Ok I have my WSM smoking away on a brisket and St. Louis ribs. I am only going by the dome but it looks like the temp is only 210. If I open the door it spikes close to 250. I have the top vent open and two lower vents closed. I used 3/4 a chimney of coals for my minion method and spread coals across the top. Am I ok at 210? Should I open lower vents? Meat is on the top rack. I keep reading about people getting their WSM over 250. This is only my second smoke but I can't seem to get the hang of my temp. It smells great and lots of smoke coming out.
Temps
- Thread starter Kenny S
- Start date
Brian (Mass.)
TVWBB Fan
Do you have water in the pan? I find that if the pan is more than 1/3 full it will eat up btu's like crazy. I use to fill it nearly all the way and do ribs...and i would struggle to keep it at 200...Now today is a cold day here but not too cold...When I smoke in the winter and it's 25F outside I have to do nearly no water and flip the door over and prop it open 1" with a pair of tongs i use for the coals. With the pan 1/3 to 1/4 full i get 225-235 no prob...
Dwain Pannell
TVWBB Hall of Fame
I agree with Timothy except for one point. I would crack the lower vents so you don't snuff out the fire. Give it a little air to keep it going for the long haul.
"Lots of smoke coming out" concerns me. You should have thin blue smoke. I like a clean burning fire (near non existant smoke) then add wood chunks to get the desired level of smoke I am looking for. Don't over do the smoke or you get the ashtray effect.
This is how I do it - some may disagree but it is a very successful way to cook:
Depending on your water pan set up and how much lit you start with you can comfortably cook at 300*+. I do chicken at 325* with a dry pan and a foiled clay saucer started with a full chimney of lit lump over a full ring of unlit lump with all vents 100% open. When the coals are going and the the thick smoke clears I place the food on the grill and a chunk or two of wood on the fire to get the smoke.
To cook at lower temps, I fill the water pan to 1" below the lip (about three gallons hot water in a 22") started with a full chimney of lit lump over a full ring of unlit lump. When the coals are going and the the thick smoke clears I place the food on the grill and a chunk or two of wood on the fire to get the smoke. I am doing a cook now and it has flowed back and forth between 228* and 236* with all vents 100% open which is definitely in my range (225 - 250*).
"Lots of smoke coming out" concerns me. You should have thin blue smoke. I like a clean burning fire (near non existant smoke) then add wood chunks to get the desired level of smoke I am looking for. Don't over do the smoke or you get the ashtray effect.
This is how I do it - some may disagree but it is a very successful way to cook:
Depending on your water pan set up and how much lit you start with you can comfortably cook at 300*+. I do chicken at 325* with a dry pan and a foiled clay saucer started with a full chimney of lit lump over a full ring of unlit lump with all vents 100% open. When the coals are going and the the thick smoke clears I place the food on the grill and a chunk or two of wood on the fire to get the smoke.
To cook at lower temps, I fill the water pan to 1" below the lip (about three gallons hot water in a 22") started with a full chimney of lit lump over a full ring of unlit lump. When the coals are going and the the thick smoke clears I place the food on the grill and a chunk or two of wood on the fire to get the smoke. I am doing a cook now and it has flowed back and forth between 228* and 236* with all vents 100% open which is definitely in my range (225 - 250*).
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Brian (Mass.)
TVWBB Fan
Oh yea, I always have all vents wide open...It will snuff out the coals if you close them...or 2 of them. You might notice that all the coals are burning near the open vent but not burning on the closed sides
timothy
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Good to hear.
General rule of thumb is to start damping bottom vents when 20-25 deg shy of target. (I usually go 1/4-1/8 open on all three) That's the beauty of using the MM, start with a small amount of lit, and catch yore temps on the way up.
The only time I completely close one or more vents is when I overshoot > get a spike, or if they are facing the wind.
Tho I've read a few posts where they only use one vent for intake which works for them.
Tim
General rule of thumb is to start damping bottom vents when 20-25 deg shy of target. (I usually go 1/4-1/8 open on all three) That's the beauty of using the MM, start with a small amount of lit, and catch yore temps on the way up.
The only time I completely close one or more vents is when I overshoot > get a spike, or if they are facing the wind.
Tho I've read a few posts where they only use one vent for intake which works for them.
Tim
Goes to show how everything effects the wsm. It is 50 today and I have 3 slabs of ribs on right now. One top vent fully open, and 2 of the bottom ones open about 1/8", full water pan and it is steady on 275. My Auber uses one of the bottom vents but the fan isn't kicking on. My pit area is enclosed so wind isn't a factor.