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I used some mini loaf pans to make meatloaf. The pans are 4.5x2.75x1.75 tall. Perfect for 1 serving. After that pix my camera battery died. The next 3 shots are phone shots.

This summer it's been pretty dark in the yard with all the trees blocking out the sun, so much so moss replaced the lawn. The trees were quite large, 80 ft tall and had such a wide canopy it was hard to find the sun. They were so large they became dangerous to the cooking and dining areas so something had to be done. The experts were called in and it was decided that 20 trees had to go to open the yard to make things sunnier and make things safer. Some trees begin growing side by side very young and look fantastic, however after a good amount of years they grow into each other and develop a V-shape, they begin to push on each other at their base causing them to angle away from each other. This becomes dangerous because they are no longer straight but angled and it has to addressed. An 80 ton crane a large chipper and a experienced crew made easy work of it. The climber was lowered into each tree where he would tie off approx 1/3 of the top of the tree and slice it off for the crane to bring it to the chipper. It was an all day process, the work was constant and intense except for the break at lunch when brisket subs were served. It was amazing to watch, it's a job where you have to be knowledgeable, trusting of those around you and quick on your feet and develop a 6th sense

One of our "cardinal rules" here in KK land is "Don't chase the temperature." Folks think they have to keep making adjustments in their vents to hit a target temperature. One of the basics of BBQ is that a precise temperature is not required - there's no "magic" temperature for perfect BBQ. Rule of thumb is +/- 50F of what you're aiming for is "close enough for government work." I think @Syzygies was on to something about the size of your initial fire. You said, "When opening the lid temps want to take off." That's counterintuitive to my experience and the old BBQ saying of "If you're looking, you're not cooking." as opening the lid lets out heat. The short infusion of fresh air from opening the lid (unless you keep it open for a while) shouldn't cause a spike in your temperature. One check on this is to see how much charcoal you've burned through on a short cook, like ribs. If you've burned through most of the basket, you probably had too big a fire to start with. A chimney full of lit charcoal is way too much fire for a low & slow cook in a KK. Another variable is what charcoal are you using? You didn't say in your post. Most quality lump hardwood charcoal burns fairly slowly and evenly. Some of the cheaper stuff (i.e., Cowboy) which is made from scraps, burns up in a flash and very hot. Give Fogo or Jealous Devil a try. Many of us here on the Forum use those charcoals with good results. Keep us posted on your experiences and we'll see if we can get you on the right track.

There's a classic book from the early days of aviation that all pilots read: Fate is the Hunter The author was on a final flight before a long-awaited fishing vacation. The plane was making awful noises. He finally crawled into a wing cavity to explore, telling his copilot to do nothing. He then ignored the issue, and flew cautiously to a safe landing. There was a welcoming party. The other two planes of his type, same service history, had crashed while he was airborne. A long investigation concluded that the only way to avoid crashing was to do nothing. He took this as an omen, and retired. I believe that you're oversteering. Perhaps you're also starting with too much fire; always light just enough charcoal to pass command to the temp controller. See how close to sealed you can close the upper damper without putting your fire out. Partially close the valve on the bellows, if necessary. Wait twenty minutes between reactions. I like to file things into psychological categories. Controlling a fire, like some but not all cooking tasks, gets better when one stops "caring so much". I tend to place my controller temperature probe through the top lid hole that normally holds the analog thermometer, with an alligator clip (roach clip) as stop. This can read cold at first, and hot later, but I've had better luck controlling fires this way than with the standard advice to position the probe an inch away from the meat. It eventually doesn't matter; for low & slow the entire cooker converges on the same temperature, after this initial imbalance.

If you are using a controller make sure those bottom vents are closed and never touch them. When you go to wrap the ribs open the lid snd take the ribs out and immediately close the lid. Once wrapped open the lid and put them back in and close that lid. After I do that I always close my top vent about an 8th of a turn. Then walk away. Hope that helps

Couldn't tell the difference between the pictures. You have a good camera on the phone! Stay safe, @MacKenzie!!

And just in time before Lee blew in and possibly caused some of them to break off and damage your property. Smart move.

It sounds similar to what I did last year. We had planted rows of pine and spruce when we first bought the property but they grew and grew and grew. Cleaned out to let the sun in and keep them from falling on the house or garage. I was amazing to watch them work their magic.

High five!!

Beef rib cook. Corn, squash and peppers cooked while the ribs rested.

Got some off the bone lamb shank meat thought I would tie it up and take it for a spin .let it rest in a spicy marinade overnight. Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk