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Tips for setting temp
Comments
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What temp are you trying to get too?
Located in Western North Carolina -
My approach for long and slow -
Get rid of ashes ( either stir them - or clean more if I want a longer cook ). Make sure each one of those holes in the bottom and sides are clean. The longer the cook is - the more attention I pay to this step.
Charcoal all the way to top of fire ring. If I want smoke, will mix in some wood chunks throughout charcoal.
Kinda dig a little indentation couple of inches down in one or two places ( I prefer the back 10 and 2 o'clock ). Have done many times with just 1 location and did ok, but many reccomend 2 to eliminate the straight down burn. I think having it at the back, with the air flowing from the front takes care of that.
Light and drop a firestarter block in each indentation, stack a couple of pieces of lump over it. With lid open, bottom vent all the way open - wait for 2+ inch visible flames. Kinda a baseball size area lit up. 2-4 minutes normally. Close lid, bottom vent still wide open, top vent cap removed.
Note: many people have put in the plate setter at this point - I prefer to wait.
Watching dome temp - when it starts climbing above 200 - then I shut the bottom vent to about 1/4 inch wide. If climbs up close to 300, will tap bottom vent closed a bit, put on vent cap, with daisy holes open.
Wait for the VOC burn down, typically burning at 270-290. The longer of a cook I am doing, the longer I wait at this stage. I start messing with the vents, love to get it down around 250 - no lower - I know temp is gonna drop when I add platesetter and meat. I like to be stable on temp, vents are set holding temp where I want. Open up, add platesetter. close lid, go inside to gather up meat, maverick, fix another drink. let temp recover some, but not all the way. I know while putting drip pan, grill, meat, hooking up maverick, etc - I am going to let alot of air in - and thus create heat.
Load up everything, then monitor for the next 40 minutes or so. With the maverick, that means sitting on the other side of the patio with a cocktail watching tv - lol. After 40 minutes of post load stability - then I am done until time for temp check.
Spend alot of time pre-loading of meat, sometimes will light an hour or more before I actually put meat on. This helps me get things stable before a long cook. after the initial monitoring - I am off to bed, etc.
I dont open the lid until the maverick probe has the internal temp to my initial target - with brisket say mid 190's. Then I open and start poking around with the thermapen, looking at tenderness and temps in the different places.
Guess that my approach may be slow starting up - but I have been successful with 20+ hour cooks without touching the fuel - and holding temps in the 200's, but still enough fuel to bump the temp up some after I finish the plateau if I want to finish anything out.
Hope that helps
Cookin in Texas -
BBQ Guru...................Life made easy after the wife gets over the sticker shock of the egg purchase.Owner of LBGE, Antique Komodo Green in Color. Proud Career Firefighter. Johns Creek / South Forsyth GA
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Let's say in the 250 - 300 range.What temp are you trying to get too?
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Thanks Boatbum. I'll try this method.
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1/4 inch on top and bottom on my XL.Catch it on the way up.I start shutting down about 50 degrees from target temp.LET'S EAT
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