Need some help

[Jay Bee 8]

So I got my BJ ready for my Turkey and went inside to prep the turkey.  When I came outside my temp was at 500.  This is something i have never done before.  I snuffed it down to 350 and held steady for maybe 15 minutes.  I through on my smoke wood and put the turkey on.  Now I have smoke coming from both vents.  Can anyone tell me why this is happening?

[jtemple 41]

I sometimes get some smoke coming from the lower vent. I wouldn't worry about it.

[Dogstar 35]

1 hour ago, Jay Bee said:

Now I have smoke coming from both vents.  Can anyone tell me why this is happening?

Yes.  Air is flowing out your lower vent drawing some smoke with it.  It won't "hurt" anything.  But I find it harder to control this way.

 

I deal with it this way. Restrict the airflow on your lower vent to maybe 1/4".  The upper vent should be open enough to allow all the lower vent source air, plus thermal expansion through air heating, to escape.  That will help to lower the temperature, and the available heat and smoke should then flow up and out the upper vent.  Note you also want to not allow the upper vent to become a second source of oxygen, particularly when your fire is too hot.  So don't open the top vent too much.

 

The underlying issue here is that, at 500 degrees, most of your charcoal is now lit at one time.  Typically, you'll light 1 or 2 locations, and if you monitor the temperature rise (keep the fire growth manageable), you'll limit the growth of the fire across your charcoal.  But, this time, it got away, and ended up at 500 degrees.  So most, if not all, of your charcoal is now lit.  Therefore you need to restrict the flow of inbound oxygen.  That will damper the fire and thus lower the temperature.  But because most of the charcoal is now lit, it's a larger surface area fire that you now need to manage.  It can definitely be done, but the changes you make to your vents should be done carefully and in small increments.  Like 1/32 each adjustment.

[len440 420]

What i t think is happening is you have a pretty good fire and are choking it back the fire is heating the air inside causing it to expand,and the top vent is not letting the hot out as fast as it is expanding so it kind of puts a slight pressure inside and has only one extra way to exit hence out the bottom vent. Mine does this when I'm adjusting the temp and if I hit it just right I can see the bottom vent "breath in and out".

[Jay Bee 8]

Thanks for your replies.  Turkey turned out great.  The BJ calmed down eventually and everything was fine