Ok Its Been Fired up 2 hrs!


 
G

Guy Wallace

TVWBB Super Fan
The butts are on the WSM is running at a tad over 260 after 2 hrs ! I minioned it . I filled the ring with a boat load a K and put 20 hot brig on the top in 2 circles also added 3 fist size pieces of hickory buried at diffrent depths . let get up to 200 degrees dampered it back with bottom vents about 15% open and top at a 100% open . I may be nuts but Iam gona try and get a couple hrs sleep . seems very stable .

I didn't know the ring filled up would hold that much K I filled it about 90% up maybe more was that to much ??
 
Ok after 3 hrs the temp had spike to 290 so I closed down every vent and it droped back to 260 still to hi IMO for butts but being as its a new cooker it a run HOT! Or so I have read on here ?

I have also read not to ever run or regulate your temp with the top vent ???? Well if the bottom is all closed and it won't come down what else can one do but partialy close the top vent ot am I wrong ??

Personaly see as how it matters as long as you can regulate your temp what the big deal ????
 
Guy, I believe that some folks believe that closing the top vent will allow creosote development in the smoker. Not a good thing. I have also read that some close the top vent 50%. I usually keep mine wide open on top but like you have closed it to 50% as a last resort.

Mark
 
A couple of thoughts:

1) Yes, when you have the bottom vents all closed and the temp is still high, closing the top is about the only way to bring the temps down. That being said ...
2) Use less hot briqs to begin with, 12-15. It will help with the temp spike. That being said ...
3) Actually running 290 with butts won't matter much. I've cooked them 225-325 with little difference in finished product. I mainly run 8-8.5 lb butts at 240 just to cook them overnight and can get 8-9 hours sleep easily. I like my sleep.
 
thanks guys it is riding along just fine now top vent open 100% bottm ones about 10% !It took about 3 hrs for me to get a handle on the temp but never got really out a hand . I agree I should a put less hot K on to start .

Having said all that it cooks like a dream haven't opened the lid since I started . have had to shake the coals with a poker once at the 8 hr mark it had dropped to 220 its setting on 245 right now and has been for 4 to 5 hrs except for the short drop not sure how long it was at that I was asleep :O) . Iam 9 hrs+ into the cook with a 7 lb and a 9 lb butt my guess is ck them at 11 or 12 hrs ????????? Any thoughts ??
 
I agree with Brad on the amount of lit used. 12-15 is what I use and I close vents to around 10% when the lid temp hits 190. Settles in nicely around 220 every time.
 
Lotza good tips already
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Here's a RETRO-THOUGHT... try using water in the pan especially for overnite cooks.
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This little WSM machine truely is set & forget ... and not fussy about # of minion coals, constant tinkering with vents, or the occasional wind gust, etc, etc ... if you use water!
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... Flower pots, sand, bricks, foiled pan, no pan, or holding your mouth a certain way, all can and do work but they all come with a price....namely, eroding the set & forget nature of the WSM
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by ron "Rondo" hanson:
Lotza good tips already
icon_smile.gif
Here's a RETRO-THOUGHT... try using water in the pan especially for overnite cooks.
icon_wink.gif
This little WSM machine truely is set & forget ... and not fussy about # of minion coals, constant tinkering with vents, or the occasional wind gust, etc, etc ... if you use water!
icon_cool.gif
... Flower pots, sand, bricks, foiled pan, no pan, or holding your mouth a certain way, all can and do work but they all come with a price....namely, eroding the set & forget nature of the WSM
icon_rolleyes.gif
icon_smile.gif
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not disagreeing because you are right that water will stabilize the temp. Buuuuttttt, I've never had a problem setting & forgetting using 1/2" sand in the water pan and foil over the top. I've had a full charcoal ring hold 240 for 12-14 hours no problem. Again, it's all about knowing your equipment; practicing and adjusting to fit your equipment.

And like Jerry P. said, start shutting the bottom vents early before temp. I'll close one vent about 50F (grate temp) before target, second vent about 30F before, then close the last vent to 10% about 20F before target. This is for regular Kingsford pre-changes this year. I may have to adjust when I ever start using the newer stuff. I have different times for different fuel for different target temps.
 
I have a 22" and pack the ring for overnight, a half chimney of lit minion and using sand in the pan. I set the vents as the temp comes up to approximately 200*. She settles in around 250* with occasional spikes to 275-300*
Top vent wide open (I use a fryer thermometer through a cork that fits in one of the top vent holes quite nicely. The bottom vents are set to 2/3ds closed. I can get 8-9 hours depending on ambient conditions...sometimes 12 hours.
As Brad said, running at 300* doesn't hurt nothing.
 
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