Temp Control


 
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Henry Joe Peterson

TVWBB Super Fan
I have read here that the WSM runs hot the first few times you use it.
That happened to me yesterday.

This was only the second time I fired it up.
The first time I had no trouble. I used the Minnion method and it worked great.

This time it ran really hot. I used the Minnion method again and brought it up to about 245, closed the vents down to about 1/3 put the butt and some warm water in the pan. I checked on it about 2 hours later and the temp had shot up to 310. Yowsa. The butt already had some black spots on it. The water pan was nearly empty, too.

So I put cold water in the pan and shut down all the vents. I left the top vent open because I've read here a million times to leave the top vent open at all times.
The temp then lowered, but still hovered between 265 and 275 for the next few hours. I couldn't get it to go any lower.

I opened the door a couple of times to check on the coals and the whole top layer was orange and hot. Also, all my chunks were reduced to ash.

So until this new WSM is properly seasoned, how do I bring the temp back down to a more comfortable 225-250 range?

Dare I touch the top vent?

Also, can I add more chunks if they're gone in the first couple of hours, or will this oversmoke the meat?

Thanks,

Henry Joe Peterson

PS. Despite the black areas that trimmed off (Too tough and nasty to eat) the butt was great. My guests didn't know the difference.
 
Hi Henry Joe!

A couple hints for you.....

1). Watch the cooker closely for the first 10-15 minutes and see how fast the temp is rising. If rising very fast, start turning the vents down at the 180? mark. If rising slowly, turn down at around 200?. I aim for 225? on all my cooks.

Don't be afraid to completely shut the vents. Though the WSM is tightly engineered, there are bound to be some air leaks.....so even with the vents shut completely, it is still getting air.

Also, put your meat on immediately after starting the unit. This will slow the progress of the temp climb.

2). Don't be afraid to partially close the top vent(I have closed up to 3/4 shut). I use this as a last resort, but it will bring down the temp and I have not had any adverse effects. I had to do this yesterday..very windy and I have a few small leaks in the unit.

My theory on this is such......if the bottom vents are closed and the temp is still climbing, you obviously have some leaks(no big deal!). So, by shutting the top vent partially, there is still enough air getting thru that you will not get any creosote.

I also struggled when I got my unit(no internet site back then)....so hang in there. Like everything in life, it just takes a little practice.
 
Hi Henry,

Was your WSM exposed to the wind at all? It’s very strange that any WSM, whether new or well seasoned, even with the intake vents almost closed would get so hot so quickly without the wind fanning the flames.

I don’t think the sparse buildup of seasoning on the side of your unit can account for why the entire charcoal load ignited at the same time. This leads me to believe the coals were being force-fed by a relatively strong wind and there was much more oxygen available for combustion than you had desired. And, as you’ve discovered, once that large mass of fuel gets hot, it stays hot for a long time even after its oxygen supply is severely restricted.

If yours should start running hot again under similar weather conditions, try completely closing down the windward-side vent or vents. This should give you more desirable and stable temperatures.

Unless it’s 10 below out, I generally close one intake vent entirely (the one on the backside of the base) and another by half once the temperature at the grate rises to near 200? for my low and slow cooks. This usually gets to the target temperature without overshooting it and having to make further adjustments to bring it back down. Slight adjustments to the half open (or is it half closed?) vent allow fine-tuning of the temperature as needed without steep spikes at the grate.

Good luck with your next cook.

Ken
 
Ken,
No wind to speak of.
It was butt-cold here for SF -- high 40's at night. But my house and a fence nearby serve as a nice windblock.
Go figure.

Here's another theory: Perhaps I lit too many coals to put on top of the unlit ones? I used half a chimney, about 25-30 coals. I left them in a mound on top of the unlit coals, with the chunks aorund the edges. Should I use fewer and spread them out?

At the very least, it's a good excuse to BBQ again next weekend. Gotta figure out that problem!

And thanks for the vent control tips

Henry Joe Peterson
 
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