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Three top vents and clay saucer ... first cook


 
Shawn W

Shawn W

TVWBB Emerald Member
I added two vents to the top of my WSM. This is my first cook with that mod. It's also my first use of a clay saucer (12.75", foiled in foiled stock WSM water pan).

The cook tonight is 28lbs of picnics which for some reason they decided to cut in half lengthwise. Six pieces on two grates rubbed with Mr.Brown. More bark but they may end up dry, oh well. I left all the skin and fat on, skin side on the bottom or outside to protect the meat.

Fuel is a full ring of Royal Oak Plus briqs (red bag). Started with 60 lit (my usual for this type of cook). Smoke wood is one 1" piece and one 2" piece of pecan Smoke Stix.

0020hrs: All three top vents at 50% open, all three bottom vents at 100% open. Ambient temperature is 55ºF, little to no wind ATM.

Time---Grate-----Meat
---------TempºF
===============
0030-----200
0045-----213
0100-----221
0115-----234
0130-----237
0145-----245
0200-----246
0215-----243
0230-----250
0245-----253
0300-----254
0315-----249
0330-----242
0400-----289
0415-----271
0420-----293
0440-----250
0500-----235
1000-----230-------156
1040-----250
1100-----263
1215-----245-------165
1250-----240-------167
1345-----245-------169
1440-----220-------167
1500-----235-------169
1530-----250-------170
1600-----250-------179
1710-----250-------190
1750-----260-------195


0130: up to temp in one hour ... it's taken 2 or more hours with this much meat and a Brinkmann pan full of water ... if it holds between here and 250ºF I'll be a happy camper. It's a fairly warm night for here so I'm sure that is helping.

0230: hit 250, nudging all three top vents to just less than 50% open

0245: nudging bottom vents closed a bit

0330: need some shuteye

0400: checked temp once more before falling asleep and it had jumped 14º. Went and checked, two pieces of meat had fallen over (1 top rack 1 bottom) and needed to be repositioned. Had the lid off for a couple of minutes. Top and bottom vents now set to 1/3 open.

0420: 293? WTH?? A good breeze has come up, perhaps that's it. Set bottoms vents fully closed.

0440: back on course, but it's falling pretty fast, going to open the bottom vents like 15% and try to restabalize around 240ºF.

0510: in the space of two minutes my Maverick reported 235 then 217 then 265. No way. My probe must be shot. What a waste of good sleep time, lol. Leaving it as is and geting some sleep.

1000: temp seems stable at 230, had a peek and there is still lots of charcoal left, nudged bottom vents open a bit to try and get back to 240ºF.

1040: stuck a candy therm in top vent to keep an eye on dome temps. Gave coals a stir. Need to rebuild fire soon.

1100: grate 263ºF, dome 278ºF, closed bottom vents most of the way

1250: added 1/4 ring of unlit, 30 lit on top, didn't change vents.

1345: first mop with southern sop

1440: temp only got back up to 220 after mop, nudged bottom vents open which were nearly closed

1500: second mop

1600: third mop, checked meat temps in a few places, going with 179 which was consistent everywhere but where the probe was
icon_rolleyes.gif


1710: fourth mop

1750: hit 195ºF, checked the feel, removed the meat

I'll keep updating this post.
 
That's what you meant when you said you bought 2 dampers in a recent post. I was wondering. What's the rationale?
 
Yes, inquiring minds want to know... additional top vents?

I had a similar thought as an idea to achieving higher (350?+) cook temps, but can only imagine that an increase in top venting would make low temps more difficult to maintain.

I've found it difficult to get stable high temps without propping open the door or setting the lid askew, so I figured I'd put a second top vent for use during high heat cooks, but close it for regular use.

Keep us posted.
 
I have a thread going for the mod here.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I've found it difficult to get stable high temps without propping open the door or setting the lid askew, so I figured I'd put a second top vent for use during high heat cooks, but close it for regular use.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE> Bingo. I've often had trouble even maintaining grate 225ºF. That and I'd like to try cooking higher.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Shawn W:
It's also my first use of a clay saucer (12.75", foiled in foiled stock WSM water pan).


0130: up to temp in one hour ... it's taken 2 or more hours with this much meat and a Brinkmann pan full of water ... if it holds between here and 250ºF I'll be a happy camper. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

So, your using a clay saucer and a brinkmann pan full of water??
icon_confused.gif
Maybe I misunderstood, but if you are then I can see why you may need more air flow to get your temps up...

Brandon
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Brandon A:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Shawn W:
It's also my first use of a clay saucer (12.75", foiled in foiled stock WSM water pan).


0130: up to temp in one hour ... it's taken 2 or more hours with this much meat and a Brinkmann pan full of water ... if it holds between here and 250ºF I'll be a happy camper. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

So, your using a clay saucer and a brinkmann pan full of water??
icon_confused.gif
Maybe I misunderstood, but if you are then I can see why you may need more air flow to get your temps up...

Brandon </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think he means when he has used a Brinkmann pan full of water in the past and is now comparing that to his current set up using a clay saucer and the weber water pan.

Erik
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Erik G:

I think he means when he has used a Brinkmann pan full of water in the past and is now comparing that to his current set up using a clay saucer and the weber water pan... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah that's right, I was commenting on how much faster the WSM came up to temp with a clay saucer than with a full Brinkmann pan.

Except for some Maverick thermometer issues I think it went really well. Cooking with the saucer is quite different than with water as a heat sink. It seems much more responsive to vent changes using the clay saucer.

As for the mod about all I can really say is I think it helped get to temp faster (used 50% more top vent than a stock WSM) and I don't think it screwed up the ability to run low and slow.

215ºF with a Brinkmann pan and a full load of meat was about as high as I could usually run my WSM without propping the door open. There was a vast improvement this time (able to run much hotter) though I attribute that mainly to the clay saucer.

The picnics turned out good and that's what really matters
icon_smile.gif


I think I'll do some tests and post them in the mod thread.
 
Sorry Shawn,
Now that I look at it closely I can see that you were comparing the times, and noting that the clay saucer was faster.

Brandon
 
The claypot base is definately faster, I have also founf that for anything over 225, the claypot base is more stable.

Of course I use the Stoker to maintain temps, but without the claypot base it is even all over the place.
 
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