I would like a concenses from all of you re: Vents, upper and Lower. Especially to PK owners and Weber kettellers. What's your tried and true method for adjusting temps with the upper and lower vents? As mentioned in earlier posts, my issue is constantly "chasing" temps both raising and lowering. Kamado owners can chime in as well because I suspect the stategy will be similar. Obviously talking about longer cooks, not "hot n fast".
Thanks in advance.
Gear includes: Char-Griller's Grand Champ off set stick burner/smoker, SnS Kamado Deluxe, Weber 22, PBC, Victory gasser, Victory 36 griddle, Smoke Hollow electric smoker. ThermoWorks Thermapen Mk4, Smoke, Signals, and RFX4, Meater+, SNS-500, roti fits 22 n gasser, Emeril countertop TO, InkBird Sous Vide, Potane Vac/Sealer. Fire&Ice griddle/cooler ensemble.
3-pkg of Collapsible Prep Tubs
Junior, Original, Xtra Lg. SS D. Norcross
Complete set (Tx PJ!) Wusthof Knives n block.
Dalstrong:
Phantom Series Paring knife
Shogun SeriesX 6" Chef knife
Gladiator Series 12"Cleaver knife
Just got into charcoal Dec ‘21 (PBC)
fav is brisky. Love Turkey on PBC. also Turkey in the glass,(any nice bourbon)
Bud has always been my barley pop.
Been smoking a handful of years, just got serious in the last two or three years. Thanks to AR n @glemn picked up an SnS Kamado for appx 1/3 price of new. I dont think he used it twice. Love AR! keep calm n smoke on! Miss you Bonesy.
Weber kettle bottom always the same, regulate with the top. SnSKamado the top n bottom are numbered and I may start on 1.5 or 2 but as my temps rise to where I want them to be, top and bottom get damped to 0.75 eventually for the lionshare of the cook. Hot n fast gets the PBC, where the only control is how much if any rebar is used or if those holes will be plugged or not.
I learned to quit chasing temps and just be aware if they are getting out of control or you fire is being snuffed out. Very little management overall.
The one time my briskie fell into the coals, on the PBC, my signals alerted me to the issue and I was able to finish on a grill grate with no harm and the food was deelish.
I guess I am saying monitor the cook and only get involved if things are moving a direction not wanted. I guess Boston would be sea level where I am in Cincy. it would be closer to 750ft.
Last edited by Alan Brice; October 29, 2024, 08:39 AM.
I think I replied to a very similar question just the other day. My primary cookers are a classic Kamado Joe, a big joe kamado, and a PK 360. Both the kamados are so easy to regulate with the top vent. My Smobot can keep a kamado within 5 degrees of my target temp using just the top vent for 8 hours. Being a hot and fast cook I don.t have a cook that goes that long. When not using a temp controller the top vent is still all I use. About the only low temp cooking I do on the 360 is slowly smoking to bringing to 120 F steaks before I sear them. Oddly so far the bottom vent has been the more affective one. This is with only a few cooks under my belt. The 360 is so far the best reverse sear steak grill I’ve ever used. When you open the lid it can go from slow smoker to scorching hot for searing in a hurry. Using the lower vent I can easily keep it between 200 and 225 F . The only trick I’ve learned so far is that just like a kamado you need to get control of your fire early or it will get too hot quickly and be time consuming to get back to where you want to cook. I use leftover lump from the kamados to fuel the 360 and get a good fire. I can’t prove it since I don’t keep any on hand but I think briquettes would do just fine too. We are eager to help when we can so don’t be shy about asking more questions. There are some fine people here that have helped me so much.
For a Weber kettle, the step by step lighting directions on the SnS Grills website is what I always come back to. This process works even you don't have a SnS yet.
SnS link was very informative, Thank You! Any PKers out there that can add to the discussion? I know about the customary procedure of keeping the vent open under the coals and the top vent open over the food, just wondering about the vent openings/ adjustments once temp is established.
On my PK300, I generally start with the lower vent under the fire open 50%, and make adjustments with the upper food vent, other two closed. That usually does it. I have learned that my PK300 runs best with more lit charcoal from the start, usually about 50% lit on top of 50% unlit. This is for cooks of about 2-3 hours, I generally do longer cooks on my WSC, so can’t help there. I did struggle early on with getting high enough temperatures until I learned to start with more lit charcoal.
On my Kamado I set the bottom vent at a 1/4” to equal 225 and each additional 1/4” equals 25 degrees. But the higher the temp the less accurate is each 1/4” = 25 degrees. The top vent is harder to describe, and I use it for adjustments less than 25 degrees.
Remember to take into consideration that Kamado cookers use lump charcoal.
Interesting. For my Weber Kettle, bottom vent open all the way is hottest. To lower temperature I go with 1/4 closed, 1/2 closed or 3/4 closed to lower the temperature. The top vent works the opposite (for me). Wide open it lets more heat escape and lowers the temp. Closed almost all the way lets less heat escape so raises the temp.
Depending on what I am grilling/smoking I usually start out all the way open if I know I need the heat, something less for longer low'n'slow cooks. I usually end up with one or two adjustments during the first 30-40 minutes (if at all). Then if I see a noticeable drop after couple of hours, I'll open the bottom further and the top less. For long cooks I "snake" the charcoal around the perimeter so I rarely have to add coal anymore.
Interesting, I may be the only PK owner who does this. I prefer natural wood flavor to charcoal.
So, I try to avoid any smoldering charcoal or wood chunks while I cook. I use a screaming hot, large chimney of charcoal briquettes. Then I use very small 1/4inch x2inch “splits” of seasoned wood, like oak. They light and burn quickly, avoiding smoldering smoke.
I scatter 5-6 splits on the coals, all vents open. Close the lid, and when the smoke mostly subsides, I put on the meat. I try to keep the temps as high as possible on the ‘cool’ side, usually between 350f and 400f. When the steak is about 105f, I take it off to rest while the coals re-heat. Then I reverse sear. I might add a few tiny splits in the middle of the cook to get more smoke on the meat.
I use these temps for everything, including spatchcocked chicken or wings.
If I am grilling on direct heat, I use enough coals to get to a low grilling temp, and add slightly larger splits and more of them for a nice Smokey flavor. The splits will light up with fat dripping, making flames, hot coals, and cooler spots to move around on. Mesquite is my favorite with this method.
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