How much charcoal should I use tomorrow?

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I changing too many things for my cook tomorrow and could use a suggestion for how much charcoal to put in my basket and how much to light. I'm planning on getting up at 5:30am tomorrow and lighting my UDS with a terra cotta diffuser for a 7lb pork butt. I'm targeting cooking in the 250* - 275*. It's supposed to be around 25* outside. I got 1/3 a bag of Kingsford and several 10lb bags of Royal Oak BRICKETTES. This will be my first long cook with a diffuser, first cook with RO brickettes, and first long cook in this cold of weather. I really don't want to run out of fire 2/3 of the way through.

Thanks,
 
Wether I'm cooking one moink or 40 lbs of meat I fill my basket up so there is no second guessing and no haveing to refill in the middle. I light about 10 or so coals or hit with the weed burner and catch the temp on the way up to my target temp. Then just keep 1/2 an eye on it till done.

JMHO.........

Paul B
SS UDS
 
fill the basket. you can always snuff it out when you are done cooking and have charcoal for next time.
 
I cook on my drums all winter with a terra cotta heat diffuser / grease catcher and light a full chimney each time. My charcoal basket holds a little more than a full bag, so i just fill it all the way up. Catch the temps on the way up and it doesn't really matter how much charcoal your lite.
 
Wether I'm cooking one moink or 40 lbs of meat I fill my basket up so there is no second guessing and no haveing to refill in the middle. I light about 10 or so coals or hit with the weed burner and catch the temp on the way up to my target temp. Then just keep 1/2 an eye on it till done.

JMHO.........

Paul B
SS UDS

what he said..lol

once i got her up to temps, i didnt notice any difference in the times it to cook the piece of meat than anyother time( it was 35* out - Northern Ontario)..the UDS held temps same as it was 60* out..all with royal oak briquettes..

as for a diffuser in a UDS, i didnt find that the 10" terracotta made much of difference for my times..not sure if any other size would have made that big of a difference.

didnt happen without pics sooooo...

10.56 lb shoulder -

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Thanks all for the suggestions. I'm not sure how big your baskets are though... I made mine 13.5" dia and 12" tall. I think most are more like 8" tall. My metal was 12" tall so that is what I went with.

I've been typically loading in 2/3 of a bag of kingsford and have enough for 10 hours. I think I'll go ahead and use all of the 10lbs of royal oak and the 3 lbs of kingsford. It should be more than enough.

I do snuff it out. But often my charcoal gets a little moisture prior to my next use and isn't good. Not always, but enough that I don't want to just load in too much. Especially now that it is winter and charcoal isn't onsale every week.
 
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