Now we are cooking!!! Polar was right on the money. More charcoal = higher temps. I had just never seen anyone suggest using more than one chimney as everything seems designed around the size of one chimney worth of charcoal. Combined with the ridiculous direct heat charcoal puts off, I had just assumed one chimney could easily get the grill much hotter. I guess that’s what happens when you assume. Anyhow, it took a little while, but with the lump added and everything open full, the grill easily got up to 450 and held that for over an hour. It actually maxed out at 482 and then very slowly started down. At that point I closed the right top vent over the coals to see what would happen. I immediately saw the fire board start dropping faster . I think for max temps it is everything full open just like the manual says. My conclusion is 1. Invest in a 2nd chimney and 2 those videos on the PK website showing 700 degrees are not using an indirect method. They have to have the capsule packed to the max with coals. Adding a whole extra chimney of lump only gained me 100 degrees. With oxygen being a further limiting factor I doubt another 3rd chimney would get another 100 degrees without a fan. It sounds like Polar was able to get to 540 with 3 full chimneys, but I don’t know if he was using a fan too.
Anyhow, at this point after it peaked at about 1 hour mark, I shut down the vents most of the way as I had a pork butt I had been marinating in apple juice, soy sauce and spices to smoke overnight.
Anyhow, at this point after it peaked at about 1 hour mark, I shut down the vents most of the way as I had a pork butt I had been marinating in apple juice, soy sauce and spices to smoke overnight.
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