Bottom Vent Looks like Someone smoking a pipe??

Bert2015

Newbie. Only 2nd smoke going on now. Trying to regulate temp. Bottom vent for now open as I start to close the top. Bottom pops out puffs of smoke. Normal???

Bert2015

Like someone smoking a peace pipe!

pgprescott

The bottom vent is your major adjustment factor. Close it down and then the top.
  What temp are you at and what is the target? If you are over your target, it is a long journey to get the temp lower. My lower vent is open maybe a quarter inch to hold 250 and the top closed down to part of a rose petal. 

Mattman3969

If you had a hot fire and are trying to dampen it down this is normal. I've burnt leg air with this happening.  Make sure you burp it before fully opening the dome.   Don't ask how I know. 

Bert2015

Shooting for 250ish to go overnight. Just seemed strange that puffs of smoke would pop out of lower vent. Maybe thats the backdraft sort of effect?

Mattman3969

That is exactly what you see. It will even out in a few minutes.

its really cool looking when flames shoot out the bottom vent.  

Bert2015

Thanks. Learning this thing, that just looked abby-normal....

RRP

Yo, Bert...welcome aboard. Seeing this will be your first overnighter are you prepared to get up 2 or 3 times during the night to check? You might go to bed thinking it was stable and wake up tomorrow to find a dead fire or a burnt lump of meat. We've all been there and while it may be a rite of passage to some folks it's also an avoidable issue if you set your alarm a couple times to check. BTW did you fill your egg with lump? Even at 250 it takes fuel to run overnight. Good luck! Post pictures when you can! 

Mattman3969

Bert2015 said:

Thanks. Learning this thing, that just looked abby-normal....

Your at the right spot for any questions you have. 

Couple of hints for your overnight.  Make sure you have filled your lump up into the fire ring and make sure the egg has been stable at temp for at least an hr before you put the meat on.  
  Once the meat goes on the temp will drop but don't fight it cause it will come back in about 1 - 1 1/2hrs if your egg was stabilized.  Do you have a remote thermo?

NPHuskerFL

Normal

Gamecockeggman

That's some expensive lump iif it's reminding you of a peace pipe.  Your not from Colorado by chance?

Bert2015

Had a full load of coal, stable at 250 when I went to bed, was at 225 this morning. So survived the night. Butt is at 178-181 so I need to push it through. I opened both vent to see if it has anything left, maybe I need to pull it all off and add some coal.

lousubcap

I may have missed it but I didn't see the size of your BGE.  If anything larger than a SBGE and you filled into the fire ring then you should be just fine lump wise this AM (thermo calibrated?). After opening the vents give it some time to see if you get an increase in temperature. FWIW-

stlcharcoal

Sometimes it does that if you have the bottom vent open too far with the top vent closed......it's unbalanced.  It's sucking in a ton of air from the bottom, then it doesn't have anywhere else to put the exhaust.  Close the lower vent some more or wait 5-10 minutes for it to even out.

YEMTrey

You can do all the temp control for the most part with the bottom vent.  I would leave the top (daisy wheel) with the openings all the way open, and get the temp dialed in with the bottom vent.  Then you can fine tune the temp with rotating the daisy wheel. 
Sounds like you survived the night.  You're all good now, and agree, if you have a large BGE or larger and filled it up with lump you should be fine.

Bert2015

I have a large. Opened top and bottom wide open but couldn't get to 300 so pulled all out and added. Meat now showing 196. Question, when 200-205 do y'all then foil and drop in cooler.

badinfluence

Depends. When are you eating? If you need to hold till dinner then yes. I pull at 203. It won't take long now as you are thru the stall.

Bert2015

Bert2015

Didn't shrink as much as I thought but it is falling apart. Really just eating during football and tomorrow if any left over. Will FTC make it even better?

blind99

there will be some carry over cooking but if it's already falling apart it's not going to get much better than that.  FTC is all about keeping it warm till you're ready to eat IMHO.  welcome and congrats on your overnighter.  enjoy the football!