BSKD is finished...

Test the thermo?

I had the same question as Ty - have you calibrated the thermos using the boiling water or ice water tests?
Do you need more fuel?

SmokeDiddy said:

I just calibrated my door therm to +/- 2 degrees, the digital therm has always been accurate that I know of.

Click to expand...

I'd check that one too - hate to dee you get rid of a perfectly good cooker because a thermo was off. It happens.

Man, ditching that smoker for a kettle and a Smokinator....you SURE about that????!!! The kettle's are great, but somewhere along the line it sounds like you're making this all too complicated.

If I lived closer I'd take it off your hands, but I will offer free advice concerning bbq on the kettle. Skip the Smokinator and use a water pan actually large enough to hold some water (loaf pan) on the rack over the coals if you want to... add a couple of fire bricks in the middle..whatever makes you feel good......IF you can't accept the simplicity of just pouring some lit charcoal over a pile of unlit on one side of the grate with ribs in a rack on the other side. Low-n-slow on a Weber kettle is a piece of cake if your kettle is in good shape (lid not dropped too many times and the dampers seal)...but I wouldn't get rid of that BSKD. I wouldn't expect it to do long unattended burns like my wsm, but I'd use it just the same. I've heard too many good things about 'em. You starting off with hot water in the pan?

Got Pics?

I know with an egg, if there is not enough lump loaded, no mater the fire size, temps wont get real high.

Clean all the ash out? Not sure about the internals of a Keg, but I'd pull everything out, clean and start over.

Glad it turned out for ya, and yeah, the wind is the enemy, especially for non-insulated smokers like most of us use....and it's been brutal lately. I guess it'll give us something to appreciate come the dog days of summer. :-D

I fear your woes could extend to the kettle as well. Athough my kettle, eggs, and bubba are very different cookers, the pricinples of charcoal cooking are similar on each. I would invest more time before jumping ship for a kettle. I have to think your vents are choked down too much. It doesn't seem right that two lit chimneys only gets you to 200. had my performer past 600 today with less, and if I had that much lit in my bubba, it would take off like a rocket. Gotta be the thermo, vent adjustment, or bad fuel.

Don't give up, you've got a good cooker there.

What part of South Carolina? I had those winds to also.