The height of the temperature very much depends on the amount of oxygen and other conditions such as wind, humidity, coal type and the outside temperature. So controlling the temperature is almost never 100% the same. A few tips for getting the temperature up:
- Use good dry coals, and fill the firebox/charcoal basket completely. The Bastard Black Wattle charcoal is specially designed for reaching high temperatures.
- Make sure the air damper in the base is well clear of ash, for the oxygen supply.
- Fully open the air damper.
- Fully open the top cap as well.
- You can also remove the top cap from your Bastard entirely. Once your Bastard has reached the desired temperature, put it back on to stay in control of the temperature.
Note: try not to let the temperature rise too fast. After all, the ceramic needs to get acclimated to the heat a bit, especially in the cold winter. It would be a shame if the ceramic snapped or cracked!