My last two cooks turned out great - the ribs i did last weekend were delicious but what i noticed is my smoker temps at the lid did not come down under 275. The whole packer i did about a month ago my smoker would not drop below 325. I had my bottom vents barely open and considered closing them completely for both cooks. I did not use an overly large amount of kingsford - a little more for the brisket than the ribs. I filled the water pan with hot water - should i have used cold water instead? In 3 years of smoking with the wsm my temps always hover between 235-250 never spiking over the 250 at all in 3 years. I never thought about checking the thermo in the lid - maybe its time for a new one?
WSM running hotter than normal
- Thread starter j. pavone
- Start date
Larry Wolfe
Closed Account
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j. pavone:
My last two cooks turned out great - the ribs i did last weekend were delicious but what i noticed is my smoker temps at the lid did not come down under 275. The whole packer i did about a month ago my smoker would not drop below 325. I had my bottom vents barely open and considered closing them completely for both cooks. I did not use an overly large amount of kingsford - a little more for the brisket than the ribs. I filled the water pan with hot water - should i have used cold water instead? In 3 years of smoking with the wsm my temps always hover between 235-250 never spiking over the 250 at all in 3 years. I never thought about checking the thermo in the lid - maybe its time for a new one? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Do this often, not just when you think there's a problem!
My last two cooks turned out great - the ribs i did last weekend were delicious but what i noticed is my smoker temps at the lid did not come down under 275. The whole packer i did about a month ago my smoker would not drop below 325. I had my bottom vents barely open and considered closing them completely for both cooks. I did not use an overly large amount of kingsford - a little more for the brisket than the ribs. I filled the water pan with hot water - should i have used cold water instead? In 3 years of smoking with the wsm my temps always hover between 235-250 never spiking over the 250 at all in 3 years. I never thought about checking the thermo in the lid - maybe its time for a new one? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Do this often, not just when you think there's a problem!
JimK
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j. pavone:
Does hot or cold water make any difference at all? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't know if it is a huge difference, but I tend to use cool water when it's warmer out. In the winter, I'll usually use water as hot as I can get it from the tap.
Does hot or cold water make any difference at all? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't know if it is a huge difference, but I tend to use cool water when it's warmer out. In the winter, I'll usually use water as hot as I can get it from the tap.
Larry Wolfe
Closed Account
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j. pavone:
Does hot or cold water make any difference at all? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Initially it will, after an hour or so it will not.
Does hot or cold water make any difference at all? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Initially it will, after an hour or so it will not.
Chris Nielsen
TVWBB Member
If it's not an overabundance of air, and it doesn't seem to be, a borked thermometer is the most likely culprit.
Did it seem to *actually* be running hotter? Did the meat cook faster, etc?
Did it seem to *actually* be running hotter? Did the meat cook faster, etc?
j biesinger
TVWBB Platinum Member
I'm thinking air leak.
I had run-away temps once due to a gap between sections. I always spin the center section a bit to make sure I have a fairly tight fit.
I don't use water and typically get stuck around 325. I've been contemplating going back to water when I made an interesting observation. I ran three wsm's simultaneously, during a comp. Two had their vents shut all the way and we were struggling to keep them below 300, while the third wsm, we were struggling to get it over 200!
The only variable I could find was that the third wsm's door had a much tighter fit.
I plan to adjust the other doors to see if indeed its the source of the problem.
I had run-away temps once due to a gap between sections. I always spin the center section a bit to make sure I have a fairly tight fit.
I don't use water and typically get stuck around 325. I've been contemplating going back to water when I made an interesting observation. I ran three wsm's simultaneously, during a comp. Two had their vents shut all the way and we were struggling to keep them below 300, while the third wsm, we were struggling to get it over 200!
The only variable I could find was that the third wsm's door had a much tighter fit.
I plan to adjust the other doors to see if indeed its the source of the problem.
Chris from OHIO
TVWBB Member
My door definitely doesn't 'quite' fit right. I have tried all kind of bending and bowing but I still end up with two small gaps (one on each side) about 3/4 the way up the door. I am thinking/wondering if I got some rare earth magnets and just clamped them down to keep the door tight if that would change anything?
