What Do You Use The Top Vent For?

[Pat G]

Just curious what everyone uses the top vent for. I always have the top vent wide open when I'm cooking and use the bottom vent to control the temperature. Obviously, I close both the top and bottom vents to snuff out the fire. Am I missing something with the top vent?

 

[T MacGreggor]

Doesn't sound like you're missing a thing, Pat.

 

[Joe F]

Sometimes if my temp "runs away" as it just did, I'll close down the top vent to recover.
Put some smokewood on which caused this event.

 

[Felix N.]

I use the top vent to control small temperature changes...no more of 10 degrees up or down....or if I want to slowly maintain temperature for a long time...when I need big, fast or drastic temp adjustment bottom vent is the ticket

 

[TonyUK]

Pat.

What T. Mac says. All good mate. This is exactly what I do.

 

[Pat G]

Thanks guys. Glad to know I am doing something right.

 

[George Curtis]

I use mine to let the smoke out.

 

[JBooker]

I regulate temp with mine but I normally cook on a hot fire.

 

[Enrico Brandizzi]

About WSM + ATC, I must say I use top vent in summer time to keep cooking T low at 225F.
Otherwise it is impossible and it raises to the minimum of 240-250F.
Here in Roma in these period my WSM lid thermo reads 150F also when is off !!!

 

[Rich Dahl]

Like most of the others I keep mine wide open and regulate with the bottom vents unless it starts running away then I may close it some. Also with the top vent wide open all those wonderful aromas of grilling or smoking wafting through the neighborhood driving your neighbors nuts with the smell of wonderful Q.

 

[Pat G]

Here in Roma in these period my WSM lid thermo reads 150F also when is off !!!

I noticed my copper performer thermo was reading 150 the other day when it was out in the sun. I wonder if I can go higher than that with my black kettle.

 

[Brian_D]

I use the top vent to stop high heat flare-ups/fires when cooking steaks or burgers

 

[Hector]

I peek through it lol. check on my food without having to open lid. and i use it to listen to the sounds of food cooking.

 

[timothy]

For grilling you would leave it open, but for smoking at lower temps a combination of both is useful.

Tim

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

If we are talking about the kettle, I use both. I mainly use the bottom one but I'll cut the top to half for lower temp with the bottom open maybe a sliver. That's really only if I'm smoking on the kettle. Otherwise it's wide open 95% of the time.

 

[Dwain Pannell]

I use the top vent to control temp in conjunction with the bottom vent

 

[JRAiona]

I do the same as Dwain. I think I recall reading that Jamie Purviance also advocates using the top vent for temp control.

 

[Joe F]

I also use it for a place to nest my Tip Top Temp.
This gadget seems to work although I'm still in the testing phase...

 

[Pat G]

I did a dry run on my new 14.5 WSM and played with the top vent as well as the bottom vents for temperature control. It worked pretty well when I needed to bring the temps down.