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Can't get temp above 210

  • Thread starter Thread starter mes0970
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mes0970

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Put on three slabs of baby backs at 7:30 this morning, I had Al's basket divided in half with one side lit and the other unlit, a couple of decent size chunks of apple wood, put on 2 small pork tenderloins at 8:30, by this point both sides were up and burning with good smoke since then I have removed the center divider and added two lit Weber chimneys of coals and I can't get the temp above 210. Any other day that wouldn't neccessarily be a problem, but, I need this stuff pulled off the grill by 1:00. On top of every thing else, I've got 4 chicken breasts that I need to throw in there (supposed to cook them last night for dinner, but ate out instead).

BTW the temp here in BHam today is about 60 degrees with a projected high of 70.
 
How's your dampers set? Got any lump to put in? Have you done the baffle mod? Are you judging the temps at shelf level or using the door thermometer? Is it windy?

If you are using one of Al's baskets, it sounds like you probably have close to 20 lbs of charcoal in there by now. that should be raging a 275*-300* fire by now, so you have one or more of the varibles above that is causing the problem. I'll wait here you get back to me.
 
Kick,

Dampers are wide open, I don't have any lump, but I just lit another chimney, I have done the baffle mod, I actually have a probe thermometer at shelf level b/c my door guage is off by about 40 degrees, it is not really windy at all, occasional gust to about 5mph, it has gotten a bit cloudy which I know is not helping either.
 
Sounds like you have ash build up under the basket restricting air flow.
Push the ash to the sides or remove to get more air to the fire.
 
gotta agree with kick, something ain't right, I suspect perhaps your probe is too close to the waterpan and your reading steam temp and not pit temp. You have enough fuel burning you should be grilling and not smoking.

Hope you get it figured out.
 
I had the same problem Mes.

I only tried Al's basket the 1 time, and havent gotten around to figuring it out.

I had an ash problem, only I couldn't get it past 160. This is after 2 hours.

So I knocked most of the ash down, took out the dividers, and fill the basket with giant chunks of hickory and cherry. I pulled out my smoking hair dryer, got everything burning nicely in about 5 minutes, closed the lid, and the temp hit 235 and stayed there for 3 hours.

Sorry I'm late to answer, but the others have hit on the solution.

Hope things turn out okay!
 
One last thing, if you got an extra grill grate, wrap 3/4 of it in aluminum foil, and block off the top 1/3 of the smoke chamber. This will bring up the temps nicely in the lower 2/3 of the chamber. Sounds like you don't have a full beast, so this might help as well.

At some point, during each cook, I use the heat shield. Specially at the end, everything is wrapped, using charcoal instead of wood since I'm not smoking (flavoring) and wasting wood. Great way to make a little go a long way.
 
kcquer said:
gotta agree with kick, something ain't right, I suspect perhaps your probe is too close to the waterpan and your reading steam temp and not pit temp. You have enough fuel burning you should be grilling and not smoking.

Hope you get it figured out.
Click to expand...

Good point KC. I had Mes0970 (Matt) call me and that was one of things we talked about, repositioning the probe. Here's the modifications to his cook that we decided to try.

1. Make a temporary heat shield from a shelf and foil
2. Reposition the probe, clean the end off
3. Line the bottom of the smoke chamber and up the left side of the wall about 4" with foil, shiny side up, to deflect the heat upward.
4. Remove some water from the water pan, (which he had already done)

Matt has probably close to 30#s of charcoal in the firebox (of course not all at one time) with the dampers full open. I did a 16 hour cook yesterday in 40*-50* weather on about 30#s of charcoal with side damper mostly closed during the cook, and at times the top damper closed almost half to maintain a temp under 250*

3 1/2 hours into his cook, the tips of the bones of his BBs aren't pulling and showing. 3 hours into my spares yesterday, mine were pulled back 1/8 to 1/4 inch and I was wrapping.

It really makes you wonder where the heat is going in his cooker. Maybe the suggest changes will make a difference. we'll see, anything was worth a try!
 
Just got off the phone with Kick (thanks for the info) I wrapped my last grate in foil, shortened the chamber, put foil in the bottom of the chamber, moved the probe thermo more to the side of the chamber, and added one more full chimney of Kingsford............ I'm happy to report the temp is now 214 and holding!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
 
Problem solved!! What an idiot I am, I went out for one more desperation stir of the coals and just happen to look at the position of the basket in the firebox.............. The edge of Al's basket closest to the smoking chamber wasn't under the lip of the firebox ( must have shifted to the right in the latest move), I put on my gloves pushed the basket to the left getting the edge of Al's basket under the lip of the firebox and BOOM thermo took off like a rocket. I think now I'm gonna have to take out my grate wrapped in foil............. GO FIGURE........
 
Good to know you got heat now! 290* is where I would have suspected you should have been (just got off the phone with Matt)

Think maybe you had just better wrap everything and let her cook!
You might still make kickoff! good visiting with you!

Go 'Bama! Go Tigers!
 
Glad we could help...I was there in spirit.
 
Good job Matt and Kick

Didnt think to PM my phone number to MAtt (doh!)

I helped a few out like that, cant recall who. Mighta been Carl Hathorn, or was it E.

Anywho, great job guys!!
 
See that... Networkin.... I love it! I would shot for raising the basket to the next lip. Thats what i did after the first use... makes more room underneath for airflow.
 
willkat98 said:
Good job Matt and Kick

Didnt think to PM my phone number to MAtt (doh!)

I helped a few out like that, cant recall who. Mighta been Carl Hathorn, or was it E.

Anywho, great job guys!!
Click to expand...

I was one of them, last year, Nov. 8th. Then a call to Phil on Thanksgiving day last year. I was just doing what my brothers had done for me and passed on the tools I've learned here and shared.
 
I forgot to update the outcome of this disaster ( thanks for reminding me Kick.) The ribs turned out awesome, the tenderloin was just a touch dry and the chicken breast were actually tasty even though you could bounce them off the pavement. Thanks guys fro all the input, advice and help


MES
 
i had the same problem about a month or two ago. I started two new chimney's of coal, when they were ready i emptied out all the ashes (which i didn't think was a lot, i was able to keep temps up with more in the past) then i dumped in the fresh hot coals. Nothing happend, it stayed at the same temp. Well about 2-3 hours later i found out what the problem was. 3 hours earlier i took the ribs out to wrap in foil so i had juices all over my hands. So my girlfriend, being the thoughtful person that she is, closed the door for me. Well when i decided to take the ribs out of the foil i noticed the door was open about half an inch, it didn't matter how much fire i had in the box and how little ash was in the bottom, all the heat was escaping the smoker through the half inch gap. She tried to blame me at first because she says i double check everything she does, and i didn't do it this time. She felt really bad, there was no way i could be mad at her. In all fairness the door is a little tricky to close, you have to push kind of hard to close it all the way so that the latch catches when you turn the handle.
 
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