Charcoal Smoker has 4 vents?

[vosser78]

Hey I have two smokers one is charcoal and the other is an electric smoker. My charcoal smoker has two vents on the bottom and two on the top. I usually leave both vents open on the bottom and the top ones I leave half cracked or full out open. What should I do for max heat, I struggle to keep it at 225 at times? I feel like 4 vents is an over kill for a small smoker.

 

[bama bbq]

In my opinion, you should control heat with the bottom vents and leave the top vents wide open to reduce the posibility of creosote.  The bottom vents can be closed to very nearly closed -- I mean barely cracked 5 - 10% -- which will provide enough air to the fire for a low and slow cook.  The whole idea is an oxygen starved fire which will produce thin blue to almost no smoke.

 

[vosser78]

Yeah I think I have been Leaving my bottom vents way to wide open. I always figured the more oxygen a fire got the hotter it would get? 

 

[SmokinAl]

Wide open bottom vents should really get the fire going. Your top vents should always be open all the way. If your not getting enough heat with the bottom vents open all the way then the fire is not big enough. Make a bigger fire when you start.