Maintaining low temps

smokeydrew

I am planning on making beef jerky for the first time this weekend. I am curious if there is a secret to maintaining temps around 175 - 200. I have never tried to cook at such low temps before, but it seems to me that it will be difficult to maintain these temps without constant monitoring.[p]Should I employ different techniques for starting the fire or a different selection of lump size? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.[p]thanks,
smokeydrew

The Naked Whiz

smokeydrew,
The times that I have made jerkey, I didn't have trouble starting low or keeping it low at first, but later when I opened up the cooker to turn the jerkey, the temp started creeping up. I suppose I just need to be more agressive in keeping the temp down. To start it, I just lit a small spot on top of the lump and put a piece of smoking wood on the lit spot. Sounds like a good idea, though. I haven't done jerkey (or as my infamous wife calls them "doggie treats") in a while.[p]TNW

Unknown

smokeydrew,
I just did 2 pork shoulders this past weekend and kept the temp down pretty low, not as low as you are talking. It is easier to increase the temp in an egg than it is to decrease it. I would suggest after building your fire, lighting a very small portion and keep the daisy wheel holes open the width of a credit card and the lower vent open until you reach about 175, then adjust it to a credit card width, this should be just enough O2 to keep the fire going, also keeping the egg out of the sun will actually help keep the temp down as well, my egg has hit temps of 130 degrees in the sun before without a fire in it

stike

smokeydrew,
I did a lo-and-slo at 180 because i had to delay the start of a cook (but needed the fire going and meat on)... long story.
anyway, the secret to 180 or so is not to overshoot and get the fire blazing then try to back down to the desired temp.[p]allow yourself an HOUR to stabilize the fire.
start it small in one spot (i do center/top) and immediately set the dampers as though your are at your temp.
set the dasiy and lower vent as shut as they can be and still be considered open.[p]it will take the full hour to establish the fire and assure you that it is going, tho slowly.[p]i find that NOT cleaning the dasiy wheel allows me much better control at lower temps because its tiny gaps are filled with soot and fat which have settled in there during other cooks.[p]it can't run away from you, or spike, because air in and air out determine temp, not that motherlode of charcoal.

fishlessman

The Naked Whiz, i find it easiest to take the whole rack out when flipping the jerkey. this keeps the open dome time down and helps the fire from cimbing up in temp. the key is to be quick when opening and closing the dome. i also use lump left over from other cooks, it seems to burn at a lower temp than fresh lump

smokeydrew

stike,[p]I suspected that my self-learned and maybe incorrect method of lighting the lump and getting a good fire going then bringing the temp down was not the best method to start a low and slow cook. I will definitely try to start the fire small and stabilize it over the first hour. [p]Thanks for all the tips![p]

MickeyT

<p />smokeydrew,[p]I can maintain temperatures in that range for jerky quite easily. I use Temperature Rings and ceramic mass to do so. I simply light the lump with a Mapp Gas torch, lay a BGE pizza stone covered in HDTF on the grid, throw a #1 ring on and let it ride foe 30 minutes or so. Throw the beef jerky on and go watch t.v.
The temp stays there for 4-5 hours and then I pull the jerky off. Works most times for me, but as we all know, the world ain't perfect.[p]Good luck to ya.[p]Mick[p]PS- the end result, no matter how you get there, is always a good thing.[p]Mick

smokeydrew

I just love this forum. I keep discovering things that I have never even heard of.[p]Can you elaborate on what a temperature ring is and where I can find one?

Borders

MickeyT, What is a temperature ring? How do you use one? Where do you get one?

MickeyT

smokeydrew,[p]I'll e-mail you guys with info.[p]Mick