When doing ribs, my preferred temperature is 275 degrees.

When I do chicken, I generally use a full chimney of lit (and nothing else), leave the vents wide open and cook at 350 degrees or so.

Even doing the tin can minion method my WSM hits target temperature in twenty minutes or so. Typically, I leave wide open until it hits 200 degrees then start closing vents to catch the temperature on the way up, stopping at my target temperature.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
I'm not speaking from experience, but I have read other posts saying that you may need to pack the lump after putting it into the charcoal ring. This is supposed to help the lump catch as it reduces the air pockets caused by the irregular shape.

Perhaps someone with more lump experience can chime in and let us know if this actually makes sense.
 
I suspect the problem is with the lump. Is it completely dry? I use lump and have no problem at all getting to 300 plus, and that's with just starting with 1/2 chimney of hot coals dumped on top of 2 chimneys full of non-lit lump.
 
Ken Keating said:
I suspect the problem is with the lump. Is it completely dry? I use lump and have no problem at all getting to 300 plus, and that's with just starting with 1/2 chimney of hot coals dumped on top of 2 chimneys full of non-lit lump.
Click to expand...

Not only is it always dry but it's a high quality - wicked good lump charcoal. Would the minion method serve me better? It's almost like the unlit lump never fully engages...
 
You say the lump is dry, but what does that mean? If it's stored outside, or even a garage floor, it's sucking humidity. The 18" water pan holds ~2 gallons of water? Probably tap water or even worse - from a hose. That's a lot of mass to get up to temp, which is only 212 degrees. Probably why this comment makes sense to me.
<<< In fact, the temps seems to always climb towards the end of the cooks. >>>

Are you also judging temps by the dome thermo alone? If so, I bring you the following...
311D9714-F514-4201-B0E1-4D0907349A53-567-00000035302AF022_zps8b01e362.jpg

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2F86D42D-7C72-4947-9C25-498E8E9F6CA1-567-000000357165E7A4_zps0c848aa3.jpg
 
Hello All,
I'm new WSM since Thanksgiving but an observation. I too had a tuff time getting above 325 for turkey/chicken and it dawned on me.....you have to have three things for fire; fuel, heat source
, oxygen. Here at 5000' elevation I had to ajar the lid to allow for more air. I have since modified the top of my WSM by adding two more air vent kits. Now I can cook hot; 325-350 or low and slow; 200-250.
Note: if you don't want to modify the top, just take a 16penny nail and stick it under the downwind side of the lid to ajar it to get plenty of air flow. JUST DONT TOUCH THE DAMN HOT NAIL!!!
LM
 
Tim, I can get mesquite lump (I use Lazarri's) well north of 300 with a dry pan, but you need to really pack tight that charcoal ring. I then put about 25 lit coals on top.....open all the vents and, sometimes, prop the door open for a spell.....and that thing will get rockin' & rollin'.
 
Using the Minion Method does not help with the temps, it just allows a longer cook as the fuel is slowly consumed. Next time either open the door or remove the middle and top sections. It won't take long for more of the lump to light and increase the temps. You should be able to see the results within a few minutes, especially if it not very light outside as you can see the coals begin to glow brighter. If this does not do it then something's wrong with the lump.
 
In re-reading your initial post, you state it appears the unlit lump never fully catches on. Lump usually catches on very fast, with a lot of snaps and pops. It’s much easier to light than Kingsford briquettes. Is the lump store outside or inside? If outside, store inside for a couple of days beforehand. Or, just perform a test with what you currently have. Just light a ½ chimney full, wait for it to get hot, then toss it on top of 1 unlit chimney and wait a 5-10 minutes. If it doesn’t catch then it’s the lump.
 
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