Last weekend I was able to get a 2x2x1 snake to ride around 275 for about 7 hours (nearly complete circle) before refueling. I started with about 12 lit coals. My bottom vent was approx. 40% open and top 75% open, once you adjust vents to meet temp it should stay fairly consistent. I've noticed the 26" needs much less babysitting than the 22". With the beans down below I observed the temp stabilizes even more.