Vents


 
E

Eric Lee

TVWBB Member
I'm thinking about adding a couple more vents to m 18.5 to run it hotter if I need. Where are the best places? another on the dome and one at the top grate? thanks
 
Eric,

3 bottom vents to 1 top vent. If you add a top vent you still have more in than out.


Rich,

Even if you don't like the extra you could leave it shut.
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Well from what I understand, if you want to smoke more meat and almost stuff it full, the extra vents will allow it to run hotter which is what I would want....right??
 
Eric.
Have ya tried to offset or crack the lid a bit. I use a metal spatula between the lid and mid-section for a gap, and on my 18.5" WSM I can get temps about 375-400 with that simple wedge.

Tim
 
Yes Eric, for heavy meat loads it works great and allows you to control your higher temps ie, 315,325,340,etc.......

Did you see my link above?
 
Yeah but I have questions about it, is there potential to damage the enameled interior when you drill? how exactly did you do it?
 
Use painters tape, a good high quality, new, sharp uni-bit and go slow with light to medium pressure. I had no issues and have done 3 WSM's and drilled Kettle lids for thermometer mods all with no problems.
 
Since I'm going through the trouble would you advise a third vent? I'd like to get screaming high temp for pizza if I wanted to also considering doing this on my Weber kettle. Thanks!
 
I've got an extra top vent on my 22.5" and plan on putting one on my 18.5" when I get a chance. Hopefully I'll do as good a job as the buddy I bought my big bullet from.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Eric Lee:
Since I'm going through the trouble would you advise a third vent? I'd like to get screaming high temp for pizza if I wanted to also considering doing this on my Weber kettle. Thanks! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I would start with the 2nd exhaust vent and see where that gets you. If you start with enough lit charcoal and have all vents wide open, it should get pretty high.

I am very happy with this on mine. Glenn's link above is where I got my info to do my 18 and 22.
 
Thanks Josh
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Eric, for screaming temps I would make a huge U bolt 3/8" to lay on the mid section and then sit the lid on it. That way you could leave the top vents closed and the heat will cook the pizza better. Hot air will hit the dome and come back down between the mid section and lid.

Make sense?
 
You could do 2 rods 20+ inches in length to lay across the mid section or a 60" rod and bend into a U to lay on it. The latter would be more stable.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Eric Lee:
Well from what I understand, if you want to smoke more meat and almost stuff it full, the extra vents will allow it to run hotter which is what I would want....right?? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't think so. Just because you smoke more meat does not mean you need or want to achieve a higher temp.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Eric Lee:
I'd like to get screaming high temp for pizza if I wanted to also considering doing this on my Weber kettle. Thanks! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

A-hah. There's an answer. So you want pizza baking temps on a WSM. I'd assume 500 plus then. I sure can't help you there, but it sounds like Glenn is your expert.
 
[/QUOTE]
I don't think so. Just because you smoke more meat does not mean you need or want to achieve a higher temp.

What it will help with is getting up to a cooking temp much faster if loading up with lots of meat. It is nice to also have a wider range of cook temps no matter the load without propping the door or cracking the lid.
 
Glenn, I guess my point is that I can achieve normal cooking temps without adding vents, even with a large load.

What I could not do is achieve pizza oven temps. (But don't need to)
 
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