Need Excel 20 help

With my first cook using the Excel I had no troubles at all getting to cooker up to temp. I left all three vents open after adding a full chimney of lit coals to my basket of unlit charcoal. In about 30 minutes I had the cooker up to 300 degrees with hot tap water in the pan. I closed off two of the vents and lifted the lid to let out some heat. The cooker came back up to 225 within 10 minutes or so and hummed along there like a good thing.

I don't think you need to use the ceramic pot method with this cooker as from what I experienced it works pretty dang good holding temps. I myself prefer a moist environment over the dry but this is just MHO.

BowtieBill wrote:

Dr_KY wrote:Hey there Thom how the devil are ya?

I haven't used the flowerpot thing, is the reasoning because it makes clean up easier?

I think using the flower pot thing is for a few reasons. One, it is a big heat sink, once it heats up it helps keep the temp consistent.
Two, clean up (some even are wrapping it in foil I believe).
And three, you do not have to keep adding water during the cook.

It is a similar theroy as using sand. Then there is the Foil Balls that some use.

I might experiment with some of the ideas once I get more familiar with the Excel20. Us Excel users can probably get some good ideas from the Virtual Weber Bullet web site.

Bill

Indeed

Well, doing my second cook on the Excel, but seems I am having similar issues as the first.
Smoking two Butts, so I filled up the charcoal basket with Kingsford briquettes, a few large pieces of Royal Oak lump, and some Hickory and Apple wood chunks. I added a 3/4 chimney of lit coals on top, all 3 vents wide open. Filled the water pan with hot tap water. Weather is very nice, in the 70's this morning, no wind at all.
It got up to 200 in over 30 minutes. After an hour it was about 225. I could not wait any longer, so I placed the butts on.
I verified the temp with another gauge. I am still running with all 3 vents wide open.
Maybe I need to start with more lit coals. I will try that next time.
FYI, I am an experienced pitmaster, just not with this smoker.
I will keep you posted.
Bill

I use less water in the pan.. Just about an inch and a half is fine for 3 or 4 hours. If you fill it all the way it takes a real long time for it to come up to the simmering point and that will absorb a lot of heat.

How are you guys filling the charcoal basket? Are you filling it with unlit and pouring a chimney of lit on top? Or are you placing the unlit charcoal to one side and pouring the lit on the other?
I am still seeing an airflow problem.

Thanks

BowtieBill wrote:How are you guys filling the charcoal basket? Are you filling it with unlit and pouring a chimney of lit on top? Or are you placing the unlit charcoal to one side and pouring the lit on the other?
I am still seeing an airflow problem.

Thanks

Filling it as full as you can get it and then add about 3/4 of a chimney on top is what I do.

It is worth checking out the http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpindexpage.htm?bag web site to find a hotter burning charcoal. I use one from Argentina that burns longer and hotter and I have great results with my ProBBQ's.

Roxy wrote:

BowtieBill wrote:How are you guys filling the charcoal basket? Are you filling it with unlit and pouring a chimney of lit on top? Or are you placing the unlit charcoal to one side and pouring the lit on the other?
I am still seeing an airflow problem.

Thanks

Filling it as full as you can get it and then add about 3/4 of a chimney on top is what I do.

It is worth checking out the http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpindexpage.htm?bag web site to find a hotter burning charcoal. I use one from Argentina that burns longer and hotter and I have great results with my ProBBQ's.

Thanks, Roxy.
The first burn I used Royal Oak (the USA version, highly rated by the Naked Whiz). This time I used Kingsford Briquettes to hopefully help with airflow. Also added some large hunks of Royal Oak during burn. I load the basket the same as you mentioned. Just not seeing temps everyone else is seeing.
I will be at a contest next weekend, so I will not get a chance to play with it for a couple of weeks.
But I have to admit, both times the product came out well. Pulled my butts off after 11.5 hours. Did not have the smoke flovor I am use to with the stick burner, but I will adjust my amount of wood chunks next time.
Also, a distrubutor is bring some Wicked Good charcoal to the comp for me, can't wait to try it.

Bill Try it with something other than water in the pan

Thom,
I think that is my next plan.
I really need to verify the temps better as well. The probe thermo I had with me did not fit through the probe hole, so I just dangled it through the vent. It read the same as the pit thermo, so I just stuck using it.
Also, my water is burning off way to fast. I will try either sand, foil balls, or maybe even the beach pepples like Mista did in his SpiceWine.
I bought this so I can have something to allow me to get a few hours sleep. It seems to hold the temps fine for quite a long while. Just hoping I can figure it out.
Hmmm, maybe a new toy like a Guru or Stoker is calling my name.

ThomEmery wrote:Bill Try it with something other than water in the pan

Bill,

I find that leaving a little area around the vent seems to work wonders. Around the vent, I leave an open space for airflow. My temp really picked up and was maintained for a longer time. That ash can be a serious issue. All the charcoal seems to burn better also.

Jenx

Well, another cook on the Excel, and another cook with the same results.
This time I loaded up with Royal Oak, and added a FULL lit chimney of K briquettes. Let set open for a while, then assembled the unit. Added Apple wood chunks. All three vents on bottom wide open, same for top one. No water in the pan, just foil balls with foil covering. Temp went to 250 and stayed there. Added my 2 Beer-Can chickens (had to put them on the lower rack for clearence), temp dropped to 230 and stayed there. Was using oven thermo on grate, read same as one in lid.
Now, my chicken came out great. And the temps held the whole time and was still at 225-230 when I went to bed, which was 6 plus hours after I fired it up. But if I cannot control the heat by throttling down the intakes, then I have no control of the unit.
Next time I will try straight lump, no Kingsford to start. I did pick up a couple of bags of Wicked Good Charcoal which I will try on my next long cook. But since it is three times the price, and not easily available, I need to get it to work with the Royal Oak.
Bill

Minion method with a mixture of lump and coals. I like using lump as you know it burns hotter and the coals to keep her going longer.






I noticed with my cook last weekend that she burned a good bit of fuel and I needed another vent open. I put it down to the amount of water (full) in the pan on this run compaired to the half pan on the last run. I'm going the dry or sand route next weekend.

I'm wondering if the basket needs to be a bit taller to hold more fuel?

I just noticed something odd in my pictures regarding the base unit. Can anyone spot it?

Dr_KY wrote:I just noticed something odd in my pictures regarding the base unit. Can anyone spot it?

First I thought the leg on the unit was cockeyed, but then realized it was the clamp. ??? Dunno ??? The vents are closed???

Wow, I have been filling my basket up a lot more then that with unlit coals. Maybe I will try less next time.

Oh, and what is odd is that your vents are closed.

Thanks for the pics,
Bill