GadjetGriller Wow! That doesn't sound normal at all! I'd be looking at the vent cap at the bottom of the PBC. I don't know what your altitude is where you live, but if that vent isn't set right for your altitude you'll get off temps. For me, being at about 700' above sea level, I've got it at the 1/4 open adjustment (which is how it came out of the box). If you're higher than that, and your PBC's set at 1/4, it may be time to open it just a tiny amount more.
How did you start the coals? If you read that sticky thread I linked to, you'll see fzxdoc and others have found that a 15-10-10 method is preferred. That's 15 minutes with 40 briquettes in the chimney starter, then dump them on the cold briquettes in the basket in the cooker and spread them around a bit and leave the lid OFF for 10 minutes (no rebars). Then put the lid on for 10 minutes (no rebars). This will get those coals nice and toasty under the hot ones from the starter. Without a good start, your temps will be way off and will tend to fluctuate wildly.
Once the 15-10-10 is complete, rebars go in and food goes in. Then you put the lid on and watch for copious amounts of smoke leaking from the lid away from the rebar holes' locations. If you see smoke coming from the lid, you need to "finesse" the lid a bit with a rubber mallet or fzxdoc's favorite tool, a shoe with a softer sole. The lid will never fit perfectly, but a bad fit will cause temp fluctuations (mostly on the hot side, though).
How did you start the coals? If you read that sticky thread I linked to, you'll see fzxdoc and others have found that a 15-10-10 method is preferred. That's 15 minutes with 40 briquettes in the chimney starter, then dump them on the cold briquettes in the basket in the cooker and spread them around a bit and leave the lid OFF for 10 minutes (no rebars). Then put the lid on for 10 minutes (no rebars). This will get those coals nice and toasty under the hot ones from the starter. Without a good start, your temps will be way off and will tend to fluctuate wildly.
Once the 15-10-10 is complete, rebars go in and food goes in. Then you put the lid on and watch for copious amounts of smoke leaking from the lid away from the rebar holes' locations. If you see smoke coming from the lid, you need to "finesse" the lid a bit with a rubber mallet or fzxdoc's favorite tool, a shoe with a softer sole. The lid will never fit perfectly, but a bad fit will cause temp fluctuations (mostly on the hot side, though).
Comment