Thanks guys, the temperature on the day of the cook was 20C or 68F. Not the warmest of days, but the sun was out. I'll explain my temperature issues a little better. I couldn't get the temperature any higher than 210F, and it would drop to around 196F until I gave the charcoal a stir where it would then rise back up to 210F. Even moving the smoker in to the sun didn't help much.
Lamb was on for 8hrs and the chicken and ribs 6hrs. It was all cooked fine as I checked internal temps before pulling it all from the heat.
The only thing I would've liked is for the Lamb (yes it was Aussie Lamb O.S, Kiwi Lambs run too fast for the farmers to catch
) to have been a bit more tender. But, that is the nature of Lamb, it needs a longer cook to dissolve all the connecting tissue for it to become tender. As it was though, it sliced perfectly, and tasted great.
The charcoal basket base has a grate with gaps that could possibly be too large, letting smaller bits of lit charcoal fall through. This leaves only the larger charcoal pieces to light each other.
I'll try a few things on my next cook to help get the heat higher.
I have officially been banned from taking leftovers to work unless I have enough for everyone.
SR.
