The continued struggle to reach at high heat


 
C

ChadVKealey

TVWBB Pro
In my ongoing quest to attain and maintain 350 degrees in my WSM (in order to do the Thanksgiving turkey), I have so far ditched the water pan entirely and switched to a 50/50 mix of KBB and Royal Oak lump. I did a couple of chickens today to try out Meatheads "Simon & Garfunkel Rub" and also do a comparison between the WSM and OTG for high-heat, indirect cooking.

WSM - I filled the charcoal ring 1/2 way with a combination of KBB & RO lump, intermixing a few small chunks of hickory. I dropped a full chimney of fully-lit KBB on it that and assembled the smoker. After about 15 minutes, it was up to 330, so I opened it up just long enough to get the chicken on the top grate (I had previously installed an empty foil pan just to catch the drippings). Unfortunately, during that time, the temp dropped to about 270. It took a half an hour for it to get back above 300, but it bounced back below that mark again (it was in the low 50s and very windy, so I attribute the fluctuations to the weather). During the 2 hour cook, it never exceeded 330. In the end, the chicken cooked fully, but the skin was sort of a dull, flat brownish gray and not very crisp at all. Also, it had kind of a sooty film on it (creosote?) that came off on my fingers. I had all of the vents, top and bottom, wide open for the entire cook.

OTG - I just got a set of side charcoal baskets from HD for $8 (clearance), so I filled each half-way with a 50/50 split of KBB and lump, nestling two small chunks of hickory in each one. I then distributed a full, lit chimney of KBB evenly between them. It didn't all fit, so what was left went into the empty part of the charcoal grate at either end of the drip pan. Within about 15 minutes, with all the vents open wide, it hit 350 and stayed there for the duration of the cook. At the higher temp, this chicken was done in 1:45 and the skin was dark mahogany with a nice crispness to it. There was a tiny bit of that same smokey film on it.

Given that both had the same film, I suspect it was the result of the lump. If so, I'm not sure what to do in the WSM. I was going to go 100% lump on the big day to ensure adequate temps, but not if it means inedible skin. Also, I'll be cooking our own turkey, plus one for my niece and her family, so I'll likely need to use both the WSM and OTG. I think the OTG will probably hold 350 using straight KBB, so maybe I'll do one on that and the other on my gas grill.
 
To get temps up try to offset the lid to create a larger chimney. I use a skewer between the lid and center section.

I disagree that lump causes any sort of film. I use lump all the time and do not get any film.

When cooking turkey, I recommend using the water pan but do not add water. The pan will keep the turkey indirect.

However, when I cook chicken I do remove the pan and turn often.

Lifting the lid simple causes the thermometer temp to drop. The cooker temp most likely increases due to the larger chimney. The reason the temps did not rise after you put cold chicken on and reinstall the lip is due to the mass of the cold chicken. Offsetting the lid will combat that lag.
 
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Go straight lump and leave the door off. Use some wood but not chunks, use pieces but split then to 2" max
 
I am stumped as to what could be the issue with your WSM. Damp charcoal? Bad dampers? I dunno.. last time I did a prime rib I left the water pan in (foiled) and had to work to keep it below 425F. Straight KBB
 
Tom Golden said:
I am stumped as to what could be the issue with your WSM. Damp charcoal? Bad dampers? I dunno.. last time I did a prime rib I left the water pan in (foiled) and had to work to keep it below 425F. Straight KBB
Click to expand...

Maybe it's my technique. Typically, I'll pile the until charcoal in the bin, stacking a little higher toward the outside with a bit of a dip in the middle. When I pour on the lit coals, I dump them right in the middle, then use tongs or a fireplace shovel to move some to the outer rim. Usually, this gives me a full layer of lit coals around the edge with a double or triple layer in the middle. Then, I immediately put on the middle section of the cooker. Maybe I should leave that off for a bit (10-15 minutes) so that the unlit coals can get a head start? Then, assemble the rest of it, add the smoke wood, and wait for the smoke to thin out and the rest of the rig to come up to temp before adding the bird.

So, maybe the way I'm doing it isn't giving the charcoal enough oxygen to get properly lit at the beginning, so I'm forcing it into an uphill battle to get to temp.
 
I bought a second chimney starter for doing high heat cooks. I fill both them with a mix of KBB and lump and light them both at the same time.

Before I dump them out i put a layer of unlit in the charcoal ring. As long as i use at least 50% lump I can get to 325-350 no problem, long as i crack the lid a bit and/or open my second lid vent.
 
A great way to do HH with the WSM is to add a second top vent. It works like a charm and turns your smoker into and outdoor oven. It will rocket up to temps. Use it when you need it, close it when you don't.
 
I did a test turkey cook yesterday on the WSM. I usually fill my ring with charcoal and use my blowtorch to light one area of the coals. For this high heat cook, I lit the three areas right in front of each lower vent. let it go for about five minutes, and then assembled the WSM without the water pan. She got up to 300* quickly and then slowly crawled up higher. I have to admit that I figured it would top out around 350*, so I didn't really monitor my temps. Until I noticed it in the 400* range. Caught it in time to save the turkey, but my skin got a lot darker than I wanted.

The second top vent sounds interesting...
 
Chad, I still wonder if it was a windy day when you were trying to get your WSM up to higher temps. I have no problem with my WSM as long as I keep it out of direct wind. I don't wrap it or use extra charcoal, all I do is roll it around to where my garage protects it from any direct breezes and have no problems maintaining temps.
 
I used to pile the charcoal (and to much) to high and close to the water pan. Be sure to leave as much space as possible between the coals and the pan for adequate air flow. Also I've piled the coals to high and have had them fall over the ring and block the air vents a bit. Now I use way less coal and I can keep any temp I want. High or low. Just can't go above 290 with water in the pan though.
 
I did a HH turkey breast smoke a few weeks ago. Like others have mentioned, I poured the lit charcoal onto the unlit and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before assembling the rest of the cooker (first time trying this method). The temp got to well over 400 degrees and once I got it dialed in it stayed right at 325-350 the entire duration of the cook.
 
I had the same issue with my 1st turkey for thanksgiving this year, I couldn't get it to settle above 300. I used one full lit chimney dumped on top of unlit. I'd open the door to let it breathe and the temp would get up there but as soon as I close the door, it'd drop below 300 again. The next day when I had to make another turkey I used 2 full lit chimneys dumped over unlit and I was then able to keep it in the 350 range. I did wait maybe 5-10 min before assembling the WSM to let the unlit coals catch on. But I was surprised it was so hard to keep the temp up, usually it's the other way around and hard for me to get the temps down!
 
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