[emoji848] Ok "Thing" is the weber. "Stumps" is hand built smoker. You've gone through a lot of charcoal trying to get the temp to set in and it's not working out for you. You're having a problem with it dying out and getting REALLY ticked off.
I don't have one, so I should probably have waited for irv and bbqmiller to comment first, but I'm already writing this so here ya go. Are you letting the coals get going initially? Fire them up, leave lid open till they will sustain? Then close lid and then maybe open the rapid fire vent for a bit? Then close and use the top daisy wheel for fine tuning? All the while bottom vents, of course, open.
Please don't take any offense to that since you've been grilling longer than I've been around. I'm just trying to help, and I wouldn't never mess with a man that has the XXX cardboard cutout of the "most interesting man alive" in his home... Good luck and stay thirsty my friend.
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