Smoker too hot need advice


 
K

Kyle P

New member
I was smoking 2 briskets today and after 2 hours the smoker steeled in nicely at about 235. I had 2 vents at 50 % and one shut off. Later I left for church and when I came back about 2 hours later the smoker temp at the grill was at 385. I closed off all the lower vents and the smoker stayed at 385-400 for hours. I am using a clay saucer. Any thoughts as to why the smoker jumped up so much?

Am I correct in thinking (after I read some other posts) I need to close the top vent as well to get the temp down in this situation? What is the best way to get the temp down?

I recently switched to a clay saucer, and I have had problems with the temp being too high (although not like this). For those of you who use a saucer, how do you set your vents to heep you temps in the "smoking range".

BTW I still ate the briskets. Not up to WSM normal quality, (poor smoke ring) OK flavor, but still eatable.
 
How did you start your cook - how much lit? At what point did you start closing vents?

Excess air intake (from wind, from a middle section that is not well-seated or out-of-round) and/or large chunks of wood that ignite. Once the heat rises dramatically and heats the ceramic, the ceramic will continue to throw off higher heat for some time.

You can close all lowers and significantly restrict the lid vent in undesired high heat situations, but with ceramic it can take some time if the ceramic had enough time to take on a lot of heat. (If the issue is air intake and tha is not addressed it will take longer, and possibly won't drop much at all.)
 
Thanks Kevin,

Good info. I was using the minion method with 20 lit briquettes, I started the smoker with the top vent fully opened and the bottoms at 50%. Once the smoker hit about 225, I have one vent closed, 1 vent at 25% and one at 50%. On those settings the smoker stabilized at about 235. I did have some smoke wood buried, and I wonder if after reading your post if one or two pieces caught fire causing the temp to rise.


After pulling off the brisket, I played with the smoker a little. I can tell you that shutting off the top vent while all the lower vents are closed WILL bring the temperature down and in a hurry. When the temp dropped to 200, I opened the top vent 1/2 way and one bottom vent 1/2 way, and the temp seems to have stabilized at 230.

Any problems with the top vent only being 50% open?
 
I usually bring the smoker up to temp with the bottom vents maybe 25% open. As soon as the smoker hits 240 I close all bottom vents and I throw on the room temp meat.

I usually can go about 3-4 hours without opening the bottom vents.

The top vent ALWAYS is 100% open. I also use water. I have tried the ceramic plate and I just can't keep it low enough.
 
Although relatively new to WSM, I have found in my last 2 smokes that I can keep the temps at or around 225-240 by using very little hot coals. I have been placing them only on one side of the ring, with cold on the rest. By very little I mean maybe 1/4 small chimney. I start with 2 bottom vents at about 50%, 1 bottom vent closed and top open. At 190-200 I will close both bottom to 25% or a little less. I did a 6 hr smoke yesterday with this method and never got above 240.I am using Lazzari mesquite lump. So my overall advice is to use only a few hot coals, place them on only one side of the ring and close her down way before your ideal cooking temp. I use a clay saucer exclusively having found the clean up with water to be a pain. Lots of folks use the clay and make it work. Just takes practice to find the key. Oh and use a wind shield around the vents if any wind comes up.

Mark
 
Thanks for all the info. Can any one tell me why I should keep the top vent open 100%, instead of lets say 50%?

I love the smoker, and I enjoy eating my mistakes
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There is nothing wrong with 50%, just don't go any lower. I will cause your food to soot up really bad.

90% of the time I leave the top full open and control my temps with the bottom, but there are times when slightly adjusting the top does the trick.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">After pulling off the brisket, I played with the smoker a little. I can tell you that shutting off the top vent while all the lower vents are closed WILL bring the temperature down and in a hurry. When the temp dropped to 200, I opened the top vent 1/2 way and one bottom vent 1/2 way, and the temp seems to have stabilized at 230. Any problems with the top vent only being 50% open? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>No, not really. It shouldn't be necessary but when faced with a temp issue go ahead.

It's good that your temps dropped nicely. You don't have an out-of-round condition.

There isn't much I low/slow (butts, the odd chuck roast) but I Minion all cooks, regardless of target cooktemp. (I use an empty pan for most cooks, water for low/slows.) Imo, one of the key (and best) points of a Minion start is dumping on the lit, assembling the cooker, and loading in the meat immediately. (I always load in cold meat; I rub when starting the lit so the meat has little time to warm.) I much prefer getting the heat sink in there right away - the meat alone, or meat plus water in the pan, if using - because I don't want to create a larger draft later, after the cooker has come up to temp. I'd rather it come to temp with the meat in place.

I always start with all vents open and do not start closing till I'm 25-35? shy of target (if using water, 40-50? if an empty pan - usually to ~ 1/4 open); for my more typical high heat cooks I don't close at all, and no matter what the target I leave the lid vent open.

I don't like large pieces of wood so I hatchet fist-size pieces into 5 or 6 smaller pieces then use anywhere from 5 to 8 or 9 of these smaller pieces for most cooks, less for chicken and turkey, more for some large butt cooks, simply adding the extra wood after the first round is spent. I don't bury any.

Anyway, that's what I do.
 
Kyle, I think your initial situation was that the meat acted as a heat sink and kept the temps nice and low. After a couple hours, the meat was heating up and the coals were burning freely: your temps went up from there. I find that frequently happens and keep an eye on the temps for at least the first three hours of a long smoke. At any rate, I wouldn't leave the smoker unattended (or within alarm range of an ET-73) for more than an hour.
As suggested, I'd use a wind-break even on seemingly non-windy days. Best wishes.
 
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