newb needing help

hi, ive just bought a kingsford smoker and found this place while searching for some tips/advice, although a lot of other sites i found were u.s based so not as usefull.

ive had a go at a few joints on the smoker but not with the pleasing results i was hoping for, but i think a lot of this may be down to the temp. ive tried lump and briqs and start them in a chimney then when theyve ashed over put them into the smoker, the trouble i have is that the temp stays around 220 which when reading the other sites seemed good untill i realised they were using F not C and my temp is 220C, it will sit at this temp nice and evenly for a few hours then drops to 150 for a bit before it burns out, as soon as i add more coals its back up to 220, im using the water pan and have tried adjusting the vents etc, but just cant get a tidy low heat for any length of time, can anyone help?
cheers for any info.

Hi Watty,

I have similiar problems with a WSM that I have it tends to run high, however I haven'd problems with the coals running low quickly. I tend to get a good 6 hours out of a coal basket.

What fuel are you using?

How much does your smoker take?

What is the smoker? (do you have a link)

I found on my WSM that at least two of the bottom vents needed to be closed all the time regardless of the length/type of smoke I was doing.

Also is the thermometer you are using calibrated? Can you get a second opinion on temperature?

I am sure someone on here can help, there are plenty of people that know there stuff.

wattywatts wrote:hi, ive just bought a kingsford smoker and found this place while searching for some tips/advice, although a lot of other sites i found were u.s based so not as usefull.

ive had a go at a few joints on the smoker but not with the pleasing results i was hoping for, but i think a lot of this may be down to the temp. ive tried lump and briqs and start them in a chimney then when theyve ashed over put them into the smoker, the trouble i have is that the temp stays around 220 which when reading the other sites seemed good untill i realised they were using F not C and my temp is 220C, it will sit at this temp nice and evenly for a few hours then drops to 150 for a bit before it burns out, as soon as i add more coals its back up to 220, im using the water pan and have tried adjusting the vents etc, but just cant get a tidy low heat for any length of time, can anyone help?
cheers for any info.

229c is about 424 F and that's WAY too hot unless you are doing a fast chicken. Fill the basket with unlit coals then add the ashed over one to the center of the bunch. Open the top vent fully and adjust thr bottom so that it holds a stedy temp of 107C ( 225F) This should double you cooking time.
Tell us about your smoker, you may have air leaks.

Dr_KY wrote:Fill the basket with unlit coals then add the ashed over one to the center of the bunch. Open the top vent fully and adjust thr bottom so that it holds a stedy temp of 107C ( 225F) This should double you cooking time.
Tell us about your smoker, you may have air leaks.

here is a good read to explain the method that Dr KY just recommended to you...

thanks for the replies, heres a link to the smoker

http://www.patiogear.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=0_27_28_139&products_id=665&osCsid=05ad8bcaf95f7e49b970d054dee77907

as said i tried both lump wood and briquettes, i prefer to use the lump as it seems more natural, but theres not a great deal of choice locally. a full chimmney would probably last the best part of 6 hrs, a good 3 of them would be at 220c then drops down to 100-150 till burnt out. i have read another post about calibrating the thermometer and so will give that a go on the weekend.

cheers again guys, hopefully i'll get the hang of it sooner rather than later

To be honest I have little experience of those so I don't know much about the coal basket, vent configs etc. But I would suggest that most of what we do is likely to apply e.g the Minion method for lighting your coals, monitoring the vents etc.

It has to be said though, lump charcoal can be a little unpredictable in the way that it burns so you may find it hard to get consistent burn times, ambient temperature can also have an affect.

I use a restaurant grade charcoal from Makro I don't to have to much of a problem with that, but then a again I have used the cheap B&Q stuff and that was ok too.

I do sometime mix charcoal and briquettes.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Beerz

Adie

wattywatts wrote:

a full chimmney would probably last the best part of 6 hrs, a good 3 of them would be at 220c then drops down to 100-150 till burnt out.

Sounds to me that you are using too much lit fuel. The fuel in the chimney is only to get the heat going. You are not meant to fill a smoker with a full basket of lit fuel. This is why you have huge temp then thy die off in a short period of time.

Fill your basket like this...



...then add the chimney to the center of it and start cooking.

thanks again guys, i appreciate the help, i will try your advice ky for my next smoke and i will also have a look at the charcoal in macro next time im up that way.

cheers

If you can get them round your way maybe try the coconut briquettes - they burn hotter and longer
with less ash residue.