PartyQ and No water in a 14.5 - way less coal use!


 
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Dave Car

TVWBB Member
Hi all,

recently sealed my side door, added a hinge and stopped putting water in the bowl!! All big game changers! I smoked a large chuck roast yesterday for 12 hours and half the briquettes weren't ever lit! Blown away. I set it up about 0630 and went about my day checking he meat probe periodically. Its dreamy to just let it go and not worry.

Next weekend I will try a 10pm start up on a brisket and lets it cook while I sleep. I think this will give me plenty of time and fuel. Do like getting up at O dark thirty to start those anymore.

Keep smokin!
 
Dave Car said:
Hi all,

recently sealed my side door, added a hinge and stopped putting water in the bowl!! All big game changers! I smoked a large chuck roast yesterday for 12 hours and half the briquettes weren't ever lit! Blown away. I set it up about 0630 and went about my day checking he meat probe periodically. Its dreamy to just let it go and not worry.

Next weekend I will try a 10pm start up on a brisket and lets it cook while I sleep. I think this will give me plenty of time and fuel. Do like getting up at O dark thirty to start those anymore.

Keep smokin!
Click to expand...

Good to know!

Care to share how you sealed your door? This seems to be the only real place my 14.5 WSM leaks.
 
the door took a little "messin with" to make it right. the seal was the easy part. I needed to bend my a door some still after the seal was on. it was too flat. Also the latch will be tight - I took it off the handle and bent it a smidge. I also put some seal on the bottom of the door - the part that goes inside. it doesn't leak at all.

The hinge was real easy too. couple of my holes were off enough that I couldn't get the bolts in, so I drilled them one size larger and all was good. Used left over seal glue (red sticky crap) to seal the bolt holes. the directions say to paint the holes, but that seemed useless.

Good luck!
 
Dustin_G said:
I don't use the water bowl in mine either. I want to use my fuel to cook meat, not boil water!
Click to expand...

The water is used to more easily stabilize temperatures. I don't use water either since I have a PartyQ and don't mess with the vents. :o

I do find with the 14.5" vs. 18.5" I have to set the PartyQ temp lower or it will more easily overshoot temps on the high side. :cool:

:wsm:
 
Randall S said:
The water is used to more easily stabilize temperatures. I don't use water either since I have a PartyQ and don't mess with the vents. :o

I do find with the 14.5" vs. 18.5" I have to set the PartyQ temp lower or it will more easily overshoot temps on the high side. :cool:

:wsm:
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But if you set the vents properly the temperature is stable, even without the water. The fire can only get as hot as the oxygen supply allows, so by properly limiting the oxygen supply, you can keep the temps nice and low.

Here's where I had my vents set on my rib cook last weekend. One bottom vent open as pictured, the other two bottom vents closed. Top vent was open about the same as the pictured bottom vent. Using lump for fuel, outside temps in the upper 80's / low 90's. Held at 230ish steady as could be.

EDIT to add, it's okay if the temperature moves up and down a bit throughout the cook. Keeping it inside a 20 degree window is just fine (say, fluctuating between 220-240). You don't need to stress over keeping it at EXACTLY whatever your target temperature is...I did that for a while with my Egg, and it'll just drive you crazy (it did me at least haha) and doesn't make for better food.

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Dustin_G said:
But if you set the vents properly the temperature is stable, even without the water. The fire can only get as hot as the oxygen supply allows, so by properly limiting the oxygen supply, you can keep the temps nice and low.
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I agree with you wholeheartedly. I was just stating that with the PartyQ, you get a few coals going and then let the PartyQ get the unit up to temp and regulate. Don't have to mess with the vents (unless you like too). I usually go have a couple beers and play horseshoes ;)
 
IM with you Randall. Where I live it may be 70 in the morning and 100 in the afternoon. Winds could be all over the place. I could never get a stable temp that lasted all day because of these conditions. PartyQ - its a dream! Just had a brisket on for 15 hours and there was a touch of briquettes left. Started it before i went to bed and put it to rest about 3PM! cant wait.
 
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