Temps (again)

sudsandswine said:
I would try to get it running at a higher temp and see if it wants to stabilize better there. 225* is pretty low...unnecessarily low, IMO. Some cookers just run better at certain temps. I also wouldnt sweat temp swings...most stick burners have 30-50* swings between the peaks and valleys and the food quality is not sacrificed.
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Is that up 30-50* or up and down?
 
Crotonmark said:
But why is it the temp quoted everywhere?
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It's not a bad temp. It's quoted everywhere because it was THE temp early on. Things evolve. I never buy into letting your cooker run where it wants to but in your case it seems like the cooker is screaming really loudly that it doesn't want to run at 225. Listen...

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
Actually one more point.
I never let the temp stabilize before I put the meat on
Basically I fire it up. Get to 225* and pop the meat on
 
Crotonmark said:
But why is it the temp quoted everywhere?
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Yes, the number is mentioned everywhere. Just ignore it. I think it's just a number passed down through generations. It's nonsense and does not apply anymore. Like in the 70's when my dad would make burgers on the Kettle he would pile up the charcoal, dump a half a gallon of charcoal starter on it and let it rip. Then when the fire deprtment left....that's when the burgers went on coals ready or not. Some people just down know what they are doing or talking about.
 
Crotonmark said:
But why is it the temp quoted everywhere?
Click to expand...
Where is everywhere?

I think if you really want 225 with your Summit you should keep experimenting with it. Try a smaller amount of coals and just spend time watching the temp, make tiny adjustments to the vents but give it at least a half hour between adjustments. You will figure it out. If you can't get it to do 225 then do 250 or 275 like we are telling you. Every cooker is a little different and you need to just spend time tinkering with it while you relax and have a cold beverage of your choice. Good luck and have fun, it's just BBQ! :-D
 
your on this board for 5 years and think 225 is the only way. you need to read more. 225 is what cookbook authors think you bbq at after soaking wood chunks in water
 
Crotonmark said:
ha ha very true
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hey not trying to be mean, more like tough love. youve got 5 pages of good advice here, just gotta listen.


i have used an akorn, same principle, air gap insulated steel. they hold temp and take some time to go down (less then ceramics but still). opening the lid can give a temp spike for 30 minutes. it's best to let it settle before making adjustments or you, as you found out will constantly chase temps. when it drifts just wait until it settles and then fine tune with the top vent
 
smoke ninja said:
hey not trying to be mean, more like tough love. youve got 5 pages of good advice here, just gotta listen.


i have used an akorn, same principle, air gap insulated steel. they hold temp and take some time to go down (less then ceramics but still). opening the lid can give a temp spike for 30 minutes. it's best to let it settle before making adjustments or you, as you found out will constantly chase temps. when it drifts just wait until it settles and then fine tune with the top vent
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Thanks. I have read and reread these pages.

One question. How long should it be at the set temp before I put the meat on the grill?
 
Crotonmark said:
Thanks. I have read and reread these pages.

One question. How long should it be at the set temp before I put the meat on the grill?
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It all depends on how hungry you are. :p

5 minutes or so after the temps stabilize. I'm usually ready to put food on the grill within 20 minutes after lighting it. Longer if I've gotten lazy and haven't cleaned out the old lump enough and there's too much leftover ash in the firebox.

Enjoy your grill, don't fret over ideal temps.
 
You really should not put meat on until the exhaust smells right. Run your fingers over the exhaust a couple times and smell them. Will either smell like an ash tray or like bbq. That's how i was taught and it never fails me.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
16Adams said:
I’m entering the 4th Quarter of a mediocre cooking career. I’ve owned 20 plus cookers. But I’m starting to thin the herd. The absolute best two cookers I’ve owned are The Pit Barrel Cooker and my GMG Davy Crockett.

The Pit Barrel Cooker- take it out of the box and start cooking. No chasing temps, no mods, no electronics. Just heat and meat. Light the fire, hang the meat and close the lid. Anyone from 8-80 should be able to cook fantastic food on this unit. It’s the Cooker that taught me to leave things alone- no thermometer so no anxiety over temps. An excellent confidence builder and teacher of lessons in Q

Davy Crockett- clean smoke, super simple- digital read out temp control. Fits our lifestyle on frequent small cooks.

Both of these are no hassle no fuss no muss. The difference between a UDs and The Pit Barrel Cooker

UDS-Build
PBC-remove from package and cook

I’ve sold the PBC. Got 50% of my money back even having owned it 4 years.

Buy a PBC, use it just as it came from the company and it will build your confidence in all your cookers.
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Just curious: What do you cook your steaks on?
 
Primo Oval XL as well as the Davy Crockett
 
Crotonmark said:
Thanks. I have read and reread these pages.

One question. How long should it be at the set temp before I put the meat on the

it can take 30 min to an hour but it's not time so much as what Paul said

pjtexas1 said:
You really should not put meat on until the exhaust smells right. Run your fingers over the exhaust a couple times and smell them. Will either smell like an ash tray or like bbq. That's how i was taught and it never fails me.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Crotonmark said:
Thanks. I have read and reread these pages.

One question. How long should it be at the set temp before I put the meat on the grill?
Click to expand...




Given that you have a Summit Charcoal that you use for both grilling and smoking, it all depends on what you are cooking/how you are cooking. For grilling, fire the gas assist, get the coals hot and throw your meat on.



For smoking, you want the temp to stabilize for the most part. Fire up the coals (whether you use the gas assist or a chimney.) Get it running. Set the vents to try and reach desired temp. But again, don't be so concerned about a specific temp like 225. If it settles in at 240ish, that's fine. Even with the "settling in", the temp can wander a bit in either direction. The only time to really be concerned is if you get really wide temp swings, like it was at 225, but suddenly you see that it's over 300.




Check out this vid from Dickson BBQ on setting up to smoke. FWIW, you use the bottom damper to make biggest adjustments to temperature. Use the top damper to fine tune.
 
Last edited:
Demosthenes9 said:
Given that you have a Summit Charcoal that you use for both grilling and smoking, it all depends on what you are cooking/how you are cooking. For grilling, fire the gas assist, get the coals hot and throw your meat on.



For smoking, you want the temp to stabilize for the most part. Fire up the coals (whether you use the gas assist or a chimney.) Get it running. Set the vents to try and reach desired temp. But again, don't be so concerned about a specific temp like 225. If it settles in at 240ish, that's fine. Even with the "settling in", the temp can wander a bit in either direction. The only time to really be concerned is if you get really wide temp swings, like it was at 225, but suddenly you see that it's over 300.




Check out this vid from Dickson BBQ on setting up to smoke. FWIW, you use the bottom damper to make biggest adjustments to temperature. Use the top damper to fine tune.
Click to expand...

Is there a link? I don’t see it
 
Crotonmark said:
Is there a link? I don’t see it
Click to expand...




Whoops, sorry about that.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adUklmnFQ9s


They move the lower damper over to the "smoke" setting. I watched another video from Harry Soo where he has his set somewhere else. Long story short, play around with it / experiment and find which one gets you closest to where you want to be. Then fine tune with top vent.
 
I have two daisy-wheel kettles that set next to each other. For the same temperature, the vent settings are different. The snugness of the seal between the lid and base are responsible for how much extra air gets in.
 
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