Maintaining low temps for smoking brisket

Welcome ...225 can be a misconception...mime is happy at 295-325 without using a control...also make sure you are calibrated

225 is not the number on a Kamado. Run it 260-275 and I think you will be happy with the way it locks in around there. It will also produce the best results and cut your cook time by half. Hour per lb at 260 is pretty close to what I see. I find it’s closer to 2 hrs per at 225. That’s way too long and gives you no better results. Bump it up and see what you think. 

Is your temp gauge calibrated?  Should have no problem running below 250.

A kick ash basket can also help with this.

This was a great guide when I got started but it the pics arent working anymore  https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/718915/visual-guide-to-vent-settings-temperatures

Ive hardly got any gasket at this point but I can stay under 250 easy enough if I plan for it.

Small starting fire
Roughly a credit card width on bottom vent
hardly open on either DFMT or the new BGE Top

lkapigian said:

Welcome ...225 can be a misconception...mime is happy at 295-325 without using a control...also make sure you are calibrated

Agree on the calibration 100%.  I've completely moved my view of low and slow to 250+ as well after years of trying to master holding 200 temps only to find the food wasn't better, it took longer and there was less opportunity for frustration 

That being said, if you're bent on holding true low and slow in a kamado here is what I learned

1). A charcoal basket helps with airflow vs. the stock charcoal grate.  With too much smoking wood / some brands of charcoal your ash can extinguish the fire.

2) building your charcoal fire placement by hand helps a lot.  Placing the first few large pieces of charcoal as well as your smoking wood in a campfire like placement helps airflow and gives space for ash.  I often prioritized the middle of the Egg before then dumping the bag on top and around knowing underneath there is a path for air. 

3) Wood chunks on the bottom vs. top help smoulder / clean smoke that lasts longer than chips or chunks on top that occasionally ignite and give you false temp readings.  I.e. a large chunk of wood might ignite and send a flame up the front of the grill and the dome temp will start climbing and you might react to this only to find once that piece of wood stops burning you've choked out your fire.

4) how you light your fire matters.  Throwing in two or three fire cubes and haphazardly lighting your egg isn't as reliable as planning a burn path.  Using a loof lighter or Map torch I would in the centre slightly towards the front of the egg start a downward concentrated fire.  This is works as you're hand built air channel is feeding this, plus it accommodates for the burn preference of the egg to migrate towards the rear.  Plus as charcoal burns and collapses fresh charcoal falls on top and keeps the fire running for long slow cooks.

5) how you come up to temp matters.  I've had best results when I light the fire and let the Kamado come up to 225 with the top and bottom vents open as this helps get some heat into the upper ceramic which will help with operation / consistency.  Once I hit 225 I load in the platesetter and cooking grids.  I also close the bottom damper to about two fingers width and close my daisy wheel from wide open to just the circles fully exposed (about 400 if you left it), reEGGulator to about half open, SS cap to about half open.  As the temp recovers from ~180 back up towards your 225 slowly continue to adjust just the top vent working towards your final setting so that it hits 225 gradually.  

OCD?  Likely but this approach would allow 18-20 hours of set it and forget it consistency and I rarely had to make any adjustments.  The only time it needs some tweaks is spring and fall when the sun temp vs a cool night might need a little more fire to keep the same temps that you were seeing in the middle of the afternoon in direct sun.  Hope that helps, and if all else fails there are some great control units that will take the guesswork out of it