Getting temperature right.

[Scousejay]

Hi all.  New to Charcoal bbq.  Bought a weber  57cm one touch premium. Set it up last weekend went for safety first few burgers chicken all come out great. It's just the temperature control am struggling with, the bbq has ash catcher on & adjustable vent, it's this am struggling to work out which are the best settings on it,as temp went down pretty quickly.  Looking forward to learning how to use my bbq & with your help even better.
Thanks.  Jay. 

[ClubChapin]

I find it really useful to mark the ash catcher ring with vent positions, closed, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, open. Then, you have a better idea where the lower vent is.

[Yendor]

For high heat grilling? I just leave it fully open with the vent open as well. Welcome and good luck to you.

[MikeRocksTheRed]

For high heat you want both vents wide open.   Usually with the exception of one of the accessories I have, I always leave my top vent wide open and control the temp with the bottom vent.  Temperature also has a lot to do with how much charcoal you are using.  I full chimney full of charcoal is going to give you a fire that is going to be pretty hot.  The temp will also depend on how you are setting up your coals.  If you put the coals to one side of the grill the temp at the cooking grate is going to be different directly above the coals (hot) than it is on the opposite side (cooler).  If you are looking for a medium temp for cooking just remember it is easier to start with less coals and add more to gain heat than it is to start with too many and get the grill to cool down.  One other thing to keep in mind when adjusting your bottom vent to increase or decrease the temp is to give it a little bit of time to settle in before you adjust again.  Also, try to leave the lid on as you are dialing in the temp so that everything is consistent. 

[Scousejay]

Thanks all for the replys.  Do I add extra coals lit or cold out of the bag.

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[Thesnow321]

I've believe you can't add cold charcoal out of bag, if you do it will smoke up your food. Use chimney once charcoal is ready add it in..

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[MikeRocksTheRed]

Thanks all for the replys.  Do I add extra coals lit or cold out of the bag.

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You can do it either way.  Briquettes do tend to burn a little dirty as they get going, but if you are adding a handful of coals it isn't a big deal.  If you are using lump charcoal you can add as much of that as you want without worrying about a dirty smoke as it gets going.