Please help with chargiller

[skinnerc06]

OK. Im not entirely sure what model smoker i bought. ALL i know is i got a good deal on my first smoker. I just wanted something simple to start off with. Its a basic smoker with an offest smoker box. Only problem is that its quite small. Im having trouble getting the temperature hot enough. I start off with a generous amount of kingsford charcoal, set all the hot coals to one side, and spread soaked chips on the other. I get the perfect amount of smoke, not too thick, not too thin, but my temp has trouble staying around 225, even with my damper and chimney completely open. I know I could just use more coals to keep it up there, but I feel like I am using enough already. Is there anything i can do to increase the temp while using the amount of coals i am already using? I feel like if I used any more coals than i currently do i would go bankrupt ina matter of days. Any suggestions would be greatly apprectiated.

 

[hawgheaven]

First off, if I were you, I'd switch to lump hardwood charcoal. It burns hotter and longer, easier to get your temps up. Put some unlit charcoal in the SFB, start a chimney full of charcoal and pour it on top of the unlit ones. The temp should rise fairly quickly. You can add your wood chunks right to the coals, soak them in water first if you like.

What I like to do is once I have a nice bed of coals going, I like using apple or cherry splits to keep the fire going. You don't have to do it this way, you can refuel with charcoal and wood chunks...

What ever you do, do not depend on the stock guage in the lid. At best, it sucks out loud. Get yourself a decent digital, or even a grill surface temp guage.

There are several mods you may eventually want to do to this unit to help get more even heat. But for now, get the hang of the firebox and GET A GOOD THERMOMETER...

Hope this helps!

 

[skinnerc06]

Hawg,
Thanks for the prompt reply. I have a maverick ET-73 dual probe...both checked quite accurate at 212. I havent tried lump chunks yet.... I think i will get them next time because they are the same price as the chips i get now, and i believe they will burn slower and hotter.... exactly what i need. I will just have to keep tending to the fire box a little more often for now, but next time i will try lump with a little mix of minion. (hahha i like using new terms, even though i probably sound like an idiot). Anyways. I think the butt i have on the smoker right now is going pretty well. Updated a few pics a moment ago. Anyways. thanks for the info and wish me luck! Let u know how it all turns out./

 

[hawgheaven]

Great! Glad things are going well... good luck!

 

[chris_harper]

you have a pic of the smoker? roughly how much charcoal you using? eg. half a 9-lb bag or half a 4-lb bag?

 

[skinnerc06]

I think i solved the problem.. I just needed to add more coals than i was each time. Runin hotter and longer now.. Thanks

 

[mkatts]

Sounds like you have a smokin pro. I have the same one. I had problems using kingsford briquetes. I had to use two lit chimmneys to get up to 220*. I switched to Royal oak lump from Wal-Mart. Now I put one chimmney of lit to two unlit and I have to all but close the damper to keep it down to 220-240*. Plus I get 2 hours without stoking the fire. Even then I just dump a chimmney full of unlit on the fire.