Another “pit goes out” thread 🤕

[Swamp_moss]

Hope all are doing well.
I’ll get to the point today, my Akorn was chugging along at 225-227 for 40 minutes on my last cook (preheating before adding meat). I know the consensus is to not adjust vents once meat is added and temp will come back up, but my fire is going out.
It’s like when I’m adding meat, it changes air flow enough to stifle the fire.
I got it rekindled and rolling again around 260, give or take5 degree fluctuations up and down, until I added a chuck roast on the top rack. Down the temps went. All the way down to 145. Open the vents and it picks back up.
What is going on? Does putting meat in affect the airflow that much? If it did I’m not sure how you’d ever know where to set your vents prior to adding your meat

Anyone else have this happen?

 

[Chasdev]

The cold meat is effecting the temp probe and causing it to read lower.
As to the fire going out, try a bigger load of coal and watch the vent settings as it recovers.
Once back up to temp your original vent settings should be close.

 

[Swamp_moss]

The cold meat is effecting the temp probe and causing it to read lower.
As to the fire going out, try a bigger load of coal and watch the vent settings as it recovers.
Once back up to temp your original vent settings should be close.

Thanks for the reply and ideas. No shortage of fuel, it was slam full.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Hey there. Just curious exactly how your air intake was set vs. your vent?

 

[Swamp_moss]

Hey there. Just curious exactly how your air intake was set vs. your vent?

Intake was below the “1” setting but not much. Vent was set about 1, little below but not just the half moons, as well.

 

[Chasdev]

I also drive a kamado and sometimes they burn funny.
So, was your charcoal fresh from a new bag or had it been sitting after opening on a porch or in a garage where it could inhale moisture?
Was your charcoal made up of mostly small chunks which might have formed an air dam?
Did you stack the charcoal in a "volcano" shape or was it spread flat?
Did you start the fire nearest to the inlet vent or on the opposite side away from the inlet vent or in the center?

 

[Swamp_moss]

I also drive a kamado and sometimes they burn funny.
So, was your charcoal fresh from a new bag or had it been sitting after opening on a porch or in a garage where it could inhale moisture?
Was your charcoal made up of mostly small chunks which might have formed an air dam?
Did you stack the charcoal in a "volcano" shape or was it spread flat?
Did you start the fire nearest to the inlet vent or on the opposite side away from the inlet vent or in the center?

I leave a hole dead center of the grate and light the fire in the inner fringes of that. You may be on to something with the lump. It was in an opened bag which had only been rolled up in a storage area that’s open to the underside of my house...which is very damp (another thread for a different day). I’ll try fresh lump in a sealed container next cook

 

[bill1]

Did you have a drip pan? Doesn't sound like you got to the point of dripping fats, but you could have dripped a lot of moisture onto the fire.

On open fires like ugly drums, Kamado's, Akorns, I tend to avoid drip pans (unless I want a gravy, au jus) because I don't want to block the smoke. But a highly-louvered sheet of steel, cut to fit only inches over the fire, can work well. It keeps an occasional flame-up from burning your cook while letting all the smoke through. And most drips just sizzle on it instead of affecting your fire.

 

[Swamp_moss]

Did you have a drip pan? Doesn't sound like you got to the point of dripping fats, but you could have dripped a lot of moisture onto the fire.

On open fires like ugly drums, Kamado's, Akorns, I tend to avoid drip pans (unless I want a gravy, au jus) because I don't want to block the smoke. But a highly-louvered sheet of steel, cut to fit only inches over the fire, can work well. It keeps an occasional flame-up from burning your cook while letting all the smoke through. And most drips just sizzle on it instead of affecting your fire.

Smoking stone with a tin pan on top is what I usually run.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Never ran one of your style cookers, but generally speaking, you are better off running your vent wide open then control fire with air intake. There are times to close down the vent, but building temp isn’t one of them. In my opinion, your killing your fire with the vent being closed down. Try opening the vent, leave it alone, and try managing the fire through the air intake.