hardhatdvr

Re: Inaugural cook experience questions Thanks to all for your replies. In fact, i didn't have the latch fully closed. i also think i left the electric starter in too long and lit too much charcoal initially. i next cooked a pork butt with the latch fully closed and had a much better experience. Thanks again!

Hi all. I just bought the 23 inch OTB and after curing at high temp , I roasted chicken for my inaugural cook. I had a tough time maintaining temp at 375 degrees. I ultimately got and kept it at 400 but only after totally closing both the lower and upper vents entirely. This gave the chicken a smoky flavor that i hadn't intended for this recipe. I also noticed that smoke was seeping out between the dome and base and it discolored the stainless plate on the latch. I used a combination of coco char and cowboy lump. Perhaps i was using too much coal as I started with a full basket? Any tips or hints would be most appreciated. Thanks, Alan