Struggling with Chubby Tempterature

[brewnbbq]

I have a Chubby and use a Guru DigiQ. I have had trouble achieving and maintaining desired temperatures above 200 degrees. I have tried multiple Guru fan choke positions, cooked with and without the heat diverter, cooked with and without water in the pan, as well as set the Chubby dampers in varied positions. After reading through the forums, I'm somewhat suspect of the charcoal that I am using. I welcome any recommendations.

[brewnbbq]

I think I answered my own question. I had been using inexpensive Kroger lump and briquet charcoals. I did a little homework on several other charcoals I have available locally, and chose to try Royal Oak lump and briquets. My cook included (2) spatchcocked and brined chickens with 8 lbs of wings for a family get-together. I like to cook slowly at 210 degrees ... just enough to boil water and create moisture in the cooker. I used half lump and half briquet. I used starters to prepare the coals. It took less than a half hour to have charcoal ready to prepare the charcoal box. I added half apple and half hickory on top of the coals with a final layer of new charcoal. I started out without using my DigiQ fan. Within a half hour, I was up to temperature and choked everything down allowing my fan to maintain 210 degrees. I'm still interested in any recomendations experts have for regulating temperature.

[shares]

Hi Brewnbbq, sounds like you're getting things under control, but can I suggest you might benefit by mastering fire control commando style - nix the temp controller. Once you've got things good and figured out then fold the temp controller back into the mix as a convenience.

[Over Dunn]

You cook chicken at 210? That's brave!! Last time I looked, Kroger Lump is Royal Oak USA. At least that's what the distributor for NC and SC told me, a few years back.

OD