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Post by amyoung92 on Jul 3, 2012 21:05:53 GMT -5
I'm wondering how to keep temps from hitting 300+ right out of the gate....keeping the bottom vents open and only using the dome vent doesn't seem to help me...right now I have temp at 320, and it's holding. I'm trying to get down to 225 w/o totally closing the bottom vents. Any help would be appreciated! 50 unlit coals, and 12 lit started this mess....lol
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Post by ecripps on Jul 4, 2012 11:56:21 GMT -5
You probably have a leaky kettle. Try some binder clips on the lid to keep it on tight.
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Post by ksu1971 on Jul 5, 2012 10:23:04 GMT -5
+1 on the binder clips. I also pinch down my upper vents.
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Post by jsperk on Jul 6, 2012 22:09:59 GMT -5
My dome temp is 250 and I think my pit thermo reads 10 or 15 degrees lower than my pit temp.
I fill the smokenator with about 42 coals and I light 12. Once there lit I put them in the smokenator. They are totally all grey ash when I threw them in but they are lit pretty good. Once my ome temp hits close to 200 I shoot the bottom vent down to half or a less and set my top vent to 5/16 opened and then add water to the pan. I pretty much don't move from 250.
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Post by bigdaddy3561 on Jul 15, 2012 9:08:21 GMT -5
Amyoung92: binder clips are a must! I have a 22.5 kettle and it makes all the difference. Also make sure you have a good digital thermometer. The recommended candy thermo is not adequate (off by 50degrees) I use a maverick et-723 wireless and it does well, so far. Has food and BBQ probes.
Good luck
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Post by bbqlew on Jul 15, 2012 9:28:15 GMT -5
Hi amyoung:
What everybody said about leaky kettle. Try your setup and add some smoke, then watch how much comes out around the top-bottom joint. If you see more than just a very little, your kettle is leaking badly. Use the clips. They do wonders.
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lem
New Member
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Post by lem on Jul 21, 2012 13:47:14 GMT -5
Check your temp at the grill level with a digital probe. I use a Maverick 732 Dual Probe on my Weber Kettle.
Run the probe thru the top vent. The replacement probe wire length is 6 feet, which makes it easier to use in this configuration.
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Post by kurt72 on Jul 28, 2012 16:49:33 GMT -5
did an "empty" run last night to see how the smokenator worked. i had the same concerns with the high temp. so closed the vents, then the temp would go down too much.  enter binder clips!!!  right now, got a pork shoulder on, steady at 225-230!!! really love my smokenator 1000 so far! |
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geo
New Member
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Post by geo on Aug 18, 2012 15:29:21 GMT -5
whats the secret to maintaining 220-225 very difficult......... vents are set correctly no leaks
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paulw
Junior Member
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Post by paulw on Aug 18, 2012 16:34:40 GMT -5
It's a mistake to assume that as long as a certain number of briquettes are used, and vents are opened to a precise fraction of an inch given in the manual, temperature will automatically be a certain level. There's another factor out there: weather. External temperature, and wind, affect the temp inside the grill, and you have to compensate.
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Post by ksu1971 on Aug 20, 2012 7:43:57 GMT -5
It's a mistake to assume that as long as a certain number of briquettes are used, and vents are opened to a precise fraction of an inch given in the manual, temperature will automatically be a certain level. There's another factor out there: weather. External temperature, and wind, affect the temp inside the grill, and you have to compensate. I agree with paulw on this one. The recommend vent settings and starter coals are just that a suggested starting point. You will have to tweak them for your kettle and weather for the day. On a nice sunny calm day in July the vents will be set to one setting and different on a cold rainy day in September. Do as much as you can to prevent leaks and then you will have to tweak the vents. Also remember the temp will take a little time to respond and settle in so be patient. |
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Post by lsutiger on Sept 6, 2012 12:50:19 GMT -5
I just finished my first dry run last weekend. Started w/ 12 coals and 48 in the smokenator. Took a while to get up to temp about 240 according to themometer. On my weber there is a built in and it read about 300. Not sure which one to beleive. My temp was constant for about 4.5 hours though. Will try a rack of babybacks this weekend.
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Post by ecripps on Sept 6, 2012 22:50:55 GMT -5
Test the thermometer in boiling water. It should read 212 degrees.
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Post by lsutiger on Sept 10, 2012 12:59:05 GMT -5
Put the candy thermo in a pot of boiling water and it read 190. It reads about 240 when in my smokenator. Is this too high a dome temp? Probobly would be at least 260 with the thermo being off.
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Post by tatoosh on Sept 17, 2012 2:11:38 GMT -5
Isutiger, what is your altitude? Boiling temperatures change with altitude. Another good test is ice water. I use both ice water and boiling water (altitude adjusted) to check my thermometers.
I've been learning more about the vent adjustments on the Weber/Smokenator setup as I go. I did a vertical chicken the other day and while it was only marginally successful taste wise, I found that the recommendations the maker has for vent control was exactly what I needed to do.
I also noticed that I ran significantly lower temps if I did not have a water pan involved. The first hour I was smoking some chicken fillets as well as the Beer Can-less Chicken (on the vertical stand only) so I didn't want super hot temps. I watched the dome temp (at the vent) go 280F while the food grate hung at 190F - 200F without the water pan. When I pulled the fillets and added the water pan, I saw the temperature definitely go up without adjustments on the vents. It took a bit, to be sure, but pretty soon I was 250F at the Food Grate and 330F at the Dome. When I kicked the vents full open, I went to 270F on the Food Grate and 375F at the Dome. Temperatures were monitored with a Thermoworks K-type dual lead unit.
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right now, got a pork shoulder on, steady at 225-230!!! really love my smokenator 1000 so far!