Smokey joe won’t stay hot


 
D

Daniel Turner

New member
I recently picked up a Smokey joe to play with, I have used a kettle for a couple years now as well as a WSM. I tried wings tonight on it cooking indirect with what I thought was a plenty of hot coals. Half way through I noticed the heat was getting gone fast, vents was wide open. Any tips or tricks to make it purr better than this ? Thanks
 
The Smokey Joe and Jumbo Joe models have a lot less room under the charcoal grate than regular kettles. As the coals burn, ash buildup restricts airflow to the coal bed. With my Jumbo Joe 22" I use a charcoal basket and position it ~ an inch from the side and move it as needed to keep it from being directly over a pile of ash. Don't think the char basket will work in the SJ, but you could make something out of some wire mesh so you could move the fire as needed. A narrow snake may also be worth a try.
 
Using Kingsford? If so, a different brand might yield a better result. Cowboy Hardwood burns clean and so does B&B briqs. Both of these produce less ash than KF products.

I started on a WSJ Tuck n Carry in 1991. College wings and burgers were how we survived on that little grill.
 
I'm guessing you have the SJ with side vents above the charcoal ring? So air is drawn in and across/above the charcoal and then out through the exhaust.
The older models, SJ Silver, had the lower wheel vent below the charcoal grate, drawing air through the fuel. Much better design for higher temps.
I did see a mod where tin foil was used to deflect air below the charcoal grate. Here.
If you have the SJ with the one lower vent, you may have an issue with clogged vents. There was a workaround for this....Here.
 
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