luke duke
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2010
- Location
- Dallas, TX
Jambos are controlled via the exhaust.
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Smoker/grill intake debate
- Thread starter AClarke44
- Start date
Another it depends on the cooker view. I think on most offsets at least you want the exhaust open. On the Kamado I had it definitely needed both. No way to control it on the bottom only. On my kettle and slow and sear it’s both but mostly the top. I seem to remember reading on a WSM that most control should be on the top vents — can’t remember if that was Weber’s advice or Harry Soo that was the source of the comment
Overall I think that on charcoal cookers like a kettle, WSM or Kamado the easiest way is to fine tune with the top. The bottom can also be needed to get into the range. You aren’t looking for a small clean burning fire on those anyway.
Overall I think that on charcoal cookers like a kettle, WSM or Kamado the easiest way is to fine tune with the top. The bottom can also be needed to get into the range. You aren’t looking for a small clean burning fire on those anyway.
Top completely open, more times than not the firebox door also completely open. I try to control temps by the size of my fire. I’ll adjust the firebox door as necessary but I never touch the stack damper.
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darita
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2010
- Location
- Roseville, CA
Let me add this in the mix. One expert says, in and offset, the best smoke comes from wood burning efficiently and this is best achieved with an open intake and exhaust. He controls the temp by controlling the size of the fire...when he adds splits and how big the splits are.
Just my two cents here (for what that worth in today's economy LoL) All the big name temp controllers are fans that you attach on the intake to regulate or force air into the fire, never see seen a controller/fan attached to the exhaust to suck air out. It only stands to reason that a fire needs three things to run, heat/fuel/air. If you can control the amount of air a fire gets then the heat will have to react.
As stated earlier though, it could be a type of grill that works better the other way, the exhaust on other grills might actually also feed air in the grill, not sure. All I know for sure is if you have a quality grill with a sealed firebox, then controlling the air intake is the best way to control the heat. Just my 2Cents
https://youtu.be/LcHJOIKCF-E
Oven convection fan on the exhaust to generate draft rather than blow ash into the cook chamber
Gimmethecash
is one Smokin' Farker
I run my stick burner wide open and control temp with fuel (frequency & size). On my Webber with vortex, I run it wide open until it’s near pegging the thermometer, then back it off a bit with the lower (intake) vent.
The only time I touch the top vent is to shut down after cooking to save charcoal and keep things out.
The only time I touch the top vent is to shut down after cooking to save charcoal and keep things out.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2011
- Location
- Tuscaloosa Alabama
I use both depending on what I’m after as far as smoke/flavor.... kinda like what suits my fancy that day.... but it predominately the intake..., my intake and exhaust are are slightly over sized for the very reason of throttling if you do choose....a lot of times I will not run my stack wide open especially on wings if I want a smokier flavor .... as long as the end justifies the means it is truly up to the pit master in my opinion unless the intake and exhaust are just grossly miscalculated on the build... jm2cw
For y'all who control your Weber kettles with the bottom (intake) vent, how in the world do you fine tune it when it's much more difficult to see than the top vents? Do you make marks for 1/3 open, 2/3 open, etc?
This is blowing my mind. I'm open to change, I just had no idea so many people used the bottom vent to control a Weber grill. Every video I've ever watched says bottom wide open, use top to adjust temps.
Alternatively, I only use the bottom vents to control my 22.5 WSM because I follow T-Roy's method. Top always wide open. Control temps with micro adjustments to bottom three vents. But these are simple to see and adjust, unlike the bottom of a Weber grill.
This is blowing my mind. I'm open to change, I just had no idea so many people used the bottom vent to control a Weber grill. Every video I've ever watched says bottom wide open, use top to adjust temps.
Alternatively, I only use the bottom vents to control my 22.5 WSM because I follow T-Roy's method. Top always wide open. Control temps with micro adjustments to bottom three vents. But these are simple to see and adjust, unlike the bottom of a Weber grill.
Gimmethecash
is one Smokin' Farker
It’s already marked for you! Lever all the way left is fully closed, the cutout below the lever with the arrows (and everything to the right of it) is fully wide open. The first four oval holes above essentially equate to closed/half open/75%/wide open.
Attachments
I've got the holes, but not the fancy markings. Easy enough. That's the kind of question you come up with when you've never even thought about using the bottom to control heat before :icon_blush:
The bottom vents on older Webers with the one-touch ash sweeper aren't marked. I use a sharpie on the ash catcher ring to mark fully closed, half open, and fully open.
Usually I run the top mostly open to avoid trapping dirty smoke, controlling temps with the bottom vent.
Unless I want a heavier smoke profile. If I'm running sweet Thin Blue Smoke, I will dial the top down to let the food absorb more TBS.
When adding wood, or if the fire isn't perfectly clean, open the top vent until the white smoke settles down.
On Weber models without the ash sweeper, the vents can be harder to reach, and more difficult to adjust. In that case I would make my adjustments from the top, leaving the bottom wide open.
Usually I run the top mostly open to avoid trapping dirty smoke, controlling temps with the bottom vent.
Unless I want a heavier smoke profile. If I'm running sweet Thin Blue Smoke, I will dial the top down to let the food absorb more TBS.
When adding wood, or if the fire isn't perfectly clean, open the top vent until the white smoke settles down.
On Weber models without the ash sweeper, the vents can be harder to reach, and more difficult to adjust. In that case I would make my adjustments from the top, leaving the bottom wide open.
Steve68
Knows what a fatty is.
With my smoker (WSM), I always leave the top exhaust fully open and control the temps just with the bottom dampers. With the kettle grill, just the opposite - I always leave the bottom fully open and manage the temp with the exhaust. I guess I just learned it this way when I first got into barbecue and never had a problem, so I stick with what works for me.
