Author Topic: Temperature control  (Read 5448 times)

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Offline DonR9

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Temperature control
« Reply #-1 on: August 01, 2015, 05:38:32 PM »
Haven't tried it yet. Think it will work?

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Offline 1Bigg_ER

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Re: Temperature control
« on: August 01, 2015, 05:53:49 PM »
Yes, I use wine corks.
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Offline DonR9

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2015, 05:58:10 PM »
Yes, I use wine corks.

Yeah. I use wine corks too. Thought I'd try these bolts to get the kind of "seal" the hanging bars give me. Then, for stuff I grate, I don't have to be working around the bars so much. We shall see
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Offline Aclarke44

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2015, 08:27:18 PM »
Do you guys plug the rebar holes and crack the lid for exhaust?  Is this for when cooking on the grate?

Offline muebe

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2015, 11:33:44 PM »
I have been known leave out a rebar during chicken cooks. I find that it increases the temp by 50 degrees or so. Also I remove the lid the last 5 minutes of a chicken cook to crisp up the skin.

I have never plugged up the holes yet however.
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Offline smokeasaurus

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2015, 01:08:39 AM »
Plugging the holes will prevent the PBC from "breathing", you are going to have bad smoke circulating around the meat with no way to exit..............
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Offline DonR9

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2015, 01:11:17 PM »
Plugging the holes will prevent the PBC from "breathing", you are going to have bad smoke circulating around the meat with no way to exit..............

Thanks for  pointing that out. The bolts I've got are 1/2 inch in diameter, so the should impede flow only slightly more that the bars do. I figure if I plug 3 holes and leave one open, I should get decent flow. But you make a good point. After I've tried it, I'll post how it goes.
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Offline DonR9

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2015, 01:14:33 PM »
Do you guys plug the rebar holes and crack the lid for exhaust?  Is this for when cooking on the grate?

I haven't actually tried this yet, but plan to for stuff I grate. I'm hoping it'll make turning things (like chicken wings) a little easier. Smoke points out, however, that if I plug too much I might get a bad smoke taste. We shall see
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Offline smokeasaurus

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2015, 01:18:47 PM »
Usually a pit runs better with a wide open exhaust. The fire is usually controlled by the air vents closest to the burning fire. The lid of the PBC is pretty tight fitting. To avoid a heavy bitter smoke flavor it is always better to have the smoke moving quickly and smoothly past the meat. Closing up the 4 holes.....well....think about it.....where is the heat and smoke going to go?? It is going to stay in the barrel and completely ruin your meat. I am also pretty sure this set up will effect the burn rate of the charcoal because there is no flow to the exhaust.............just sayin........
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Offline DonR9

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2015, 01:49:11 PM »
Usually a pit runs better with a wide open exhaust. The fire is usually controlled by the air vents closest to the burning fire. The lid of the PBC is pretty tight fitting. To avoid a heavy bitter smoke flavor it is always better to have the smoke moving quickly and smoothly past the meat. Closing up the 4 holes.....well....think about it.....where is the heat and smoke going to go?? It is going to stay in the barrel and completely ruin your meat. I am also pretty sure this set up will effect the burn rate of the charcoal because there is no flow to the exhaust.............just sayin........

Good points, well taken. The bolts I have won't really seal so much as they will impede the flow. I'll try using 2 or 3 of them to see what I get; and then leaving all the holes open and adjusting the bottom air vent.
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Offline Aclarke44

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2015, 03:14:31 PM »
Unless I'm reading this wrong you are not planning to crack the lid for exhaust.   If that's the case I agree there won't be anywhere for the smoke to go.  This will also lower your temperature a lot even if you open the vent cap more.  You've gotta allow exhaust somewhere.   If you plug the holes just crack the lid about 3/4-1" for exhaust.  If you do that I don't see a problem.

Offline drholly

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2015, 03:20:02 PM »
Unless I'm reading this wrong you are not planning to crack the lid for exhaust.   If that's the case I agree there won't be anywhere for the smoke to go.  This will also lower your temperature a lot even if you open the vent cap more.  You've gotta allow exhaust somewhere.   If you plug the holes just crack the lid about 3/4-1" for exhaust.  If you do that I don't see a problem.

Although I tend to use my PBC as it came from the factory (really like the simplicity - fits me...  ;) ), I do enjoy reading the mods and suggestions and think about how they might impact my cooks. So, please accept this comment / question in that sense.

I am wondering why I would plug the rebar holes and then crack the lid to probably about the same amount as the original holes. This is not a criticism it is curiosity.

Thanks!
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Offline DonR9

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Temperature control
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2015, 05:59:41 PM »
The only reason I personally am considering "plugging" the holes is to get the same flow I get with the bars in place when I'm cooking on the grate. I'm thinking of chicken which always comes out so succulently. Reminds me of what I used to get from a Kamado Pot years ago. (the pot was brought into the U.S. from Japan by a Pan Am captain). If I cut the chicken into prices and grate it with the holes obscured by the ½ inch nuts I have, my sense is I'll get an internal temp quite similar to what I get when I hang chicken halves. I think that's what I'm aiming for: use those nuts to impede flow the same way having the bars in does.


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Offline Aclarke44

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #12 on: August 02, 2015, 06:22:09 PM »
Unless I'm reading this wrong you are not planning to crack the lid for exhaust.   If that's the case I agree there won't be anywhere for the smoke to go.  This will also lower your temperature a lot even if you open the vent cap more.  You've gotta allow exhaust somewhere.   If you plug the holes just crack the lid about 3/4-1" for exhaust.  If you do that I don't see a problem.

Although I tend to use my PBC as it came from the factory (really like the simplicity - fits me...  ;) ), I do enjoy reading the mods and suggestions and think about how they might impact my cooks. So, please accept this comment / question in that sense.

I am wondering why I would plug the rebar holes and then crack the lid to probably about the same amount as the original holes. This is not a criticism it is curiosity.

Thanks!

Fair enough.  Let us know what you find out.  Especially if it works out..

Offline jjjonz

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Re: Temperature control
« Reply #13 on: August 02, 2015, 08:12:11 PM »
Only time I plug the holes is to snuff out the unused coals to use on the next cook. Let us know how it comes out.
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