Temp issue: won't maintain! HELP!


 
P

PMitchell

New member
So, minion method, good lump charcoal. Allowed starter to get fully lit before dumping into the cooker. Vents wide open. External temps around 35 to 38 deg f, moderate winds. Temps make it to around 230 or so for an hour but then start dropping. Tried to screen the cooker, temps drop even faster. Finally added more charcoal and stirred the **** outta what was in the cooker already and the temps kinda came up. WTH? That amount of charcoal shoulda been fine for 6 hours at least.

Couldn't do my turkey at Xmas either - wouldn't come up to above 300, even with a huge amount of lit charcoal.

Getting really tired of my personal POS WSM. Doesn't appear to be anything blocking vents, and I have had the same issue with Cowboy and Royal Oak lump, as well as KFord. This is really pissing me off.

HELP!

D'ohBoy
 
Sorry to hear about your headaches with the WSM. Use a windbreak. Even a little wind can cause temps to fluctuate and suck up your fuel. Are you using water in the pan? Try it without. Just foil the pan and add a couple foiled bricks in it to help balance temp fluctuations. Make sure your top vent is always 100% open. I always smoke with briquettes, but I know others use lump... Good luck and let us know how it works out. I think lack of a windbreak is most likely your problem.
 
Thanks, Gary. Had a windbreak up (2.5 sides) and the temps dropped faster (see my original post: "Tried to screen the cooker, temps drop even faster.").

I struggle every time I cook to just keep the temps *UP* to 225. Have done like five cooks now, and have to check every 15 minutes. Vents wide open. The 13 lb brisket that took 18 hours was especially painful.

As for cooking with an empty water pan, when I tried to do the turkey at Xmas, I couldn't get 300 degrees (empty water pan).

Anyhoo, if anyone else has any ideas, please let me know.

D'ohBoy
 
Besides using a wind screen, you might try one of the various methods people use for running with the door partly open to get more air to the fire. Cold winds will suck the heat out of a WSM, but you seem to be having more of a problem than most people do. Hang in there, spring is coming.
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P,

When you use lump, do you pack it very tight? Unlike briquettes, lump dumped in a random manner can leave a lot of air space between pieces which cause temp issues. You mention Cowboy, Royal Oak and Kingsford. Was the Kingsford lump or briquettes? Briquettes should eliminate the spacing issue. Using the Minion Method will delay the time it takes you to reach your target temp since you're only lighting a few coals initially. If you're after a higher temp cook, like with the turkey, you might start with a larger amount of lit coals. With the turkey, a large cold bird is just as much of a heat sink as a water pan full of water or sand. That would take a good load of coals and some time to get up over 325 if you were cooking a large bird (20 #er). As Larry mentioned, some people prop open the access door to increase the amount of oxygen to the coals. This results in higher temps. Lonnie had a brilliant idea for a mod here. The last thing I can think of is, how are you measuring the temps? Is that thermo accurate? Just one other area to double check.

Paul
 
If you're dumping a full chimney of lit coals onto a full ring of unlit coals, and leaving all vents (bottom and top) completely open, you should see the temps steadily rise to about 300+ and hold steady with no problem.

To get higher, I've been told to prop the door open a bit as stated above.

I can't understand why the temps wouldn't hold unless you were cooking on an extremely windy day with no break.......then I would expect a large spike in temp, followed by a dramatic drop once the coals start to burn out.
 
I agree with what Paul and Dwayne have said, should be no problem getting temps. I have seen some brands of lump charcoal give of huge heat and then die off pretty fast. I suggest you try briquettes until you get things figured out though. Kingford blue bag is very consistant and will let you see if there is something wrong with your unit (they are pretty simple units,not much can go wrong with them). once you have the baseline try mixing in some lump coal until you know what going to happen. If you are looking to do higher temps alot (275 and up) then look into a saucer mod for the water pan, it helps alot and saves fuel as well.

Jamie
 
Doesn't make sense unless you are placing the water pan ontop of the charcoal, instead of on the tabs below the lower cooking grate that holds the water pan? I got nothing other than that
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I have to agree with Bryan on this. Can you take some pics next time you fire up so we can see what is going on? There may be something being missed the a pic will show.
 
I will try some door mods. Thanks to all for your suggestions. I agree, this ain't no roket sergery, which is why I am so confused as to the source of my difficulties.

FYI, and prolly a red herring, when my WSM showed up, the body and the top were both kinked at one point. I 'unkinked' them, and they fit pretty airtight now (weren't before). Maybe Weber put that kink in for me (them or OOPS)?

I really would like to be able to step away from the smoker for more than 15 minutes. Otherwise, I might as well be using my Chargriller.

I will update this thread with any changes in my approach and/or experience. However, given my current difficulties, and the forecasted low temps for America's Dairyland, I won't be smoking anything anytime soon.

Again, really appreciate the courteous advice. Some forums get a bit outta control.

D'ohBoy
 
My WSM had the same problem and I found a great solution. BBQ Guru and a Silverbullet jacket. Works wonders and I get a good night sleep!
 
I agree that they would help but he should not have to use them to enjoy the ease of the WSM. What are you using as a therm?
 
Originally posted by KevinJ:
I agree that they would help but he should not have to use them to enjoy the ease of the WSM.

It could be the fuel . Is your charcoal damp? I had never had problems getting temps up, it's keeping temps low is when the work begins.
 
Seems to me like fuel and/or elevation. Where are you located PMitchell?

Cowboy is horrible in a cooker so wouldn't go there. Not a fan of RO myself but you should hit temps with it of with any kind of K.
 
Hi, K, et al.:

I'm in America's Dairyland (southern WI). Temps today are a balmy low teens. Altitude is around 600 ft.

Will try some other lumps. Checked out the ratings on <something>wiz.com or some such. RO Steakhouse Lump got a recommended rating. Any recommendations for nationally available lump (really don't like briquettes)?

Using the WSM therm. It appears to be sufficiently close to correct based on the cooking results, i.e., basically not cooking at all and the temps being low on the therm.
 
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