First brisket

How are you starting the fire?

It sounds like you are just not starting with a big enough fire.

Start about 10-12 briquettes in a chimney starter & put them on top of a full ring of unlit charcoal with wood chunks mixed in.

Here is my setup, but this is with the 22.5, same principal just a larger scale.


Leave all the vents wide open until the temp gets up to where you want it.

Then start shutting down the bottom vents until the temp stabilizes.

Keep the top vent open 100% all the time.

Hope this helps!

Now  would you swing by "Roll Call" & introduce yourself, so we can all welcome you to SMF!

I also moved this to charcoal smokers.

Al