Do you that own one leave the bottom vent pretty much open[fully]?

Seems like an awful lot of venting on the smaller SJ?
I've had it about 3-4 weeks now and really like it and it's size[for us empty nesters].

I've been using the 'grill' section of my smoker or grill that's built in to a patio wall for years that are totally different. It just seems like too much venting. 4 nickel size, adjustable holes. Manual says to leave them open.

Had a Smokey Joe for over 20 years. Think I paid a little over $25 for it new back then. I've still got a small Weber kettle that has seen a lot of fires.

Ex-wife finally threw out the Smokey Joe on me one day while I was at work. Said it was any eyesore because it was burnt and rusty.

Probably grilled and smoked a couple thousand lbs of meat and fish in that thing.

As for the vents, you'll need to play with that a little, depending on what you're cooking, how much wind you've got, how fast you want your stuff to cook, and how much smoke you want to retain.

I leave them both open but it also depends on what I'm cooking. AND I am just lazy enough to leave them open no matter.

Also, both vents it will likely rust and burn off in a couple of years so case closed.

Plus that covers Weber's butt and reinforces their manual!!

i've had smokey joes, kettles and the wsm for years. the way i do it is leave the top vent wide open and regulate the heat with the bottom vents. thats the way the instruction manual says to do it and it works pretty well.

I leave the bottom full open when cooking and use the top for air flow control.

Shut off both if I want to "kill the fire".
Same with the kettle.

Smokey Joe's are strange little things. They don't behave like a full size kettle at all, but they are handy if you don't want fire up the larger one, or need to prepare something to go along with whatever you're cooking on the larger one.

You got that right and while they're great cookers you'd best pay attention or those shiny little SJ parts will burn the crap out of your fingers!!

Smokey Joe is perfect size for a meal for the two of us.
Enough Shish kebab for two meals and fine for any meat.

Kettle was retired when I got a Smokey.

Still have the "old style smoker for those things that need that kind of cookin.

Depends on what I'm cooking if the vents are fully open or not. That's about the only issue I have with the Smokey Joe, it takes more watching to get the venting right than I like. But the one I've had has been around a few years and it's still working.

Geno

This covers 90% for me too. Most often I use just for a fast/hot steak and maybe some grilled veggies while the meat rest.