OK... here's my 2 pennies... I have the SJS with no extra vents... first off I suspect your bent vent is not helping matters any.. take that off and straighten... As far as your ash catching bowl goes... I'm still on the fence about that... I just have a SS pet dish turned upside down with 1/2" holes drilled in it... no basket ... I cut the bottom out of my pot and made a smaller grate to go down in past the steamer insert lip so it sits on the bottom of the pot (the lip left from cutting the bottom out) ... I then cut a piece of 1/4" plate to sit on that grate leaving about a 1/2"-1" gap around it for the heat and smoke to come up through.... on top of that I have a 12" cast iron skillet with the handle cut off (wrapped in foil for easy clean up)... this all still sits down in lower than the steamer insert lip which allows me to put a grate on the insert lip plus 2 other grates higher up.... all that steel works as a heat sync/diffuser/drip pan....
For lighting... I fill with unlit briquettes and wood chunks mixed throughout leaving a hole in the middle... lighting 6-10 briquettes in the chimney... but here's where you control the heat from the get go... If wanting low and slow... only let briquettes get about 1/4-1/2 way lit.. not screaming red hot... for a hot smoke from the get go.. let them (6-10) get ashed over... dump them in the hole left in the unlit and put pot on... leave all vents wide open until you get to about 25` from your target temp... close intake WAY down (!/8-1/4 open) when climbing temps start slowing down then you can open intake a little at a time until desired temp.... I set mine at 225`and it stays there without adjustment for hours...
But I agree your bent intake vent is causing problems... should be able to leave exhaust open and close intake and the fire will go out (if pot is sealed into the SJ)... we'll get you straightened out.. hopefully before Sunday....
For lighting... I fill with unlit briquettes and wood chunks mixed throughout leaving a hole in the middle... lighting 6-10 briquettes in the chimney... but here's where you control the heat from the get go... If wanting low and slow... only let briquettes get about 1/4-1/2 way lit.. not screaming red hot... for a hot smoke from the get go.. let them (6-10) get ashed over... dump them in the hole left in the unlit and put pot on... leave all vents wide open until you get to about 25` from your target temp... close intake WAY down (!/8-1/4 open) when climbing temps start slowing down then you can open intake a little at a time until desired temp.... I set mine at 225`and it stays there without adjustment for hours...
But I agree your bent intake vent is causing problems... should be able to leave exhaust open and close intake and the fire will go out (if pot is sealed into the SJ)... we'll get you straightened out.. hopefully before Sunday....
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