Performer.. Using the Slow and Sear. Fill them up half. Use the lighter included. Get them to grey and then add more coals. Bottom vents open and top vents open. As soon as i put the lid on the flames that are roaring go down. I have gotten it to 350 but can't keep it there. Was about to give up on the slow and sear and just lay them out. Assuming i am not getting enough air to the coals.
Thanks all for the warm welcome!
You're in the right place!
Alrighty -- well, the SNS is designed for low-n-slow bbq cooks (6-12 hours) or indirect cooking followed by a reverse sear over the coals directly. If you're looking for a quick 15-30 minute blast at high temps, don't bother with the SNS - light a full chimney, give it 18 minutes then dump out the coals in the middle, spread em around using some long tongs and gloves, place the grill grate on, lid on, vents wide open and wait about 5 minutes and you'll be in the high heat business. Having said this, for things like chicken breasts, I don't want my temps to exceed 350F even with direct cooking. I'd go with half a chimney, lay em out for direct heat and do the above, but then your temps won't be Chernobyl level.
A full chimney works great for up to 10 burgers at a time on a 22" grate. The high heat generally holds for about 45 minutes, so if you've got a bunch to cook, you can do 'em in waves.
Hope this helps!