by Tiny » 14 Apr 2017, 07:12
Morning,
Couple of suggestions, you want a mix of lit and unlit coals in your fire basket, have a look for "minion method" on you tube and this should see you right. The water pan is best filled with boiling water from a kettle or better still either fill it with sand and put foil over the top, or wrap a ceramic plant pot base in foil and stick this on top of the empty pan. Many folk think the water panis there for moisture reasons but it is only to act as a heat sink to keep the temp steady. Your choice of charcoal will also make a difference, there is an eternal argument on lumpwood or brickettes and most seem to favour a good quality briquette like Weber or heat beads.
Hope some of this helps
Cheers
Tiny