WSM 18" Low Temperatures

[Shadowdog500]

No.
I can’t read, I’m just here to annoy the likes of you.

Here’s my next suggestion

Here is a video on doing a full packer brisket in a microwave.

https://youtu.be/J4tIPFD7W3Q

 

[BeeRich]

I recently purchased some Royal Oak briquettes that wound up being the worst charcoal that I had ever purchased and this includes the "Always Save" brand that I purchased one time only. I had used Royal Oak several years ago and was happy with the product. The last batch of Royal Oak was just horrible. It would not stay lit and what charcoal did burn, burned quickly. Sometimes you just get a bad batch of charcoal from a reliable company. How the charcoal was stored before it hits the store can affect the quality. Two different ways of affecting quality are by handling it roughly and breaking up the briquettes or storing in it an area of high humidity for long periods of time where it will draw moisture.

I use a lot of lump in my WSM as I am mixing it with the bigger sized leftover charcoal briquettes from the last use. I can still hold a steady temp of 250F for six hours. If I am cooking longer than that I will salvage the leftover charcoal and save it for a shorter cook.

One other good point about lump charcoal is you can add it to the coals if your fire is diminishing and more cooking time is needed. You can add it without pre-lighting it as it catches fire quickly. It will not detract near as much heat from the burning coals to ignite as unlit briquettes do. Try a 50/50 mix of lump next time with your briquettes. If you plan on using the same brand of charcoal again, use a different source for the product and see if that makes a difference.

Royal Oak is exactly what I'm using. Very same experience with me, having recent cooks not behaving as expected. But then I used some Kingsford briquettes and they did the same. So I have some high expectations from the cleaned thermoprobe. Good to see it might be that Royal Oak.

 

[BeeRich]

I don't have to reread anything....I don't have a problem getting one of the simplest, easy to use cookers ever sold to run at temp

But you DO have a problem reading. I had mine running perfectly for ten years. You missed that part. Get a tutor.

 

[BeeRich]

Who said anything about roasting, for Pete's sake! Light the coals, wait for the dirty smoke to burn off, put the water pan in, and close the bottom dampers down until you are cruising at the temp you want.
BTW, I gave up on the Minion method 15 years ago when my meat tasted like an ash tray.

Close the bottom dampers. No wonder your cooks get those results. And you too can read the thread.

 

[BeeRich]

I feel your pain. I started to have issues like that with my 18" WSM years ago and nothing I did ever solved the problem. Mine was a 2011 model that I bought new and it didn't have a mounted thermometer. I always used a remote electronic one.

For the first several years it worked great and I had no problems running it from 225 to over 300 using the minion method and Kingford briquettes. Then out of the blue I had a cook where I could not get the temps over 200 degrees, even with the door open. That continued for several more cooks. At around that same time I bought a PBC and never used the WSM again and later sold it, never figuring out why I couldn't get the temps to stay up.

I don't really have any advice but just posted to say that I had the same experience with mine.

Good to hear someone else's experience. I'm thinking in the Spring I should give it a good scrape on the inside. But the next smoke with the cleaned thermoprobe might have some expected results.

 

[LloydQ]

Close the bottom dampers. No wonder your cooks get those results. And you too can read the thread.

Did I not say close the bottom dampers until cruising? Talk about can't read!
I just happen to think the Minion method imparts dirty smoke flavor to the meat.