Rising Temps


 
G

Gary Sabino

TVWBB Member
I have been having a consistent problem. After 3 or 4 hours, without changing any vent settings, I get temp spikes that are very difficult to control. I use lump and the minion method. I start with a samll amount of lit charcoal over a full ring. I usually smoke small quantities (one butt, one chicken). I keep the temp at 250 for awhile but after a a few hours it goes above 300 and I struggle to get it to stay down. I thought it might be because I only have a few pounds of meat in at a time. Generally, the vents stay closed or almost closed throughout the cook. Any ideas?
 
Are you using water in the water pan? If so, after 3-4 hours you have likely cooked off a lot of it. Are you replacing it?

-Matt
 
How many vents are open and to what degree? I've had good luck managing lump temps by shutting down 2 vents when I reach 200 (on the way up) and closing down the third slightly once I get to 225-235. This is with a full water pan which I usually get about 6 hours from.
 
Gary
When using lump and using 250* pit temp as your target is the problem. No matter where you start the pit temp will go up over time as fuel is lit off. Start at a lower target temp and that will mean the bottom vents will be closed down even more than they are now for you. Aim for 225* and keep closing vents as the temp climbs and that way you should be able to maintain pits in the 225 to 250* range.
Start the cook with less lit coals on the fireup.
Are you useing water or sand in the water pan?

After cooking for years, competing and catering there is no question that Kingsford can do as good a job on long slow cook and is mich easier to control pit temps. Lump is a good product higher temp cooks and grilling.

Is lump some how superior Kingsford? Only when it comes to high temp in a WSM.

Is lump going to give you better flavor than Kingsford? Not according to blind judging that submit my food to many times a year.
Jim
 
Jim,

Thanks for posting that info about Kingsford. So many have said that they use lump exclusively, that I was considering eliminating Kingsford from my arsenal. Not anymore.

BTW, you've got my vote. Your contributions to this site are appreciated!

Glenn
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top