I have the 22" WSM and the problem is with the bottom vents. When I try to open or close the bottom vents the tabs on the vents come into contact with the charcoal grate. The next thing is that for the first cook I used the K.I.S.S. method outlined in the book low and slow, I had all the vents open and for a 1 1/2 hours the temperature on the lid "which I know is not accurate" stayed at 225 to 250 when I pulled out the meat I put back on the lid and it jumped and stayed at about 275 about an ½ hour latter I took the lid off again and then it jumped and stayed at 300. Is that normal?

Thanks for the help
Jason

Hi Jason.
This should help for your bottom vent problem.
Removing the lid for a bit will cause some spikes in your temps, and then you also removed your meat, which also helped your temps to jump.

Tim

While I have not been around all that long. I think most would agree. I tried the KISS method once and never did it again. A type of Minion Method is the way to go. Do a search for it and yopu will find all kinds of stuff. Then just make up one that works for you.
Were you looking for a long or short cook. You can check my past few cooks all were great and I may have stated how I went with the charcoal.

Welcome Jason, I think timothy has given you a solution for your tab problem. As for your temperature jump, realize that when you take your lid off, you are introducing fresh air into your smoker. This fresh air will feed your fire. Hence the higher temps. Also, weather conditions such as heat, cold, & wind can affect your operating temps. For example, if you have your temps. stabilized after an hour of smoking and the wind picks up. This extra air blowing into your bottom vents will cause an increase in temps. You will have to compensate by either closing the vents a little or blocking the wind around your WSM.

My lid thermometer seems to be quite accurate on my new 22.5 WSM. It is right with my oven thermometer on the top grate, which is the best way to check it. Small oven thermometer is $5 at Walmart.

Hi Jason and welcome to Weber charcoal smoking. I have the smaller WSM (and an SJ converted to a mini-WSM.) I have found that

• ambient temperature
  
• meat load
  
• wind (or lack)
  
• rain (or lack)
  
• water in bowl, temp of and lack of.
  
• progress of fuel burn. As it progresses, ash tends to moderate the heat and eventually, the fuel burns up!
  
• amount of fresh air admitted through bottom vents
  

affect grate temperature. (BTW, I use a remote thermometer on the upper grate and it corresponds closely with the built in thermometer.)
Any of these factors could have had an impact on the results you saw. You will need to practice and develop the skill to control temperature where you want it. Yesterday I did a 22 lb turkey. I left the bowl dry and all vents full open to maintain a temp of about 350°. Today it was chicken and pork and I used water in the bowl and cosed two of three bottom vents to keep temps between 220° and 250°.