WSM Vents
 

I leave all my bottom vents open just to keep 250. Do you think that is just encouraging updraft because I have the top vent open and thus burning fuel? If I close the vents will I lose temp or save fuel?

if you are running with all vents open and can only hit 250 your temps are really going to drop if you close any vents so yeah you'll save fuel but your food isn't ever going to cook, so is your concern fuel consumption or temps?

Wide open just to keep 250 while using lump?

I just did sausage, baked beans and veggies using all lump, including a 3/4 chimney of lit.

When the temp hit 250 I closed 1 bottom vent and left the other 2 open ~1/8".

Half hour later (or sooner- I didn't monitor) it was 270, and stayed there for 2.5 hours. I removed the veggies and opened the closed vent a 1/4" and when I checked 30 mins. later it was at 325, when I pulled everything else and shut it down.

I have to believe your thermometer is off if you can only get 250 with vents all the way open.

Need more details about coals, quantity, and lighting procedure...

What they said.
3 vents open would have my WSMs in 375-400 range.
Top vent should always be open, and the three bottom vents used to control temps. The lower the temp you're cooking at the longer your fuel will last.

You may want to check your thermometer. Mine is about 50 degrees off on the low side. So if it reads 225 it is actually closer to 275. I would also make sure you don't have any foil overlapping from the water pan or something else blocking your air flow.

Are you using the water pan, and if so, are you foiling the outside of it?

I had that happen to me on my last cook. Was using RO briqs on an absolutely still day. Got the temp up to 325 with a full ring and 1/2 chimney of lit, but then when I put the meat on I couldn't get above about 265 with all vents wide open. Using just foiled pan. Not sure what the deal was but I'm switching to lump to see if I can maintain higher temps since I can't keep the temps up there with briqs.

Better yet are you using water. That would explain wide open and 250.

Sorry, need more info
Lump, 12 lit KBB Briqs on top. I can get it to 275 but it settles at 250. Water pan with foil on the inside and a pizza stone laid inside. I can keep this temp fairly well, It seems everyone else can keep this 250ish with most of their vents closed. My last couple of smokes have been on calm days. I am using a Maverick ET-372 with my probe in the center of the top rack. My ultimate goal is to extend my cooks. I have worked with the fire door to shape it better.

The only time I ever had a problem with keeping the temperature up was when I tried foiling the outside of the water pan. I wrapped the foil over the top lip and it came down far enough so that water was traveling by capillary action up around the outside between the bowl and foil and was dripping on my coals. I didn't figure this out until I was cleaning up and found a puddle at the bottom of the ash pan.

I run w/ an empty foiled water pan only. Suggest losing the pizza stone.

I have a hard time getting mine much higher than 325° What's your setup? Empty foiled water pan? Clay saucer? Using lump or briqs? How do you set up and start your fire?

THIS. I used water on my first cook. Cook 2 I couldn't get it barely up to 250°. Dumped out the water and it solved all my problems.

My setup-

-Empty foiled water pan.
-No saucer.
-All lump, 3/4 lit chimney.

Target temp is aimed for by the timing of the closing down of the bottom vents. i.e., the higher the target, the longer I leave the intakes open full (w/ variables like ambient temp/wind considered).

This is my basic approach to every WSM cook.

That's my general approach--how much I fill the chimney varies a bit depending on how hot I want to go. Even so, I've had trouble getting the temps up past 300. Of course, I've only had my WSM since the fall, and the bulk of my use has been during the winter, so we'll just have to see...

Hmmm...on my 18", I use water, all 3 vents closed, and I settle in right about 240-250.

Oh, I usually start with a full chimney for this. I still can get 12-15 hours out of a load, depending on the weather.

How about experimenting with more lit coals in the beginning? It seems like your coals are not lighting effectively even with your vents wide open.

I will try more coals. That just seems like it will make the load burn quicker. I am trying to figure out how people get 12 hour burns out of lump

What is the reason to start w/ briqs?

"Smothering" the fire adds to length of burn. So, all lump + bigger chimney + cracked intakes = long, hot burn.

I start with Briqs because they are easier to light in a chimney. I had been using crap lump and most of it would just fall through. Wicked Good is bigger but I still think it is easier to light KBB and put it on the lump

I fill up my charcoal ring to the top with fuel.
I light it in 3 places with a high output propane torch.
I let it burn for about 10 - 15 minutes before putting the cooker together.
I always leave the top vent fully open, unless I have a temperature problem.
I start with the 3 bottom vents fully open, and close them off as I approach my target temperature. Most cooks have 2 fully closed, and the 3rd about 1/4 - 1/2 open.
I do not use water. I was using a foiled clay flower pot base in the foiled water pan, now I just foil the water pan.
If I use lump and let her rip, both my WSMs will go up to 375F or so.
A WSM dome thermometer tends to read about 50F lower than the actual temperature at the top grate.
Good luck.

I'm running my 22.5 right now. 3 racks of baby's on the top, a pan of baked beans on the bottom. I'm using all RO lump,. full ring, foiled water pan dry. I have one bottom vent open and I'm running at 300. I'd like to be at 275, but I closed the vents a little to late. It's also pretty chilly here today only 45.

Is there enough room on the grates for proper air flow. I've had 2 times when I had a tough time keeping the temp up. one was due to high winds, and the other was due to too much food in the cooker.

Don't rely on the temp gauge you get with the smoker. I have 2 WSM and either one of the temp gauges you get with the smoker work properly. Get a electronic thermometer and check out. Alo like everyone else said if you put water in the pan temp will go down.

I think it's accurate, it's just not at the grate level. But yeah, don't rely on that to be your cooking temp.

What and how much of it were you cooking?