arowe90 wrote:So once ive got the coals hot and placed them into my bbq. I close both chimney and the side vent to a quarter and let the temp drop. It keep s on dropping untill cold.
Ive been running tests really to see if it would be okay as a smoker. Should i add more non burnt charcoal ( i am imusing the minion method)?
Ive also tried adjusting the vents!
Ita a pretty rubbish bbq air holes everywere so i wondered wether its just sucking all oxygen in through the gap in the lid and BBQ.
Also the lump in using isnt in very big pieces! Any help would be appreciated and i can post a pic of the BBQ tonight when i get in from work!
If i cant get it to hold temp i might just invest in an offset smoker or maybe build a UDS.
Thanks Guys
The ability to control air flow is so important for maintaining fine temperature control and, as you suspect, the problem here is probably that the unit you have has too many "leaks". This is often the case with the cheap supermarket models. A couple of things that you could try though.
- Firstly try to seal all the gaps other than the air intake and flue. This can often be done using some aluminium self adhesive tape.
- As you have already done, close the top vent to about 1/4 and regulate the temperature using the bottom vent.
- The Minion method usually works well but you may find it better to use some good quality briquettes (e.g. Heat Beads) rather than lump charcoal. This will burn more evenly and give you finer control. The most important thing with the Minion method is to have patience. Do not try to get it up to temperature too quickly as you are likely to overshoot. It is much harder to bring the temperature back down than it is to increase it. It could take up to an hour to reach the desired cooking temperature.
If you are looking to replace it I would recommend going for a Weber 57cm Kettle or a WSM/ProQ bullet smoker rather than an offset because with the low end offset smokers you are likely to have similar temperature control challenges. You only need to see what is being used by most of the BBQ competition teams - either bullet smokers or Weber kettles.They so also use high end commercial or semi-commercial units too but you are probably not looking for one of these. A UDS is also a good option. There are some good kits out there and to make it yourself will be very satisfying.