Wsm h/h advice needed

Freddy j · 12-31-2012, 04:33 PM

Hi guys & gals;

I like to cook turkeys and am in the middle of one right now on my wsm 22.

I'm having difficulty keeping the temp at 325 with all vents wide open unless I keep the access door fully open. It's really not all that cold or windy out.

Am I expecting too much heat from my wsm? Are there any tricks or advice or am I looking at buying a 22" kettle?

HankB · 12-31-2012, 04:39 PM

I've not tried H/H on my WSM but I found that starting with 2 lit chimneys of charcoal on my 26" kettle got me well over 410°. Did you start with more lit coals? That extra heat might get more air flow which should produce more heat.

I don't think a 22" kettle has any more air flow capacity (size of vents) than the WSM.

You might try cracking the lid open a bit.

BTW, the high heat on my 26 was for the first half hour of a turkey (ala Alton Brown) and it did come out good.

Hozman · 12-31-2012, 04:40 PM

Do you use the minion method on your WSM? I find with mine to get over 300 I start with about 20 lit briquettes.

Bluesman · 12-31-2012, 04:41 PM

Pull the water pan

Bludawg · 12-31-2012, 04:47 PM

What is in the water Pan? Do you have a wind brake set up?

High Q · 12-31-2012, 04:53 PM

Usually when that happens to me I didn't start out with enough lit coals. You might consider starting another chimney, taking your smoker apart and adding it once it has fully lit and ashed over. I would also add some additional unlit while it is apart i order to sustain the heat.

When I put a full chimney of unlit and a full chimney of lit in my 22.5 WSM, I top out between 325 and 350. Two chimneys of lit will get you 400 plus.

Toast · 12-31-2012, 05:15 PM

Agree with above. No water in pan (but keep it in as a heat shield and drip pan).

It takes some serious coal to get a 22.5 up to those temps but they will last once your there.

volfan411 · 12-31-2012, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freddy j

Hi guys & gals;

I like to cook turkeys and am in the middle of one right now on my wsm 22.

I'm having difficulty keeping the temp at 325 with all vents wide open unless I keep the access door fully open. It's really not all that cold or windy out.

Am I expecting too much heat from my wsm? Are there any tricks or advice or am I looking at buying a 22" kettle?

Do not know if you are using a roasting pan or not but yesterday I was doing a butt and had a large turkey roasting pan on lower rack to catch grease and mine would not get above 280. To my amazement when I removed the pan my temps went to 375 immediately.

Freddy j · 01-01-2013, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hozman

Do you use the minion method on your WSM? I find with mine to get over 300 I start with about 20 lit briquettes.

Yes, I used the minion and the large weber chimney full to the top

Freddy j · 01-01-2013, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bludawg

What is in the water Pan? Do you have a wind brake set up?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toast

Agree with above. No water in pan (but keep it in as a heat shield and drip pan).

It takes some serious coal to get a 22.5 up to those temps but they will last once your there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by volfan411

Do not know if you are using a roasting pan or not but yesterday I was doing a butt and had a large turkey roasting pan on lower rack to catch grease and mine would not get above 280. To my amazement when I removed the pan my temps went to 375 immediately.

I did have the drip pan in with about 2" of sand ( haven't even tried water yet) and the bird directly on the top grate w/o roasting pan. Probably give pan in empty no sand next time.

Freddy j · 01-01-2013, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bludawg

What is in the water Pan? Do you have a wind brake set up?

I did use 3 sheets of 4' x 4' plywood on 3 sides to block any breeze.

Freddy j · 01-01-2013, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluesman

Pull the water pan

Thank you blues man, I will give this a try.

Brian in Maine · 01-01-2013, 09:37 AM

If you put a 14" shim under the lid for a few minutes the temp will climb quickly,

Freddy j · 01-01-2013, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian in Maine

If you put a 14" shim under the lid for a few minutes the temp will climb quickly,

Awesome. Thank you Brian, I will do this.

Stoke&Smoke · 01-01-2013, 09:50 AM

All advice so far has been good. I did a mod on my door. Mounted a small bolt about 1/2" in from each upper corner.

