BBQ Guru Party Q + WSM 22.5

[scorched_porch]

I've had a BBQ Guru Party Q for about a year now. I use it with a WSM 22.5. I slightly modified my WSM with a Cajun Bandit Door and gaskets around the door. Holds temps well. My question is this -

I've noticed that once I get to temp, if I close the lower vents to let the stoker take over, it has to work very hard to keep it and the temps drop a bit too much from the target. If I'm trying to hold 250, I find it at 239 chugging away after a while. So I need to open the bottom vents to give it a hand. It will get back to 250 (and overshoot sometimes). If I still have to fiddle with vents, whats the point of the Guru? Is it because the WSM is just too much bigness for a Party Q ? Do I need something more substantial like an Auber to really do the trick?

[scorched_porch]

Ok, I'm now 3 hours in to a long haul cook and it's holding 250 rock steady as long as one of the vents is about 50% and the other is closed. Maybe I'm just antsy at the beginning when the the temps haven't stabilized?

[Tinye11]

I have had a WSM 22 and a Party Q for the last 3 years. I have no trouble keeping it anywhere between 225 – 250. If I want higher, I need to open one of the lower vents to allow for more air. Here are a few things I learned over the years.

1. Put the unlit charcoal in a donut in the fire ring and add the lit chimney to the middle. This allows for airflow from the bottom of the grate making you fire burn cleaner.
2. Position the fire ring as far away from the vent where the party Q is to allow for the most room for the air intake.
3. Make sure the inside of the adaptor is pointed down so the air is forced below the grate. I use aluminum tape on the other 3 holes.
4. Make sure your adaptor is clean and centered in the hole.
5. Make sure your batteries are fresh in the party Q. Once the battery indicator starts flashing, the temp becomes unreliable.
6. Your temp probe needs to be in a position that is not affected by putting cold meat on the rack. If the meat is too close, it will give a low reading and the party Q will look like it is behind all day. Recommend a loop of wire on the grate to allow the temp probe to clip on to it about 3 inches below the grate.
7. Let your WSM get established on temp for at least 30 min before you add your meat.

You may already know most of this already. Good luck.

[scorched_porch]

Ok, you just validated everything I do already. Thanks for that. I think that I just get nervous in the beginning when temps aren't stable yet and the stoker is scrambling. I'm 5 hours in and still holding 250 fast with 1 vent at 50%. I'm Ok now and I can stop fretting.

[scorched_porch]

BTW, IT is about 162 right now. Bark not quite where I want it, so I won't wrap.

[DWCowles]

Thanks a lot for making me hungry

[Tinye11]

Forgot to add that I don't use water. I ball up some foil and put it in the waterpan then cover with foil to create an air pocket below the foil cover. That keeps the drippings from direct contact with the hot waterpan. Here is a pic of some I did last week right before I covered them.

[scorched_porch]

Interesting. I know Harry Soo doesn't either. I happen to use water (hot) and might do some experimenting without it this summer to see if I can tell any difference.

[scorched_porch]

I have had a WSM 22 and a Party Q for the last 3 years. I have no trouble keeping it anywhere between 225 – 250. If I want higher, I need to open one of the lower vents to allow for more air. Here are a few things I learned over the years.

Everything ended up perfectly. I think that I'm pretty tight due to my mods and have a tendency to run on the lower side. So like you say, I need to find my spot where I need to help the stoker with additional ventage. And that spot is around 250. Opening a single vent t 50% seemed to do it for this run.

Thanks for the reassurance! I got great bark and nice moist meat after about 11 hours.

[Tinye11]

Looks great!