temperature glitches with the weber smoky mountain


 
Frank H

Frank H

TVWBB Gold Member
I cooked ribs this past friday on my new-ish WSM , and this time i noticed that after about 3 hours of steady 250 degree heat , the temp suddenly dropped down to about 200....i was torn as to how to proceed , but i ended up lifting the (lightly loaded) WSM off the base and raking the coals with a garden cultivator (which i will keep on hand for future cooks) and after all that ash sifted down thru , the temp came back nicely and i finished the ribs. i raked the coals once more near the end when it seemed like the briquettes were geting burned out , and that helped nurse the fire along to the end. ive only used the WSM twice before this , but that was the first time i had that ash problem. it was kingsford charcoal from home depot, if that makes a difference. i may try some lump charcoal next time. any thoughts on good charcoal brands?
 
The charcoal brand/type has nothing to do with it. To what level was the ring filled when you started? Was there a lot of ash in the bowl when you started? I assume the top vent was open, correct?
 
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the charcoal ring was full up , the top vent was open and no ash in the pan when i started. it seemed to me like the bottom of the grate got plugged with ash as the coals burned.
 
I hate to contradict a Newton resident ;), but I don't think so, not after 3 hours starting with no ash in the bowl. I get many, many more hours with a full ring with no ash issues. Stupid questions: The water pan wasn't sitting directly on your charcoal was it? Charcoal wasn't damp was it?
 
The only time I had a problem like that was when I used two charcoal grates (180* to each other). The ash choked the fire. No need to lift it off the base, just get a long stick to gently stir the coals. I use a piece of aluminum angle I had laying around. I get more than 24 hours out of a full ring using the Minion method.
 
Dave/G said:
I hate to contradict a Newton resident ;), but I don't think so, not after 3 hours starting with no ash in the bowl. I get many, many more hours with a full ring with no ash issues. Stupid questions: The water pan wasn't sitting directly on your charcoal was it? Charcoal wasn't damp was it?
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Brother , you can contradict me all day , long as you smile while you do it. And no my water pan was not sitting on the charcoal and it was a brand new bag . Not damp at all AFAICT.....
 
Well, I have no added thoughts if the therm was working properly. I use a 5 year old WSM and have never had issues after 3 hours with briquettes or lump. Hopefully you won't have this happen again
 
If it's new-ish, why not cook a couple of chix w/o the water pan? They will splatter enough grease and smoke around to help close any gaps on your WSM. To the point it's tough to take the lid off.
 
I never need to stir the coals until after many hours, like overnight. When I do, I open the hatch and use my long tongs to gently move them around, which lets the ash fall through without stirring up a cloud that will get on the meat. Sometimes just tapping on the WSM will dislodge the ash, but that tends to stir a cloud a little more.

You asked about charcoal brands. I like Stubb's briquettes, and other on here have said the same. Lowes is the only place I ever see it. Have not used much lump, but I picked up some B&B at Academy, and it did fine for a grilling job.
 
I don't like the idea of lifting the sections off the base. I use a small rake from a fireplace to stoke around the coals through the doorway once or twice in a long cook. Gives a puff of fresh air and keeps the heat in. I have been doing a butt today. Started at 7:30 am and I have been between 250 and 300 all day. Its now 5:30 and sitting at 270. Almost all the fuel is spent at this point.
 
Frank, to me it sounds like the charcoal might have recently been exposed to some high humidity. Although I keep a stockpile of charcoal in the shed, I also keep some in an inside closet and use that for smokes, rotating and replenishing as needed. I don't have near the issues with low temps when I use house-stored charcoal, but I also prefer lump and lower ash briquettes like K Comp or Stubbs for smoking with. However, I use a ton of K in the blue bag for grilling and sometimes start my smokes with some Kbb lit in a chimney.
 
JimH said:
If it's new-ish, why not cook a couple of chix w/o the water pan? They will splatter enough grease and smoke around to help close any gaps on your WSM. To the point it's tough to take the lid off.
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i may try that. thanks
 
Dave Russell said:
Frank, to me it sounds like the charcoal might have recently been exposed to some high humidity. Although I keep a stockpile of charcoal in the shed, I also keep some in an inside closet and use that for smokes, rotating and replenishing as needed. I don't have near the issues with low temps when I use house-stored charcoal, but I also prefer lump and lower ash briquettes like K Comp or Stubbs for smoking with. However, I use a ton of K in the blue bag for grilling and sometimes start my smokes with some Kbb lit in a chimney.
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you know , i think you might be right. i started to think after someone asking if the charcoal was wet that even tho the bag was new , it HAD been stored in the garage for awhile (in a wooden box). not the dryest area . it just mightve wicked up some dampness. thanks for the feedback.
 
Dave/G said:
Well, I have no added thoughts if the therm was working properly. I use a 5 year old WSM and have never had issues after 3 hours with briquettes or lump. Hopefully you won't have this happen again
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you know , after mulling over your comments ,(and hearing from another member) i think i mightve been hasty in answering that my charcoal couldnt"ve been wet......altho the bag was unopened , it had been stored in my garage for a few weeks. not the dryest environment. i think you mightve been right. in future i will try keeping my charcoal in a dryer spot. thanks for the input. you framingham guys have smart brains.
 
JimH said:
The only time I had a problem like that was when I used two charcoal grates (180* to each other). The ash choked the fire. No need to lift it off the base, just get a long stick to gently stir the coals. I use a piece of aluminum angle I had laying around. I get more than 24 hours out of a full ring using the Minion method.
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yes , i can see that the two grates might cause that....i like the idea of using a metal rod or some such. i will have to find something like that. 24 hours from a load of briquettes ? that blows my mind. how many briquettes do you light at first ? ....and we are talking about a WSM , correct ?
 
Chuck Tatham said:
I don't like the idea of lifting the sections off the base. I use a small rake from a fireplace to stoke around the coals through the doorway once or twice in a long cook. Gives a puff of fresh air and keeps the heat in. I have been doing a butt today. Started at 7:30 am and I have been between 250 and 300 all day. Its now 5:30 and sitting at 270. Almost all the fuel is spent at this point.
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good thoughts . thank you. and the first time i fired up the WSM , right out of the box , that thing rocked for 10 hours at 250....this was very disheartening , but im thinking my charcoal was damp after all.
 
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I use two grates with the top one turned at 90 degrees on my smoker and on my kettle. I've never had a problem but I don't use KB. Mostly I use lump but it's packed tight with no air spaces.
 
Yeah a WSM, full ring Minion method 24+ hours. The thing is a cooking machine, my go to for everything except ribs.
 
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