It allows me to turn the door upside down, then I can pull it out (with bolts holding it) so it acts as an adjustable vent

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk 2

12-31-2012, 04:33 PM	#1
Freddy j is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 11-22-12 Location: Boston Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Wsm h/h advice needed Hi guys & gals; I like to cook turkeys and am in the middle of one right now on my wsm 22. I'm having difficulty keeping the temp at 325 with all vents wide open unless I keep the access door fully open. It's really not all that cold or windy out. Am I expecting too much heat from my wsm? Are there any tricks or advice or am I looking at buying a 22" kettle? __________________ Big Joe Kamado WSM 22.5" wsm mini

12-31-2012, 04:40 PM	#3
Hozman Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 09-07-11 Location: Grain Valley, MO via Big Sky country Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Do you use the minion method on your WSM? I find with mine to get over 300 I start with about 20 lit briquettes. __________________ 18.5 & 22.5 WSM-Weber one touch. Head cook Thick and Thin BBQ

12-31-2012, 04:41 PM	#4
Bluesman is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 01-01-10 Location: Fond du Lac, WI Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Pull the water pan __________________ "98" Green Weber Performer "95" Black Weber Platinum - Dumpster find workin' on it "00" Weber Simpsons OTG 22.5 WSM Smokin' Bucky UDS Weber Q100 Weber Q200 Faster than the Speed of Light Red Thermapen, Certified MOINK Ball Maker Proud Member of the Zero's Club with Voodoo Soup..

12-31-2012, 04:47 PM	#5
Bludawg Babbling Farker Join Date: 07-04-09 Location: Jonesboro,Tx Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	What is in the water Pan? Do you have a wind brake set up? __________________ I never met a Cow that I didn't like with a little Salt & Pepper! Certified PORK-A-HOLIC

12-31-2012, 04:53 PM	#6
High Q Take a breath! Join Date: 12-29-09 Location: Houston, Texas Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Usually when that happens to me I didn't start out with enough lit coals. You might consider starting another chimney, taking your smoker apart and adding it once it has fully lit and ashed over. I would also add some additional unlit while it is apart i order to sustain the heat. When I put a full chimney of unlit and a full chimney of lit in my 22.5 WSM, I top out between 325 and 350. Two chimneys of lit will get you 400 plus. __________________ "Houston is a wretched little town composed of about twenty shops, and a hundred huts, dispersed here and there, among trunks of felled trees. It is infested with methodists and ants." -Emmanuel Domenech, Catholic Missionary, 1848

12-31-2012, 04:39 PM	#2
HankB is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 01-16-12 Location: Winfield, IL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I've not tried H/H on my WSM but I found that starting with 2 lit chimneys of charcoal on my 26" kettle got me well over 410°. Did you start with more lit coals? That extra heat might get more air flow which should produce more heat. I don't think a 22" kettle has any more air flow capacity (size of vents) than the WSM. You might try cracking the lid open a bit. BTW, the high heat on my 26 was for the first half hour of a turkey (ala Alton Brown) and it did come out good.

12-31-2012, 05:15 PM	#7
Toast Babbling Farker Join Date: 03-17-12 Location: Shreveport, LA Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Agree with above. No water in pan (but keep it in as a heat shield and drip pan). It takes some serious coal to get a 22.5 up to those temps but they will last once your there. __________________ Cooking Equipment: Weber WSM Weber Spirit S-320 Charbroil Oilless Turkey Fryer Weber GA Wife LuzziAnn 1956 model. Maverick ET-732 Superfast LSU Purple Thermapen

01-01-2013, 09:37 AM	#13
Brian in Maine is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-05-07 Location: Portland Me Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	If you put a 14" shim under the lid for a few minutes the temp will climb quickly, __________________ Brian 2 WSMs 2 OTG One red one black 22 1/2" black Bar-B-Kettle with rotisserie ring Brinkman dual zone charcoal grill Webber Silver Genises B 3 burner camp stove

01-01-2013, 09:50 AM	#15
Stoke&Smoke Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-18-07 Location: Woodridge, IL Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	All advice so far has been good. I did a mod on my door. Mounted a small bolt about 1/2" in from each upper corner. It allows me to turn the door upside down, then I can pull it out (with bolts holding it) so it acts as an adjustable vent Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk 2 __________________ 2 Skinny Cooks Competition Team http://2SkinnyCooks.blogspot.com KCBS CJ/TC #17139 Member ILBBQS Too many cookers to list