<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by doug gillis:
For the last few smokes I've used some lump and liked the way in handled in the wsm- basically smoked chicken,fatty, and a tough roud roast. I'm now tying some lump smoking a butt-wow-1.49 per lb so had to try it! I'm cooking at a decent dome temp-about 250 but have to make adj. peroidotically- "tough word to spell". I'd assume my dome temp reads aprox. 25 deg. higher then what's on the rack. Like I said, temps seem ok but when peeking inside access door- the righ side is hotter and glowing red while the left side smolders. Tried closing right side vents and opening left side to no advail. It just seems an uneven burn. Using lump with a water pan I can stabilize 250 dome with about 10-20% draft open but as of to night- it started to drop to around 230 dome making me have to punch it up. Perhaps I need advice on lump such as decent brands- I may be using a crappy one! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
There should be about a 15º difference between the dome and the top grate. Don't worry about the one side of the coals being hotter than the other, they will eventually even out. I like to set all three bottom vents exactly the same, unless it's windy. In that case I will close the ones facing the wind.
Now, you temps may be fluctuating due to your peaking periodically into the access door. Every time you open the door you're letting in alot of oxygen, therefore causing your temps to spike up and down.
The key with lump is to control your temps very carefully on the way up, as not to overshoot your ideal cooking temp. When using lump I will leave all bottom vents 100% open until my dome temp hits 180º, then I shut my bottom vents down 75º and don't touch them again. The temperature will initially drop a couple to several degrees, however they will slowly begin to climb and settle in at the dome in the 245º-260º range for the length of the cook.