Larry Wolfe
Closed Account
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chris from OHIO:
My door definitely doesn't 'quite' fit right. I have tried all kind of bending and bowing but I still end up with two small gaps (one on each side) about 3/4 the way up the door. I am thinking/wondering if I got some rare earth magnets and just clamped them down to keep the door tight if that would change anything? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Chris,
I have 2 WSM's, one is very well seal and barely leaks any smoke when cooking. However, I have another one that is bent all out of shape and leaks throughout the cook, especially around the door, but holds temps as well or even better than the well sealed WSM. If you are concerned about the gaps, tear off a couple strips of foil and fill the gaps with that, I will do that on windy days. That seals it up nicely.
My door definitely doesn't 'quite' fit right. I have tried all kind of bending and bowing but I still end up with two small gaps (one on each side) about 3/4 the way up the door. I am thinking/wondering if I got some rare earth magnets and just clamped them down to keep the door tight if that would change anything? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Chris,
I have 2 WSM's, one is very well seal and barely leaks any smoke when cooking. However, I have another one that is bent all out of shape and leaks throughout the cook, especially around the door, but holds temps as well or even better than the well sealed WSM. If you are concerned about the gaps, tear off a couple strips of foil and fill the gaps with that, I will do that on windy days. That seals it up nicely.
j biesinger
TVWBB Platinum Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">especially around the door, but holds temps as well or even better than the well sealed WSM. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
erg...contradictory evidence...there's goes my hypothesis.
I don't do this enough (or have been doing it long enough) to have a real second nature about things. so I got to jump to conclusions on limited evidence.
I don't want to change the thread, but the only other variable MIGHT have been the way the minion start initiated and progressed. I noticed a ton of unlit briquettes when I broke the cool running wsm down. I attributed it to the lack of o2, but did think that, maybe, I didn't get a good chain reaction like the other two that ran hot.
Larry, do you use water? If not, does your leaky wsm hold temps below 300*.
erg...contradictory evidence...there's goes my hypothesis.
I don't do this enough (or have been doing it long enough) to have a real second nature about things. so I got to jump to conclusions on limited evidence.
I don't want to change the thread, but the only other variable MIGHT have been the way the minion start initiated and progressed. I noticed a ton of unlit briquettes when I broke the cool running wsm down. I attributed it to the lack of o2, but did think that, maybe, I didn't get a good chain reaction like the other two that ran hot.
Larry, do you use water? If not, does your leaky wsm hold temps below 300*.
Larry Wolfe
Closed Account
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j biesinger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">especially around the door, but holds temps as well or even better than the well sealed WSM. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Larry, do you use water? If not, does your leaky wsm hold temps below 300*. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I use 2 firebricks in the leaky WSM and sand in the sealed one....They both will hold temps like a rock in the 245º-260º. However, the vent settings are a little different due to the different cookers. The sealed one, I will leave the bottom vents open a fraction more than I do on the leaky one for obvious reasons. I also shut the bottom vents down a little sooner (around 175º) on the leaky vs. 200º on the sealed one, again for obvious reasons.
The WSM's do not need to be air tight to hold good low temps. The key is to control your temps on the way up, by controlling the air or then they'll burn hot.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">especially around the door, but holds temps as well or even better than the well sealed WSM. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Larry, do you use water? If not, does your leaky wsm hold temps below 300*. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I use 2 firebricks in the leaky WSM and sand in the sealed one....They both will hold temps like a rock in the 245º-260º. However, the vent settings are a little different due to the different cookers. The sealed one, I will leave the bottom vents open a fraction more than I do on the leaky one for obvious reasons. I also shut the bottom vents down a little sooner (around 175º) on the leaky vs. 200º on the sealed one, again for obvious reasons.
The WSM's do not need to be air tight to hold good low temps. The key is to control your temps on the way up, by controlling the air or then they'll burn hot.
j biesinger
TVWBB Platinum Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I also shut the bottom vents down a little sooner (around 175º) on the leaky vs. 200º on the sealed one, again for obvious reasons. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
good tip, I'll be a bit more aggressive with the vents. I'm usually 50% closed by 200, and 100% by 250, and over the next hour it will uncontrollably climb to 300-350.
good tip, I'll be a bit more aggressive with the vents. I'm usually 50% closed by 200, and 100% by 250, and over the next hour it will uncontrollably climb to 300-350.
