jkolantern
Well-known member
I was smoking a turkey yesterday for some friends and wanted to cook between 300 and 325. I had about half a ring of partially burned K blue from the previous day's smoke, and when I went to dump the ash I realize that I must have had a smoldering coal because as it sat with the rest of the cooker off of it, about half the ring lit. I put a full chimney on top of that, for about a 3/4 ring of mostly lit and ashed over.
I let it go with all vents open, and put the 15 lb bird on when it was at 275 and rising.
That's the last time I saw 275 for hours. The temp at the dome dropped to around 200, 220ish at the grate. I cracked the door. No change. Dumped another chimney of lit. No change. Stirred the coals and added a half chimney of lit without the door. Got to 250 briefly and then fell back to 200ish. Dumped another chimney of lit. No change. This was like 2.5 or 3 hours. Eventually I had a heaping full ring of fully lit coal, no door, and I couldn't get above 250 until about 4 hours into the cook.
I had a foiled older shallow pan with a 12" foiled clay saucer in it, and a drip pan on the second rack under the bird with a can of broth in it. Well seasoned cooker, and I have gotten the temps high in the past, but lately it seems like it picks a temperature and just wants to stay there regardless of what I do.
Any thoughts? Anybody had this happen to them?
I let it go with all vents open, and put the 15 lb bird on when it was at 275 and rising.
That's the last time I saw 275 for hours. The temp at the dome dropped to around 200, 220ish at the grate. I cracked the door. No change. Dumped another chimney of lit. No change. Stirred the coals and added a half chimney of lit without the door. Got to 250 briefly and then fell back to 200ish. Dumped another chimney of lit. No change. This was like 2.5 or 3 hours. Eventually I had a heaping full ring of fully lit coal, no door, and I couldn't get above 250 until about 4 hours into the cook.
I had a foiled older shallow pan with a 12" foiled clay saucer in it, and a drip pan on the second rack under the bird with a can of broth in it. Well seasoned cooker, and I have gotten the temps high in the past, but lately it seems like it picks a temperature and just wants to stay there regardless of what I do.
Any thoughts? Anybody had this happen to them?