Hi, I need some help please. I've been browsing these threads and have already learned a-bit and have found things I definately want to try. I'm using Chargriller grill with a side firebox - this is a pretty new piece of equipment for me. Ive done some smoking with a water smoker in the distant past. I smoked the family's first meal tonight and had a problem controlling the temptature. I just could not seem to get the smoke box to reach and maintain a good temprature around 200 to 230 degrees. I'll describe what I did. I'm trying to get an idea if my problem is something I'm doing wrong or if the weather caused this. Any way here goes. I'm using briquets and started them in a charcoal chimney. I let the box get to about 150 degrees and put the meat on (a small 5lb piece of pork, merinaded overnight). Checked the smoke box temprature and it reached about 200 degrees and put the wood chips in the firebox using a cast iron wood box. The smoke was great. Had to run some errands, but had Mrs. Smoker periodically checking the box temp. using the Chargriller supplied temp. gauge. The gauge was calibrated in the oven and I feel it is close enough for now. I plan on investing in a digital thermometer very soon. About two hours after I stated smoking the meat, the smoke box temprature begins to drop. I added more coals that I started in the chimney with some more wood chips added and had another blast of some really fine looking smoke. From here I could not get the temp. above about 175. I wound up adding another heaping chimney full of coals but just couldn't get the temp above 175 and most of the time about 170 degrees. After about 8 hours of smoking this way I took the roast out, checked the meat thermoter I had in it and had an internal temp. of about 165 degrees. I finished it off in the oven. The meat tasted great and I thought still pretty moist. It didn't rain today and it wasn't windy. The temp outside when I began smoking was about 55 degrees and dropped to about 50 degrees for most of the time. The fire box I know had plenty of heat to share. I'm just wondering if I'm missing something or of this is what I should have expected. Thanks everyone for your help.
