WSM 18.5 Temp Control

[swy19]

Hi All,

Quick one here - 

Just bought a PartyQ and doing 2, 10-lb pork butts overnight. Minion method, lit about 15-20 coals, about 35-40 degrees here in DC. As per PartyQ instructions, all vents are either closed or covered with tape except the fan vent.

Thought if anything, my batteries would run out first. But I've been sitting at 280-300 for 2 hours, both with PartyQ and the Maverick wireless.

Any ideas? I left the water bowl empty thinking with vents closed on a cold, somewhat windy night, it'd be unnecessary. Maybe that is the issue? Also a bit worried maybe there is just air infiltration somewhere? The door not tight enough? The seal between bottom part/middle section not tight enough? 

What am i doing wrong?

 

[SmokinAl]

When you say all the vents are closed, I'm hoping you don't mean the top vent too.

That one needs to be open all the way.

15-20 lit briquettes may have been too many to start with.

It's not cold here but I usually start with 10-12.

Has the fan been running on the party Q?

Where do you have the pit temp probe located?

Al

 

[tropics]

Al has you covered, 1 question how many times have you used the smoker?

Richie

 

[swy19]

Hey guys,

Thanks for such quick responses. Was hoping my first smoke overnight would have just gone swimmingly, but I suppose a learning curve is involved.

I've used the WSM probably twenty times in the past year or two.

The top vent was fully open of course.

I put temp probes right next to each other, clipped between the side of smoker and where the meat is.

Think you might be right, and maybe I started with too many. I also woke up at 330am as it went down to 220. Added some more coal and some water. It's been sitting nicely at 250 for the last four/five hours.

Guess maybe I just need to start slower and be more patient in getting it up to 250? Use less charcoal to start and fill up water bowl?

I'm in DC, and the temp swings here are considerable, so it's been a bit tough learning how much to change up based on that.

Thanks again, and any more advice I'm missing is appreciated!

 

[wade]

Yes, use less coals to begin with and monitor the temperature as it increases. It can take some time. It is good that the top vents were open but to begin with keep the bottom ones open too. As the temperature gets up to about 3/4 target then close the bottom vents too and let the PartyQ take control. Do not let the temperature overshoot as it is MUCH harder to bring it back down than it is to take it up.

You can wait just for the PartyQ to do the work from the start but that can take quite a while.

 

[tropics]

I like to start on the outer edge,with 10 or 12 coals.

The smoker shouldn't really have many leaks with as much as you use it.

Make sure the opening on the end of the fan isn't wide open

Richie

 

[swy19]

Yes, I think next time I need to start with less charcoal, fill the water pan, and be less aggressive at the start. I did have all the vents open at first to get it up to temp, but I think I should have ended that early and just let the partyq do most of the leg work, batteries be damned!

Point well taken easier to jump up in temp than bring it back down. That's what I didn't do.

Just surprising with partyq attached (thus, no vents open) and a cold night, that it could still jump to such high Temps for that amount of time.