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Post by hoovarmin on Aug 3, 2014 8:53:04 GMT -5
I keep having to close the bottom vents completely to keep from the temps climbing. I have my Maverick probe wires under the lid of the kettle and am wondering if that is creating too much of a draw. I know these aren't "set and forget" but I had hoped for a little less work on temp control.
Dave
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Post by ncsmoker on Aug 3, 2014 11:15:49 GMT -5
Hi, Dave the wires under the lid are not the problem. Did that for a couple of years before I drilled a hole just above the cooking grate as I was having to replace the probes to often.
My best guess is that your bottom vents have warped over time and are not sealing tight. Figure out what you need your bottom vents to be set at 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 or what ever. Leave them there and then adjust the top vent to control the temperature. The other problem with Webers are the top seal. If you see a lot of smoke coming out around the lid this will cause the problem you have. Make sure the lid is circular by measuring all around it like a pizza. You can find exact directions on doing this at another forum site here.
I am smoking an 8lb pork butt as I write this and have the temp locked in at 235. I'll have to adjust the vents later today as the outside temp rises from my present 72 degrees to the predicted 88 degrees. It was 65 when I first put it on and I have had to adjust the top vent a little.
Good luck and hope this helps!
NC
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Post by rangerone on Aug 3, 2014 13:43:56 GMT -5
Hi Dave,
Not to disagree with NC, but I found the same issue as you when running the wires under the lid. If I ran only one probe (for the grill) it was not too bad. I did ribs like this and I could still adjust the temperatures, but if I ran both probes under the lid, my temperatures would keep climbing and no amount of vent adjustments could stop it. The only thing that worked was when I disconnected the wires and ran them through the lid vent. Then my control came back to exactly the way it has always been for me. It was like flicking a switch how quickly I got control back again. And the amount of smoke coming from the rim of the lid went from a steady stream back to a whisper. I really need to get up the nerve to drill my kettle like NC did, but my Weber is only about 4 weeks old and I am scared of cracking the enamel.
Everyone's equipment and setup will be a little different. You just need to try different things until you find what works best for you. If running the wires through the lid vent does not solve your issue, then NC is right and you most likely have a leak somewhere else.
Allan aka RangerOne
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Post by hoovarmin on Aug 3, 2014 14:05:50 GMT -5
Thanks guys! I really appreciate your expertise. I did regain control, somewhat, by going through the upper vents. now I have a new issue - the stall. So I started at 9:30 with a 3 lb chuck roast. It's 3:00, and I'm stuck at 160. I know about the stall, but 5.5 hours for a 3 lb piece of meat seems strange - could my thermometer be broken?
Glad you guys don't get tired of helping us newbies.
Dave
PS. My dad is coming over for dinner, so the stakes are high. How old do you have to be to not want to impress your dad!
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Post by ncsmoker on Aug 4, 2014 3:27:56 GMT -5
Hi Dave it is well past midnight and not much you can do with what I have to pass on at this time. I was smoking a pork butt and we finally ate at about 11 with some smoked squash. The stall is really a pita** with meats that have a more or less equal part fat to meat ratio, like chuck, brisket and pork butt. I just wrap the meat with HD foil for an hour and then unwrap it.
Doesn't always work but normally does.
Hope your Dad enjoyed your meal with you and your family . I still try to please mine even though we are 12hrs. apart. He loves the bacon I do with the SN. We are both getting older I'll be 62 later this year and he is 87.
Take care and keep on trying different things.
NC
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Post by hoovarmin on Aug 4, 2014 7:07:14 GMT -5
Thanks, NC. I did finally wrap it in foil and it climbed to 203 after some good visiting time with my dad. The chuck was delicious, but I decided to slice it rather than pull. I think I'd have had to hold it at 203 much longer to get it to pull. We had it with corn on the cob, slaw, garlic bread, and mashed potatoes my wife made. Trying to upload a photo, but the file size is larger than 1 MB.
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