Jesse Skeens wrote:
> On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 08:45:49 -0700, "Duwop" > wrote:
>
> Right now I'm having a hell of a time getting the temp up.
> Its only gone up to about 230 so far. Seems like I've added
> about 3 chimmneys of lump. I do have the vent at 1/4 of the
> way. Should I open it until the temp rises and then close back
> down again?

Sorry, yeah, get the thing started wide open before shutting down.

>Just added some more lump on top so hopefully
> that will help. Looks like I need to make a bigger fire and then
> jsut keep maintainign with constant fuel addtions.
>
> Jesse

Pretty much.


--

On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 17:01:30 -0700, "Duwop" > wrote:

>Jesse Skeens wrote:
>> On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 08:45:49 -0700, "Duwop" > wrote:
>>
>> Right now I'm having a hell of a time getting the temp up.
>> Its only gone up to about 230 so far. Seems like I've added
>> about 3 chimmneys of lump. I do have the vent at 1/4 of the
>> way. Should I open it until the temp rises and then close back
>> down again?
>
>Sorry, yeah, get the thing started wide open before shutting down.
>
>>Just added some more lump on top so hopefully
>> that will help. Looks like I need to make a bigger fire and then
>> jsut keep maintainign with constant fuel addtions.
>>
>> Jesse
>
>Pretty much.


Ok so the fire has stablized now and its a more comfortable
225-240. What is puzzling is that I have a lot less coals now
yet it seems to hold better. Looks like the key is to have some
bigger chunks of wood standing by. I dropped about a
5" x 4" chunk and that got the temp up. Before I was
adding chimney after chimnet of either lump or burned
wood and it was barely making a difference. Never got
the grade higher than 240-250 though. Big difference
compared to the WSM which will easily sky rocket
if you added a full chimney to it.

Took my chicken quarters off a little while ago and they
came out good. Ribs are almost done as well.

All inall I like cooking on this better than the WSM.
After the initial trial and error period I seem to have
it down now. And although its not as "set and forget"
as the WSM, putting a few chunks of fuel on every
so often isn't exactly "work".

Thanks for all the help.

Jesse

On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 20:53:18 -0400, Jesse Skeens >
wrote:

>wood and it was barely making a difference. Never got
>the grade higher than 240-250 though. Big difference
>compared to the WSM which will easily sky rocket
>if you added a full chimney to it.


Correction just went out and it was up to 267.
Again there is much less coals now than earlier
when I was barely at 200. Ony difference
I can see is that all thse ones are white/red
where as before I had a lot of unburned lump
there (minion setup).

Looks like I got the small/hot fire now like
you're supposed to as before when I had a
large cool one (and more smoke).

Maybe it was having the side door only
open 1/4 way.

Jesse

> Looks like I got the small/hot fire now like
> you're supposed to as before when I had a
> large cool one (and more smoke).
>
> Maybe it was having the side door only
> open 1/4 way.

I cook with the vents all the way open, and keep a small hot fire going --
we're talking less than 8" around for the bed of coals and everything. I
seem to have more luck controlling things. Maybe it's just me, but it's
easier to eyeball how much wood to add than it is to adjust a vent while
adding wood.

Mike

On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 21:36:25 -0400, "Mike Neel" >
wrote:

>> Looks like I got the small/hot fire now like
>> you're supposed to as before when I had a
>> large cool one (and more smoke).
>>
>> Maybe it was having the side door only
>> open 1/4 way.
>
>I cook with the vents all the way open, and keep a small hot fire going --
>we're talking less than 8" around for the bed of coals and everything. I
>seem to have more luck controlling things. Maybe it's just me, but it's
>easier to eyeball how much wood to add than it is to adjust a vent while
>adding wood.
>
>Mike
>

Mike,

Once I got the fire hot it seemed to work ok to have
the vent mostly closed and at the same time add fuel.
I think my problem was keeping it fairly closed even
when the fire hadn't got hot enough yet.

