# An honest WSM question



## Greg Rempe (Jul 4, 2005)

So what happened to me last night?

I fire it up MM...wait till 200* and then shut one damper all the way and leave the other 2 open a little less than a third...the temp initially drops but then comes back up...isn't is supposed to stabilize somewhere...at 2am it was at 288*...why would that have happened??  I had a wind break up and the vents I was using would have been away from any wind at all...68* overnight...what the hell happened???


----------



## Bruce B (Jul 4, 2005)

Greg,

What kind of fuel were you using?

Second thought, there have been times that I have found that leaving 2 vents open 1/3 is too much. I usually only leave one vent open, barely enough to get a hair through. 

Other than that I'm clueless. :dunno:  :dunno:  :dunno:  :dunno:  :dunno:  :dunno:  :dunno:


----------



## Captain Morgan (Jul 4, 2005)

I've encountered that type of thing....trying to nail down an exact cause can be maddening.  You were using lump or charcoal?  Maybe the coals were wet?  Took a while for em to dry out, then they started burning?
Just a guess.  Sand or water?  Remember sand takes longer to get to a stabilizing temp.  Were you drunk?  There are countless things that you could have screwed up.  You weren't doing this in the attic were you?


----------



## Bruce B (Jul 4, 2005)

Good point Cap, forgot about the alcohol variable. :faint:


----------



## Greg Rempe (Jul 4, 2005)

kingsford...dry (kept in house)
sand...but waited 1 1/2 hrs before turning in for the night...
NOT DRINKING!!
No wind
?????


----------



## Captain Morgan (Jul 4, 2005)

When's the last time you tested your therms????


----------



## Greg Rempe (Jul 4, 2005)

Everytime out!

ET 73 were reading 212 in boiling water


----------



## Captain Morgan (Jul 4, 2005)

all I can say is maybe the vents were too open.  Like Bruce, when I get stable, I usually have 3 tiny little slits open, just big enough for a hair to get through.  And sometimes I have to close on all the way.

Maybe someone else will have an idea.


----------



## ScottyDaQ (Jul 4, 2005)

Maybe the lid wasn't properly seated in the rim?
Does the door look normal?


----------



## LarryWolfe (Jul 4, 2005)

Greg, 
      What were you cooking?  If I got a big load of meat on the cooker and using the standard water pan without the big lip the charbroil pan has,  the  grease will drip into the coals which will cause small flare ups.  This will usually stop after an hour or so, once the meat shrinks.

    One more question, how many lit coals did you start off with?  

     I've never understood why folks close one vent and adjust the temp with the other two.  Here's my feelings towards that, not saying it's right or wrong, just why I don't do it.  If you have three air intakes (bottom vents) and close one or two of them then your fire is going to burn predominately where the air is coming into the cooker which will result in uneven pit temps.  Regardless of what your dome temp says, if you have two vents open the pit will be warmer on that side than it will on the side the vent is closed.  If you adjust all vents equally then you will have a more uniform pit temp and fuel burn.  I don't know if this could have played a part in your pit temps or not, but it could have.


----------



## Greg Rempe (Jul 4, 2005)

20 lit coals...well ashed...7lb brisket

It initally dropped to 170 something after I made the first adjustment and started to climb back up...slowly...figured it would stop in the 230 range or so...not the 288 I came up on!

Scott...the lid was on tight!  dunno...maybe just bad luck!


----------



## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (Jul 4, 2005)

I guess I would have to ask, What can I do to not let this happen again. Rather than why. To me its obvious there was too much air getting to the fire. Also, There might have been some actual charcoal in that batch of Kingsford. I'm running for cover now. :eep:   :winkie:


----------



## Greg Rempe (Jul 4, 2005)

Too much air...I will have to take  a better look at the set-up next time...however, wouldn't the temp have continued to rise instead of dropping off initally?  Just wondering...


----------



## LarryWolfe (Jul 4, 2005)

Greg Rempe said:
			
		

> 20 lit coals...well ashed...7lb brisket
> 
> It initally dropped to 170 something after I made the first adjustment and started to climb back up...slowly...figured it would stop in the 230 range or so...not the 288 I came up on!
> 
> Scott...the lid was on tight!  dunno...maybe just bad luck!



Greg, my guess would be you started with too many coals.  I don't start off with that many even in the freezing cold.  I try to start off with 10 lit coals unless it is really cold out, then I'll use 15.


----------



## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (Jul 4, 2005)

Not necessarily, Don't forget as water evaporates from the pan, The temp. will rise also.


----------



## Greg Rempe (Jul 4, 2005)

Pigs On The Wing BBQ said:
			
		

> Not necessarily, Don't forget as water evaporates from the pan, The temp. will rise also.



Sorry...sand is in the pan...not water!


----------



## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (Jul 4, 2005)

Never did the sand thing. I do however know many who do. They all say it runs much hotter with it. I think Larry has the best answer.


