Problem with low UDS temp

[ironbrew]

Was having a similar problem. I didn't have my vents open enough. New to Q though, so was a learning experience.

 

[Fwismoker]

One thing that wasn't mentioned yet... Pits (at least UDS types) need more air to get hot when cooking whole chickens then any other meat. IMO it has something to do with the moisture the chickens put out that contributes to evaporative cooling of the pit.

I could do a high heat butt (325-350) and will need half of the air that i'd need for a chicken cooking at the same temps

 

[caliking]

Your Proble is HERE!!!
Every 90 deg turn you pur in a line restricts its flow by 50%. in the simplest terms 4X.75= 3/2= 1.5 1.5/4=.375 so your 3/4" intakes are now 3/8" Solution:> Get rid of those Elbows on 3 of your intakes and use 1 valve. Then do this:
Take that farkn diffuser out start with at least 1/2 chimney of hot stuff and leave the lid off at start up until the thermo hits 200 then put the lid on and let it settle in then put on the meat.

This is essentially the problem. I put risers on all 4 intakes of my big drum (1 with a pipe valve, fat man mod) and couldn't get the drum up to temps high enough to crisp up chicken. I initially had just 1 intake on a riser, the other 3 were at the bottom of the drum, but I thought I would be clever and add risers to all of the intakes. Bad move - once the other risers were added, I couldn't hit high temps anymore. The pipe valves are actually much narrower than you think - turn the valve open and look inside. My solution was to add one more big intake (1.25") at the bottom with just a nipple and cap on it, no bends or valve on it. It was easier than taking apart the other intakes and messing with them.

I call it the chicken hole - whenever I need higher temps (chicken, hot n fast cooks) I open that one up too and the UDS can chug along.