cookin up next weekend....

[smokeypig]

hey, all - ain't been around in a while. good to see things are still kicking as usual.

i'm planning to do up 30+lb of butt, 2 turkeys (10#) and 4-1# fatties next weekend. i've got hickory, oak, and apple ready to go in. i need some advice. i've asked about baskets for the black diamond before, and mods to the fire box. i'm stuck on this, tho.

i'll be doing the butts and fatties at the same time. followed by the turkeys, and more fatties, the followign day. i'm guessing i'll be pulling an all-nighter next friday and be cooking well into saturday night with the birds.

the issue/question/problem i have is that when i start with a full stack of kingsford, within 3-4 hours, the ashes have fallen through the grates, the temp drops dramatically, and there's limited airflow through the cooker. i always add charcoal that is burning to limit the time the smoker is not doing its job, but removing the ashes without burning myself may take a while. i'd really like a basket like BigAl's for the BD. but i see he's out of the business. plus the dimensions are radically differnet between the rectangular firebox on the bandera and the cylindrical box on the BD. i've already bought two sheets of expanded steel and learned the hard way that without the right tools to work with it, you might as well just fuggetaboutit! needless to say, the sheets are now somewhere buried and doing their best to oxidize back to mother earth in some landfill in western cobb county.

i guess my question is, what is the best way to remove the ashes without injury and without losing too much time and heat in my smoker? or should i even worry about the heat loss a that point, and just empty the ashes and load up on the charcoal and wood?

[kcquer]

Smokey, nice to see you. Al has materials for 1 basket left, he might go custom for you. Can't hurt to ask. Can't see you'd ever regret it but you still need help sooner than it would probably arrive. Just got a cimmaron myself and have a bit of a notion of your problem. The only thing I can think of is to be on the high side of optimal temp range, do your clean out as quickly as you can and be ready with a fresh chimney of lit fuel as soon as you get your firegrate back in. As far as safely extracting your coals/ashes, http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3394 or just use a metal bucket or trash can, welders gloves and be careful. Good luck. Let us know how your big cook goes.

[willkat98]

What about a fireplace shovel? Scoop out the ash as best you can

[Mark]

This just gave me a idea for a new mod. Cut a rectangle out of the bottom of the bandera firebox a little smaller than the size of a cake or lasagne pan. Weld some brackets to hold the pan flush under the firebox and attach a handle to the cake pan for removing it when it gets full of ashes. Whatcha think?

[parrothead]

This just gave me a idea for a new mod. Cut a rectangle out of the bottom of the bandera firebox a little smaller than the size of a cake or lasagne pan. Weld some brackets to hold the pan flush under the firebox and attach a handle to the cake pan for removing it when it gets full of ashes. Whatcha think?

Sounds like a winner. I'd leave a little gap though. That thing will warp like a mother farker with that heat.

[willkat98]

Mark,
I want to throw this one back to you with a side question, because you have been an advocate of "all wood" smoking.

I had only 1 ash problem on an 20 hour brisket cook one time. I thought I had it because I was also using "natural" charcoal, which give me more ash then lump, but less than Kingsford.

Here's the question. On an 18 hour type cook in the Bandera using all wood, had ash ever been a problem for you?

I had my first all wood cook 2 weeks ago. About 8 hours or so of smoking time. I was amazed at how much ash I didn't have, knowing the quantity of wood I used.

Could part of Smokeypigs solution be in the fuel source?

[Mark]

Mark,
I want to throw this one back to you with a side question, because you have been an advocate of "all wood" smoking.

I had only 1 ash problem on an 20 hour brisket cook one time. I thought I had it because I was also using "natural" charcoal, which give me more ash then lump, but less than Kingsford.

Here's the question. On an 18 hour type cook in the Bandera using all wood, had ash ever been a problem for you?

I had my first all wood cook 2 weeks ago. About 8 hours or so of smoking time. I was amazed at how much ash I didn't have, knowing the quantity of wood I used.

Could part of Smokeypigs solution be in the fuel source?

It's a fact that my Bandera has never seen a charcoal briquette; or lump either for that matter. And to answer your question; I've never had enough ash build up during a marathon cook to be a major problem. Good wood in a good fire burns relatively complete.

Its also a fact that the main ingredient in most charcoal briquettes (including Kingsford) is COAL. Smokeypig said he was using Kingsford and as you said Bill, Kingsford leaves behind the most ash.

[willkat98]

Thanks Mark.

I knew you had the "all wood" answer for the Dera.

Phil, and probably Greg too, but they are using the farking BYC that holds a ton.

[smokeypig]

Its also a fact that the main ingredient in most charcoal briquettes (including Kingsford) is COAL. Smokeypig said he was using Kingsford and as you said Bill, Kingsford leaves behind the most ash.

is there another charcoal that (other than lump) that doesn't leave as much ash as kingsford? i'm willing to try just about anything at least once (well, maybe... :D ).

[Mark]

Smokey: why do you want to use charcoal? Get wood. Oak, hickory, frui;, whatever; its all there in Marietta, Georgia.

[smokeypig]

no reason other than i've never tried using only wood. matter of convenience, i suppose.

[Mark]

Trust me then. Get wood.

[The_Kapn]

Ad me to the "all wood" crowd.
I only use about a pound of Kingsford when I initially light it up.
I just lay some hardwood kindling on the grate (raised to the first shelf), a lb of Kingsford for quick coals, and top it off with Oak. Then stuff paper underneath and "fire in the hole" as the Artillery guys used to say.
I have become fanatical about consistant wood size. My daughter says "anal retentive", what ever that means :D. I make my oak beer can size and 8-10 inches long. Well seasoned and dry of course. With pre-heating, I just drop 2 peices on every 45 minutes or so when the temp starts to drop.
Took a few burns, but consistant temps now and "clear blue smoke".
Q'uing Nirvana :D :D :D
Takes a bit of practice, but if I can do it--anyone can.
TIM

[Solidkick]

What about a fireplace shovel? Scoop out the ash as best you can

Damn, I thought of that, and it works great.........

[smokeypig]

maybe i'll do a "test burn" this weekend with a one of the butts, a fatty or two and maybe a nice hen. then we'll see what happens. i'll keep y'all posted....

[Mark]

maybe i'll do a "test burn" this weekend with a one of the butts, a fatty or two and maybe a nice hen. then we'll see what happens. i'll keep y'all posted....

That's the spirit!

[smokeypig]

spirit? i thought that was Jack on ice! oh, right. that's what makes the cooking go by faster. lots of spirit!!

[tommykendall]

I'm virtually 100% wood also. Never had an ash buildup problem using an expanded metal grate on the bottom wrung of the firebox.