----------



## jminion1 (Jul 4, 2005)

Larry 
A WSM by design can handle using one vent and because of the size of the pit uneven pit temps is just not a problem.

Greg 
At some point of the cook too  many coals going with sand there is less room for error.
Jim


----------



## LarryWolfe (Jul 4, 2005)

jminion said:
			
		

> *Larry
> A WSM by design can handle using one vent and because of the size of the pit uneven pit temps is just not a problem.*
> 
> Greg
> ...



Jim,
    With all due respect, I have to disagree with you unless you are using a Guru which is a totally different story.  Maybe I should rephrase that, "we just have a difference in opinions or theory".  Sure you can probably get away with using one vent, but if that was the way it was designed why are there three vents?  Sure you will have a cookable temperature at the dome using one vent.  But if your vents are open on the left side of the cooker, that side will be hotter with the heat going straight up that side, than the right side with the vents closed. With this being the case, how can the cooker be cooking evenly?  I feel you still get a more efficient cleaner burn with uniform heat distribution using all three vents equally.  Just my opinion.


----------



## Captain Morgan (Jul 4, 2005)

Perhaps moving the wsm out of the attic, it's gotten out of round.  Easy to check with a string or tape measure.  If it's too out of round, air can get in.


----------



## Captain Morgan (Jul 4, 2005)

Good idea BFD.


----------



## jminion1 (Jul 4, 2005)

Larry
In an 18" pit with coals spread over the top the difference in temp on the other side of the pit is not enough to make any difference. There are a number of pits (vertical cookers) that work very well and use only one vent, like Backwoods or Spicewine as an example.  All I'm saying it has served me well for more than a few years.   
Jim


----------



## Shawn White (Jul 4, 2005)

did you do a smaller mass of meat on this cook than usual Greg? that could make a difference too...

have you used your wind enclosure before? might just take some getting used to ....

sounds to me like for what ever reason it just hadn't stabilized when you left it for the night


----------



## LarryWolfe (Jul 4, 2005)

jminion said:
			
		

> Larry
> In an 18" pit with coals spread over the top the difference in temp on the other side of the pit is not enough to make any difference. There are a number of pits (vertical cookers) that work very well and use only one vent, like Backwoods or Spicewine as an example.  All I'm saying it has served me well for more than a few years.
> Jim



Jim,
      I respect what you are saying, but we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one (quote-G Gordon Liddy).


----------



## Bruce B (Jul 4, 2005)

:pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:


----------



## Greg Rempe (Jul 4, 2005)

Upon further review of the assembled WSM...there is a small out of round diagnosis...running maybe 5 inches in length...not a huge gap in width by any means, but perhaps enough to fuel a slow burn upward!

Any ideas on how to fix it...let's remember, I am not handy!


----------



## LarryWolfe (Jul 4, 2005)

Bruce B said:
			
		

> :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:



No No Bruce.  I'm not trying to start anything.  Jim and I just have a difference of opinions, no big deal.  If everyone agreed on things, the world would be a boring place.


----------



## LarryWolfe (Jul 4, 2005)

Greg Rempe said:
			
		

> Upon further review of the assembled WSM...there is a small out of round diagnosis...running maybe 5 inches in length...not a huge gap in width by any means, but perhaps enough to fuel a slow burn upward!
> 
> Any ideas on how to fix it...let's remember, I am not handy!



See Greg if you left the dang thing outside instead of beating the hell out of it taking it in and out of the attic you wouldn't have this problem.   :grin:   Squeeze some aluminum foil in the crack, that should fix it.


----------



## Bruce B (Jul 4, 2005)

I was just kidding Larry....trying to have some fun on the 4th.


----------



## LarryWolfe (Jul 4, 2005)

Bruce B said:
			
		

> I was just kidding Larry....trying to have some fun on the 4th.



I know!!  Besides you know me Bruce, I don't like confrontations!   8-[


----------



## Shawn White (Jul 4, 2005)

Greg Rempe said:
			
		

> Upon further review of the assembled WSM...there is a small out of round diagnosis...running maybe 5 inches in length...not a huge gap in width by any means, but perhaps enough to fuel a slow burn upward!
> 
> Any ideas on how to fix it...let's remember, I am not handy!



If you are talking about the body orientation on the charcoal section, a simple turn may be all that is required.

I have a slight out-of-round but I assemble mine lining up the two sections in the same place every time and it works for me.

When you put the body on press down in a few places and see it it wobbles on the charcoal bowl. If so try turning it until you have a snug wobble free fit.


----------



## Finney (Jul 4, 2005)

I think it was attic dust.
That stuff burns like crazy.
That's why you get the really big flames in house fires once they reach the attic.


----------



## Nick Prochilo (Jul 5, 2005)

I'm with Larry on this one. Put a little foil in the seam where you say it is out of round. Don't force the foil in, you may make it worse. Then try another cook and see what happens.


----------

