controlling temperature

Unknown

can anyone tell me how to bring down the temperature inside the cooker? I have it up to heat - it is at 350*, but I want to be cooking at 300*- and I can't seem to get it to die down. I have tried closing off the vents, but every time I open them back up it blows back up to 350*, where I can stabilize it. Is this a start up issue- getting to big a fire early on? Please offer any suggestions. Thanks.

Hammer

Rookie Needs Help,
You are correct, it can take time to lower the temp. What I do is "burp" the egg. I open the top for a few minutes, so that it will go below the temp I want , and close off all vents. Once I see that it is stabilized, If it is below what I want to cook at, I crack the ven slightly, and crack the daisy slightly until I get where I want it.
We all have different metnods, and the eggsperts have many more ways. Try this!
Welcome aboard!
Hammer

Tim M

Rookie Needs Help,[p]Ceramic holds heat. Only time will remove it and it won't be quick. [p]If you have blown past the desired temp - you need to cook at whatever you have and hope it lowers in time. Shut the bottom vent to about 1/2" or so. You can't close it or the fire will go out and when the temp finally drops - your fire will be out and it will continue to drop until you relight it. Close the slide daisy all the way (it leaks enough to keep the fire going if the bottom is not closed). Start cooking -- 50 deg is not a big deal. [p]What are you cooking?? If it's ribs or something that cooks for a long time, you will be fine.[p]Tim

Basselope

Try this, it works for me.
first read Naked Whizs comments about flashbacks at www.NakedWhiz.com
Then
Close the top and bottom vents completly. wait about 1 minute and lift the lid for a moment and then close again. Repeat at 30 second to 1 minute intervals until temp is below what you are trying to cook at. with both vents fully closed the fire will start to die. This is OK as you have too much fire. Burping the egg will let the hot air out and use the heat stored in the cermanic to heat the cool air that you are putting in. Each time you burp the egg you will get about a 25 to 50 degree drop in temp. Crack bottom vent and daisy wheel and bring temp back to what you are looking for. Don't forget that the temp will coast after a adjustment of the dasiy wheel.

Unknown

Adding some water soaked wood chips or
one water soaked wood chunk where the fire
is the hottest and/or covering the existing lump
with more lump works for me. YMMV.[p]