WSM - Temp too low!


 
M

Mimi Joyal

New member
I'm a new owner of an 18.5" WSM smoker. I have have take three smoking journeys. I have been unable to sustain a temp above 165o. My smoker is assembled properly, I have gone from counting coals as recommended in the guide to a full Weber chimney starter load, have used only fresh Kingsford coals in the blue bag and fired them up so that flames lick the topmost coals and a white ash film has developed, I have opened all vents, have reduced the water pan to 1/4 full, I allowed the items to be smoked to reach room temp before placing them in the smoker, and still I am having trouble. I have a remote thermometer and do not open the smoker to peak. Yesterday, after 5 hours in the smoker I finally pulled a whole chicken and five country ribs out of the smoker and cooked them in my oven. Neither had achieved an internal temp of higher than 130o. The day was warm with no wind. This was the same scenario with my first two adventures. The internal temp gets nice and hot when the coals are added, but them drops to 155-165 and will not climb to smoking temp. When I finally gave up and transferred the meat to the oven I was able to put my hand right in the smoker with no discomfort. The chicken was covered with ashes, likely due to the time I stirred the coals as recommended in the guide. The only time the coals were nice and hot was when I added them to the smoker, and about 10 minutes after I took the meat out. I left the lid off and the coals finally took off. What am I doing wrong? Frustrated in Bisbee.
 
Mimi,can you send pics of your WSM as it would be in use. I would be most interested in seeing the vents both top and bottom. If all the vents are open, both top and bottom, I see no way that the coals should not maintain temp and even get high with time. I would double check that with the vent covers open that there is actually a hole in the body letting air in and out in the lid. I would also put a full chimney of coals in the ring and leave to cover off. You should get a high enough heat at the top grate to cook a chicken and on the bottom to cook a steak. You could also fill the coal ring and leave the body of the smoker off for a bit and if the fire is roaring add the middle section first and if still hot add the hood.
Quite puzzeling really.

Mark
 
Wow, Mimi the only thing i can think of is maybe ur charcoal grate is sitting below the vents, make sure ur charcoal grate is above the vents so the air can go thru the coals, check all the vents make sure they are 3/4 inch opening on all vents, make sure u use the fire ring so the coals will not block the air flow, do not pack ur coals tight will cause air restriction, if using lower cooking grate make sure u do not block off air flow by overloading with meat hanging over the water pan, gl hope u can find the problem.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mimi Joyal:
have used only fresh Kingsford coals in the blue bag and fired them up so that flames lick the topmost coals and a white ash film has developed </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
It's possible that this may be the problem. Maybe you are burning them too long in the chimney. By the time the top coals are ashed over the bottom ones are spent. Try dumping the chimney when the flames reach the top coals but before the ash has formed. Also, (just for insurance) put a chimney of unlit in the charcoal ring and dump the lit chimney over it.

Hard to tell exactly what's going on without being there but what you are experiencing is definitely not right. Hopefully others will chime in also but I'd start with the above suggestions.

Good luck!!


Check this out...Link

" The charcoal is ready when you see orange color deep inside the chimney starter, flames licking at the charcoal at the top of the chimney, and gray ash just starting to form on some of the charcoal at the top (Picture 4).

If you wait for all of the charcoal at the top of the chimney to be fully ashed-over, much of the charcoal in the bottom of the chimney will be spent, so go ahead and dump the charcoal into your cooker when it looks like Picture 4."


And this...Link
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Don Cash:
And this...Link </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Agree.

How full are you filling the charcoal ring?

Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but it sounds like you're just using the coals from the chimney starter.
 
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