Maintaining temps with lump?

[tugboat]

For the lump guys cooking on a kettle style grill, how do you maintain temps? The first dry run I did on my new Kettle I used Stubbs briquettes and hit 235 and it stayed there with the lower damper open 1/4 and the upper damper open full. 12 briqs per the instructions on the slow n sear. When I grilled a steak on Saturday I used lump (royal oak) and had to leave the lid open a bit to keep the internal temp under 240, and I had a hard time keeping 225 on the steakhouse burgers I grilled today. It stayed to hot, forcing me to crack the lid, then it plummeted to about 204 and I had to add a couple coals.

What's the trick to maintaining temps with lump? Or is this just what happens with lump in a Kettle and I should stick with briqs? The Stubbs briqs were so easy to hit slow cooking temps with.

[boftx]

IIRC lump tends to burn hotter because there is more surface area and air flow due to the irregular shapes. Also, I find there is far less ash buildup, which also contributes to better air flow. Others might disagree with me on this, I speak only for myself.

It is possible that the ash buildup from briquettes is a significant factor in reducing air flow and keeping temps lower as a consequence. This is pure speculation.

[RichBrew]

Vents open 1/4 doesn't seem right to me. Does it have the 3 vents or the 'sweep' vents where all 3 are controlled with a lever? Mine is the latter, and and I have to keep the vents closed to a tiny sliver to hold 225 even with KBB. At 1/4 it would quickly run up to 250+

[JeffJ]

In my experience with the kettle lump behaves very similarly to briquettes other than it burns hotter.

Remember, when cooking with wood, lump or briquettes you are dealing with 2 types of fuel - carbon and oxygen.

If you aren't getting enough heat crack the top vent a bit more (it's always easier to manage temps with the top vent). Also, with the SnS you may want to pour water in the reservoir and open the bottom vents a bit more. The water will work as a heat sink and allow your fire to breathe a bit more, which is a good thing if you are adding wood chunks for smoke. Just keep in mind that the temps will spike once the water evaporates.

Probably the best tip I can give is don't worry about trying to nail an exact temperature. Chuck roast, spareribs, short ribs, brisket and pork butt are all forgiving cuts and are capable of cooking perfectly well at somewhat elevated temps. If you are holding a steady 270 you should be just fine (maybe slightly less for the spareribs). Shoot for a range - 225-275 and refrain from making adjustments until you hit the floor or ceiling of the range. Maybe tighten the range a bit for spareribs - 225-260 and even more for baby backs - 220 - 250. Poultry you want to cook in the 300-350 range. It may take some practice but you always want your fire to be at the ceiling of your target range (or a bit higher) with the top vent all of the way open. If you settle in at 240-265 with water in the SnS and the top vent wide open you are right where you need to be. Once the water evaporates the temp will begin to climb and you can counter it by choking the fire a bit and by closing the top vent a bit.

One last thing, when the time comes to make an adjustment, don't panic. Make your adjustment and then wait at least 20 minutes, if not 30, and see how the cooker ultimately reacts. All of these meats can handle 300 for a half hour or so throughout the course of a long cook.

[tugboat]

What about hitting a target temperature in the first place?

[JeffJ]

Start with the bottom vents about 1/4 - 1/3 open and the top vent open all of the way. Wait and see what happens. With those settings you should at least be able to consistently hit the bottom of the range I suggested. Adjust with the top vent if it gets too hot.

[kingdarb]

I don't have an issue with hitting a target temp with lump in my Kamado Joe. I usually try to bring it up to temp slowly and dial the vents in as it gets close.

[tugboat]

How much lump are you starting out with?