Longer burns with splits?

Jeff_in_KC · Feb 25, 2005

Got a bag of splits and some actual briquets to go along with my lump for my cook (that I'm planning to fire up in about 4 hours - two brisket flats at 3:30 am and a half dozen slabs of babybacks and 3-4 fatties around 9am). The plan this time is to get the smoker up to temp using lump charcoal then when it's pretty damned hot, dump in a couple of chimneys of briquests on top of the lump then throw on 3-4 splits. If I start that at 3am, any chance I could get a couple more hours of sleep before it needs more fuel?

When I discussed my huge amounts of fuel used a few weeks ago, I was told briquets lasts longer than lump... but what about splits? Will briquets and split hold the heat longer than lump and chunks? Or is it splitting hairs?

Thanks!

tommykendall · Feb 26, 2005

The short answer is probably. Briquetts and splits will burn longer than lump and chinks (I mean chunks). If you are burning on a bandera, unless you are using a basket or minion method, do not plan on getting more than an 60-90 min snooze at a pop. What time are you planning to eat? - you may be starting too early.

Jeff_in_KC · Feb 26, 2005

I'm a little late here... damned cold medicine knocked my butt out! Anyway, it's looking like my brisket (and an early fatty) will get on about 4am CST. It's about 3:30 noow and I just put the first chimney of lump on the gas grill burner to fire up a few minutes ago. We plan to eat around 6pm. I'd like to have the meat coolered for at least a couple hours before dinner.

kcquer · Feb 26, 2005

Jeff, best of luck on your cook. Early morning cook time always reminds me of early fishing, quiet, peacful and relaxing.

Jeff_in_KC · Feb 26, 2005

Thanks! So far, so good... except I set my alarm to sleep an hour and I snoozed it three times. Woke up to find my pit temp down to 177 degrees! Getting a couple of chimneys of briquets lit to kick it back up asap! Tossed in a couple of splits to keep it from diving any more in the meantime. The briskets have been on 2 hours and 20 min and internal temps are 127 and 125. Babybacks not yet in the smoker. Figured I'd drop them in around 8 or 9 am and be done with them around 3 or 4 pm.

tommykendall · Feb 26, 2005

Early morning cook time always reminds me of early fishing, quiet, peacful and relaxing.

You know it. I fired up many times in MD in the early moning darkness. By the time nieghors started waking up to walk their dogs, the whole street would be smellin good. Anyway Jeff - sounds like things are going real well...

Jeff_in_KC · Feb 26, 2005

They were... until I started losing heat! LOL! When I was adding the babybacks, I lost a LOT and it took nearly 20 min to get back to 200 degreees! Apparently I should have made sure there was plenty of hot coals to sustain the temps before I had the door open to add ribs, not AFTER! I lost about 8-10 degrees internal temps in both my brisket so now I'm having to rebound. They were in the low 150's. Now they're in the low 140's. Damn it! I'm trying to get to 170 so I can foil them...

tommykendall · Feb 26, 2005

It's all part of learning - you're doing great jeff.

Jeff_in_KC · Feb 26, 2005

Thanks... it is a little frustrating to know I had 'em within 15 degrees of foiling and now they're at least 25 degrees away! GRRRRRR!!!!

Jeff_in_KC · Feb 26, 2005

Still going through a sh#tload of charcoal though! Just finished off a 20 lb. bag of Kingsford and I've used probably 1/4 bag of lump. One of these days, I'm going to figure out how to use a 20 lb. bag of briquets or less for an entire cook!

chad · Feb 26, 2005

Just a guess but you didn't lose that much internal temp in the brisket - odds are you thermometer probe was in a "hot spot" --

Fire management is not learned in a couple of cooks nor from reading our "advice" - it's learned by getting out, like you're doing today, and burning something. Outside temps, wind, rain or humidity, and your own patience or lack thereof will all come into play.

Jeff_in_KC · Feb 26, 2005

Patience??? Oh sh#t!!! No one told me I needed patience to do good Q! LOL!!!

chad · Feb 26, 2005

Yeah, patience. The lack of patience leads to boiled ribs! :twisted:

Jorge · Feb 26, 2005

Jeff_in_KC said:
Patience??? Oh sh#t!!! No one told me I needed patience to do good Q! LOL!!!

Try substituting beer for patience

Jeff_in_KC · Feb 26, 2005

Hey now there's an idea! However, on as little sleep as I've had (and passing out TWICE today, letting the pit temp drop too far), I'd say a state of zombi-like stupor is working just as well now.

racer_81 · Feb 26, 2005

Jeff - don't despair. Even in your stupor you spell better than some people......

Jeff_in_KC · Feb 26, 2005

Hell, I'm so tired, I even got annoyed listening to Skynyrd and had to turn it off! Now that's bad!

david · Feb 26, 2005

so, how'd everything turn out? And don't worry- some of us never get fire management figured out.

Jeff_in_KC · Feb 27, 2005

Actually, the ribs came out spectacular yet again. Someone told my wife when she was bragging about them that "babybacks are the easiest thing to smoke". Fark them! No invitations ever extended to this person again!

The brisket... well, let's just say I'm not yet at Brisket Nirvana. The first one a couple of weeks ago was a BIT too dry. This one was a LOT better but as much as I like smoke, it had too much. The smoke ring was damned near a half inch in! Some pieces were pretty harsh. I think if I hadn't tried to use extra splits for quick heat gain after losses, it would have been damned close to perfect. It did get rave reviews though. I almost wish someone would give me some critical feedback so I can get better! The fatties... awesome as usual! I tried another pork rub with less chili powder and I think I liked it a lot better than my other attempts.

david · Feb 27, 2005

We never do brisket without sauce, so that 1/2" smoke ring is just fine. If it's really too strong of smoke, chop it up and use it for chilli. Can't beat brisket chilli.

Longer burns with splits?

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