I got a WSM 18.5" a few weeks ago and have been enjoying it. I keep running into an issue with the amount of time I get out of charcoal.
Have been using Royal Oaks lump charcoal. Last Saturday, I filled the ring to the top and lit some charcoal in an upside down chimney starter. Added the lit coals to the pile and spread them around. I then added 4 fist-sized chunks of hickory. I was able to keep the temperatures close to my desired temp of 250 for a couple of hours. 2.5 hours later, my temperatures starting dropping quickly and I couldn't keep them above 200. I had to take the smoker apart and add more charcoal to get the temps I wanted (wanted 300 for the rest of the cook). After adding more charcoal, the temperatures still fluctuated a lot.
What am I doing wrong? Should I switch to briquettes?
Have been using Royal Oaks lump charcoal. Last Saturday, I filled the ring to the top and lit some charcoal in an upside down chimney starter. Added the lit coals to the pile and spread them around. I then added 4 fist-sized chunks of hickory. I was able to keep the temperatures close to my desired temp of 250 for a couple of hours. 2.5 hours later, my temperatures starting dropping quickly and I couldn't keep them above 200. I had to take the smoker apart and add more charcoal to get the temps I wanted (wanted 300 for the rest of the cook). After adding more charcoal, the temperatures still fluctuated a lot.
What am I doing wrong? Should I switch to briquettes?
Comment