Questions on temp control


 
M

MitchS

New member
Basically: When you're getting your smoker to temp, you usually leave all the vents open for a bit. When it gets close you close the bottom vents (WSM 18.5") a bit. My question is about when you start to close the vents. Is it when it reaches temp since the temp adjusts rather quickly? Is it when you're 5-10 degrees away since it will continue to rise (momentum) until it levels out? Same questions on bringing the temp back down. Finally, when you do get the temp set and it stays stable for some time, do you leave the vents where they are if you need to open the smoker to baste, or whatever, or should you open them back up to get back to temp and follow the earlier steps?

Sorry to be so new to this, but temp control is a bit tricky to me for some reason. Once I get it set, it stays set for a very long time. However, getting it to temp in the beginning or after I open the lid (I do this only to tend to the meat IE basting, never to 'check') is a yo-yo process which take a while. Trying to find ways to make it a bit more predictable.

Thanks!
 
Mitch;
Good questions. I have no experience with the 22.5" WSM. However, my mini-WSM, and my 14.5" I let my smoker come up to temperature, THEN close down the dampers. My 18.5" acts differently. I let it get up to 200 degrees then start closing the dampers. Otherwise, the 18.5" will get ahead of me and it is difficult to reduce the temperature but easy to catch it on the way up.

I use a remote themometer (a Maverick 732 and lately, a new Smoke therm). All temps are grate temps.

I do both Ribs and Bone-in Boston Butts (for pulled pork) at a grate temperature of 275°+.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
I adjust my vents about 10 degrees ahead of target IF the temp is going up slowly. If it's going up fast I'll adjust the vents 20 degrees before target. Those are both approximates. After stopping an overshoot I adjust when I get to target temp. After I have opened the lid II wait to see how the temp behaves and then adjust if I need to. Sometimes it's smooth and sometimes it's a yo yo process. Lots of variables.

We were all new to this at some point so no apology necessary. The folks on this forum are happy to help each other. Ask anything you want.
 
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It took me a while to get the hang of it, without the temp yo-yo-ing all over the place. I know now where I need to set the vents in order for to run. If I'm going for 225, I usually shut the vents down around 200. I usually wind up with 2 vents closed and one vent open a sliver on my 22.5. for 250 to 275 I try to even the vents out.
 
Any time you open the lid you're letting heat out ( which ain't a big deal ) cause the WSM will recover . But you're also letting air in which stokes the fire and will screw up your target temp if you're a L&S guy.
HH no worries.
The more you use your WSM and let it build up some love the less you'll have to deal with temp changes.

Tim
 
It gets easier once your WSM becomes "seasoned" a bit -

With mine - I usually do the following:

-Set it up / pack the fire bowl with Charcoal / Smoke Wood
-Open ALL of the vents 100% to start
-Dump about 1/2 chimney of lit on top
-AFTER assembling the cooker plus 2-3 minutes, I start closing-down the vents (otherwise, like Mr. mcGee said above - it can heat-up quickly and over-shoot)
-Once I close-down the vents (halfway for warm weather, 1/3 for cold / Winter) it usually settles-in at 225-250 grate temp pretty quickly
-I usually check on it at the half-hour and one-hour marks and "tweak" the vents a bit if needed but after that I'm usually good to leave it the heck alone
 
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