temp with lots of meat...

[Brad Greer]

I was just wondering if anybody lets their cooker overshoot the desired cooking temperature during the warm up (before meat is placed in) to compensate for the amount of heat that the meat will absorb initially?
Example ~ Cooking four 9# butts at 300*. Would you let the cooker heat to say 350 before putting the meat on to aid in faster recovery?

thanks folks

 

[Bob Mann]

If the temperature drops after I put the meat in, I open the vents until the temperature comes back up.

Bob

 

[MH Brown]

I used to do that but mine run well enough and recover withing 10-20 minutes that I don't anymore even with a full load on them. They tended to continue to run higher than I'd like and it made it hard to get the temps down afterwards.

 

[W Tyler]

I used to do that but mine run well enough and recover withing 10-20 minutes that I don't anymore even with a full load on them. They tended to continue to run higher than I'd like and it made it hard to get the temps down afterwards.

+1 to what he said....

Once all that meat gets hot, and up to temp, it actually makes the smoker more efficient. Not only do you now have heat from the coals contributing to the internal temperature, but you now also have these huge chunks of meat - which themselves are now radiating heat energy. Plus more meat means less airspace - which means it takes less energy to heat the remaining space to the smoker.

Patience in waiting for the natural forces of physics to take over will pay off.

 

[timothy]

I don't wait for a specific temp to put the meat on.
I do the MM and load up right at the start.
It might take longer to come up to target temps with more meat, but that's the beauty of the method. (catch the temps on the way up}
You could always crack the lid or prop the door if you want a faster come up time.

Tim

 

[Dwain Pannell]

Chris says: "Keep an eye on the thermometer. The initial temperature may be 400°F or higher depending on the type and amount of fuel you're using, but within a short time it will begin to drop.

If you're loading up the cooker with a lot of meat, add the meat and smoke wood when the temp comes down to about 350°; if cooking smaller quantities, wait until about 300°F. The temperature will drop quickly into the 225-250°F range once the meat goes on."

http://virtualweberbullet.com/fireup1.html

 

[Chris Bjork]

I try to wait a bit for the smoke to run clean but planning a little overshoot before you start is not the least bit crazy. I did 12 racks of big loin backs with the wsm stacker and I struggled to get 210 with all the vents wide open. as I finally started pulling ribs off, temps went from low 2's to over 330 quickly