Turkey smoke not going well...

mrwizardgi

Meat Mopper

Original poster

Jul 14, 2008

164

10

Nebraska

• Aug 9, 2008

• #1

So I'm finally getting the chance to smoke again and it's not going well. I have not quite mastered the art of getting the charcoal ready to get my grill up to temp. I have been struggling to keep the temps high enough to cook this bird. I am using royal oak natural wood charcoal and seems to burn longer with less ash, but it doesn't seem to be getting very hot. I really need to get a chimney so I can get things going proper like. I am feeling a bit frustrated right now...

J-

 

wutang

Smoking Fanatic

OTBS Member

Jul 10, 2008

869

16

Omaha, Ne

• Aug 9, 2008

• #2

What temps are you able to get?

 

richtee

Epic Pitmaster

OTBS Member

Aug 12, 2007

10,682

29

N. Oakland County, MI

• Aug 9, 2008

• #3

You COULD put a pile on a spare grate and fire it with a propane torch. I get mine going with a grate over a turkey fryer unit. But yep get a chimney.

 

mrwizardgi

Meat Mopper

Original poster

Thread starter

Jul 14, 2008

164

10

Nebraska

• Aug 9, 2008

• #4

That's what I've been doing (been using my side burner), and wound up doing that and adding it to the sfb. I'm finally at about 260-ish. I was hovering around 200-220 for a long while. Hopefully I can keep her here now and let'er go. Plus, I'm antsy and am always f-in around opening things I shouldn't be etc. I need to have patience...ohmmmmmmm...ohmmmmmmm

J-

 

wutang

Smoking Fanatic

OTBS Member

Jul 10, 2008

869

16

Omaha, Ne

• Aug 9, 2008

• #5

Sounds like you are back on track. Hope the rest goes smoother for ya

 

richtee

Epic Pitmaster

OTBS Member

Aug 12, 2007

10,682

29

N. Oakland County, MI

• Aug 9, 2008

• #6

Hopefully you'll have that bird to 140+ before the 4 hour mark. If yer creeping up on 3+ and temp is still way low, consider perhaps hitting a 400° oven for a short time while ya stoke the firebox again... then back to the smoker with the hot bird.

 

laughingpanther

Meat Mopper

Jun 21, 2008

182

16

A drinking town with a football problem

• Aug 9, 2008

• #7

Maintaining heat levels with a chacoal smoker is mostly in the amount of charcoal that you start with. Make a note of how much charcoal you started with this time and use more next time. It takes most people a bit of tweaking to get it at the right level to start with.

 

mrwizardgi

Meat Mopper

Original poster

Thread starter

Jul 14, 2008

164

10

Nebraska

• Aug 10, 2008

• #8

Thanks for the advice all. In an ironic twist, the Webber Chimney I purchased online came today...after I pulled the bird. I wound up giving it 20 mins in the oven at 375 to make sure it was done. It tasted great although I thought the breast was a bit drier than I thought it might be.

I am very new to charcoal so I am not learned in the way of the burn just yet. I know I've been starting with too little charcoal, and I have not been patient in letting all the coals take before putting them in the sfb. I'm hoping the chimney will help me out and I can get things up to temp. correctly and not be in such a darn hurry!

Future smokes will be much better! Thanks agin for the help and info all!

J-

 

coyote

Master of the Pit

Feb 17, 2008

1,019

14

• Aug 10, 2008

• #9

this may help also..are you just dumping the coal into the fire bx? or piling it up?

one of the charcoal baskets should and will help keep temps a little more higher and even.. good luck..