Overall the cook went well. Just took the ribs off.
They could have been more tender but I dont think
they cooked long enough with the temp as low as it
was. There was a piece I trimmed that was next
to the opening to the firebox and that piece
came out perfect. The extra heat from where it
lay seemed to make the difference.

Jesse

On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 21:36:25 -0400, "Mike Neel" >
wrote:

>> Looks like I got the small/hot fire now like
>> you're supposed to as before when I had a
>> large cool one (and more smoke).
>>
>> Maybe it was having the side door only
>> open 1/4 way.
>
>I cook with the vents all the way open, and keep a small hot fire going --
>we're talking less than 8" around for the bed of coals and everything. I
>seem to have more luck controlling things. Maybe it's just me, but it's
>easier to eyeball how much wood to add than it is to adjust a vent while
>adding wood.
>
>Mike
>

Mike,

Once I got the fire hot it seemed to work ok to have
the vent mostly closed and at the same time add fuel.
I think my problem was keeping it fairly closed even
when the fire hadn't got hot enough yet.

Overall the cook went well. Just took the ribs off.
They could have been more tender but I dont think
they cooked long enough with the temp as low as it
was. There was a piece I trimmed that was next
to the opening to the firebox and that piece
came out perfect. The extra heat from where it
lay seemed to make the difference.

Jesse

> Looks like I got the small/hot fire now like
> you're supposed to as before when I had a
> large cool one (and more smoke).
>
> Maybe it was having the side door only
> open 1/4 way.

I cook with the vents all the way open, and keep a small hot fire going --
we're talking less than 8" around for the bed of coals and everything. I
seem to have more luck controlling things. Maybe it's just me, but it's
easier to eyeball how much wood to add than it is to adjust a vent while
adding wood.

Mike

Jesse Skeens wrote:
> putting a few chunks of fuel on every
> so often isn't exactly "work".

Now ya got it, Jesse. We're all modern day neandrethals; we love to
mess with meat, heat and smoke.
--
-frohe
Life is too short to be in a hurry

On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 20:53:18 -0400, Jesse Skeens >
wrote:

>wood and it was barely making a difference. Never got
>the grade higher than 240-250 though. Big difference
>compared to the WSM which will easily sky rocket
>if you added a full chimney to it.


Correction just went out and it was up to 267.
Again there is much less coals now than earlier
when I was barely at 200. Ony difference
I can see is that all thse ones are white/red
where as before I had a lot of unburned lump
there (minion setup).

Looks like I got the small/hot fire now like
you're supposed to as before when I had a
large cool one (and more smoke).

Maybe it was having the side door only
open 1/4 way.

Jesse

On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 17:01:30 -0700, "Duwop" > wrote:

>Jesse Skeens wrote:
>> On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 08:45:49 -0700, "Duwop" > wrote:
>>
>> Right now I'm having a hell of a time getting the temp up.
>> Its only gone up to about 230 so far. Seems like I've added
>> about 3 chimmneys of lump. I do have the vent at 1/4 of the
>> way. Should I open it until the temp rises and then close back
>> down again?
>
>Sorry, yeah, get the thing started wide open before shutting down.
>
>>Just added some more lump on top so hopefully
>> that will help. Looks like I need to make a bigger fire and then
>> jsut keep maintainign with constant fuel addtions.
>>
>> Jesse
>
>Pretty much.


Ok so the fire has stablized now and its a more comfortable
225-240. What is puzzling is that I have a lot less coals now
yet it seems to hold better. Looks like the key is to have some
bigger chunks of wood standing by. I dropped about a
5" x 4" chunk and that got the temp up. Before I was
adding chimney after chimnet of either lump or burned
wood and it was barely making a difference. Never got
the grade higher than 240-250 though. Big difference
compared to the WSM which will easily sky rocket
if you added a full chimney to it.

Took my chicken quarters off a little while ago and they
came out good. Ribs are almost done as well.

All inall I like cooking on this better than the WSM.
After the initial trial and error period I seem to have
it down now. And although its not as "set and forget"
as the WSM, putting a few chunks of fuel on every
so often isn't exactly "work".

Thanks for all the help.

Jesse