I put it in after a few hours and let it ride through until competition. Did you use real charcoal? When I use the green egg I use the lump charcoal from Ruffs BBQ shop. The stuff from Kingsford burns too quick and does not get hot enough. I would definitely use a blanket during the cold temps, as the smoker my not be trapping enough heat. The other problem might be not enough air as it looks like you are at a higher altitude. Might want to try a cheap fan to blow some more air in, and then adjust the vents and intake. The key is trial and error.