WSM using a ton of charcoal

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pal251

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Fired up the wsm about 11:30 AM with what I thought was a full ring of charcoal. (18.5 WSM). Now its 5:00 PM and it looks like the charcoal is almost completely gone and its dropped to 250 when it was on 300 before. I realize that it is about 45 to 60 degrees out today so not terribly cold and I did not shake the ash off of the coals at any point but shouldn't the charcoal last longer?


I am using the kingsford standard stuff in the blue bag
 
I had to learn to use brand new bricks every time for a long smoke. I use the partially burnt bricks in the starter chimney. I use K-Blue coal.
 
How windy was in? The wind will make it so that you use more fuel if you don't block your smoker off with a wind screen.
 
Wind is a bug fuel water, also you will also burn more fuel if your water pan is full, I run my WSM with an empty water pan.
 
pal251 said:
Fired up the wsm about 11:30 AM with what I thought was a full ring of charcoal. (18.5 WSM). Now its 5:00 PM and it looks like the charcoal is almost completely gone and its dropped to 250 when it was on 300 before. I realize that it is about 45 to 60 degrees out today so not terribly cold and I did not shake the ash off of the coals at any point but shouldn't the charcoal last longer?


I am using the kingsford standard stuff in the blue bag
Click to expand...

Thats not a bad burn time for running a WSM @ 300.
I would add fuel every 5 hours running @ 250.
lift the barrel of push hot coals to one side fill ring with
more charcoal. I use lump in my WSM's

J.M.H.O.
 
Nitrofly said:
Thats not a bad burn time for running a WSM @ 300.
I would add fuel every 5 hours running @ 250.
lift the barrel of push hot coals to one side fill ring with
more charcoal. I use lump in my WSM's

J.M.H.O.
Click to expand...

I've had about 14 hours at 260 to 270* with a full ring of new coal. Wind was not much of a factor though.
 
Never used KBB in any of my WSMs.
Wind screen and a dry pan or sand in the pan would probably improve your fuel mileage. It takes a lot of energy to keep that water hot.
 
Keep the water pan less full. The water, wind and cold is sucking the go-go out of the charcoal.
 
Empty water pan. No sand or saucer.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
It's the combination of the relatively high temperature you are cooking at and the relatively low outside temperature.
 
I had the same issue last wknd with my WSM 22.5". I did some research and everything pointed to me keeping the water pan full. So I plan to foil it this wknd and see what sort of difference it will make.

Question - since I am removing water from the cooking environment that will make for lower humidity in the pit. (Obviously) Folks, in your experience does that now mean I should spray whatever I am cooking every hour or so?

Brian
 
bmonkman said:
I had the same issue last wknd with my WSM 22.5". I did some research and everything pointed to me keeping the water pan full. So I plan to foil it this wknd and see what sort of difference it will make.

Question - since I am removing water from the cooking environment that will make for lower humidity in the pit. (Obviously) Folks, in your experience does that now mean I should spray whatever I am cooking every hour or so?

Brian
Click to expand...

IMO no, unless you are cooking just a couple slabs of ribs and you notice they look very dry around the edges. Then you may want to spray. Your bark will probably form earlier, so account for that in your process.
 
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