Temps in charcoal smoker

cdm1082 · Jul 12, 2012

Brand new to smoking meat. I have a small half barrel size charcoal grill that I am using.
I am attempting a beer can chicken at the moment and can't seem to keep the temp below 350.
The skins already looking pretty crispy after a hr and a half and its readinh at 140. I'm only using Kingsford charcoal and a few handful of wood chips. I've tried adjusting the vents but doesn't seem to matter.

This chicken is my test run for a 12lb brisket I have that I am attempting for Sun.
If I can't control my temp and get the it under 300 then I got a feeling I'm going to scotch this $30 piece of meat on Sun.

I was planning on wrapping my brisket in foil once it hits 150 and cooking the remainder time in the foil on the grill. I guess I'll be cooking it fast and high like this?

Suggestions?

memphisbud · Jul 12, 2012

Sounds like you don't have much control via the vents. I would start with less charcoal, and add a few here and there until I get to the temp I want. If you have a metal shovel, I would remove some for now, then add coal/wood as necessary to keep the temp where you want it, and then look for advice on modifications on this website to make your rig more temperature friendly. A bunch of good folks on this website, I'm sure you'll get more advice shortly

JckDanls 07 · Jul 12, 2012

try another trial run before Sunday... If temps are still high... CLOSE BOTH VENTS (intake and exhaust)and give it thirty minutes and see If temps start to come down.. If not then you definatly have air leak issues.. More info would also help us stir you in the right direction...as in what kind of unit you have (pictures).. how much charcoal you use ?... side fire box ?... indirect method ?... what kind of thermometer are you using ?,,,

If temps do come down with both vents closed, let them come down to around 200`... now leave intake closed and open just the exhaust vent and monitor temps... you should see them starting to rise in a bout 10-15 minutes... If temps start going up over 230` then close the exhaust back down to just a quarter open (intake still closed)..

My cheap chargriller... I have to run with intake fully closed and exhaust just barely open(around a 1/4" gap or less)...

more info and pics would surely help...

cdm1082 · Jul 12, 2012

I attached a picture of my simple half barrel grill. It has 4 vents, 2 on the bottom of each side to control the heat and 2 on the side lid. The grill didn't come with a thermometer built in or anything. It also doesn't have a side-box or anything, the coals go in the bottom barrel. I use indirect heat when smoking. I load the right side up with charcoal and have a metal pan on the left side with water in it. Then I put the grate on and put the meat on the side with the pan. I started out with a charcoal chimney with about 30 brickets. Once they were ashed over I added them to the grill and then put another 20 or so unlit brickets on top of them. Then I added a few handfulls of mesquite chips. I was adding about 10 brickets every hr or so after that. I had the top vent on the meat side open all the way and the vent on the right side about 1/4 the way open. The bottom I was adjusting between 1/2 open and 3/4 open but wasnt getting a drastic change. After that hour and a half mark it stayed close to 300.

As far as the beer can chicken I made tonight. I ended up cooking it for 3hrs and it turned out great, meat was juicy and moist. Leads me to believe the thermometer I was using was incorrect with the inside temperature I was getting. I ordered a wireless probe type thermometer which should be arriving tomorrow in the mail. Hopefully that will give me a better idea of what temp I am reaching inside the grill.

JckDanls 07 · Jul 12, 2012

OK.. I see the problem now... 300` is good for chicken... the thing "I think" you did wrong was lighting to much charcoal at the start.. what you need to do is make/have made a charcoal basket like this

make it long enough so when it sits on the bottom of the smoker it is a bout 2-3 inches off the bottom...

fill the basket up with unlit charcoal and wood chunks mixed through out the charcoal... now take 8-10 briquettes back out off the very end and light those in the chimney... when they are about halfway lit dump them back in the end of the basket... using the two vents you said you used, open the exhaust all the way and the intake about half.... as it gets to around 200` start closing down the intake to keep temps around 225`... as I said above, i have to run intake fully closed and exhaust open VERY LITTLE (1/8"-1/4")... that load will last me 6-8 hrs without adding more charcoal...

cdm1082 · Jul 13, 2012

Thanks for the help! I picked up one of the weber baskets they had at Home Depot.
It should work with my grill in the right corner. With this peice of brisket being almost 2ft long
I don't have alot of space for a wider basket anyways.

How many brickets would you suggest starting with?
20 unlit and then 10 lit on top?

Search

Search

Temps in charcoal smoker

cdm1082

Newbie

memphisbud

Smoke Blower

JckDanls 07

Legendary Pitmaster

cdm1082

Newbie

JckDanls 07

Legendary Pitmaster

cdm1082

Newbie

Similar threads

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Our Second piece of Heaven, Little piece on the Atlantic Ocean

How Do I Get Rid of These Armadillos?!!

Non fat dried milk

Featured A couple thick strips please!

Getting to the bottom of what happens to cure in smoked sausage