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Amount of coals....

T

The Bengal Thing

Guest
I know, I know.... it's a newb question and has prob been answered before, but you get a lot of results when searching for coals... etc.

How do you gauge how many coals you need for what?
 
Based on experience using a cooker and temp and time I wil be cooking.

For example, in my SnP offset, I can get a steady temp range of 240 to 275 going with about 2 lbs of Royal Oak using a modified Minion method and that will give me about 45 minutes. From there, the amount of charcoal I will use is a matter of how long I expect to need the cooker running at those temps.

Im my WSM's, it is much simpler. If I fill the charcoal ring with Kingsford and add about 15 or so lit briguettes in the center on top using the Minion Method, I can cook for 12 to 14 hours at temps between 250 and 350. I can fill it only halfway and get roughly 6 to 8 hours.
 
Saiko said:
What smoker?
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bigabyte said:
Based on experience using a cooker and temp and time I wil be cooking.

For example, in my SnP offset, I can get a steady temp range of 240 to 275 going with about 2 lbs of Royal Oak using a modified Minion method and that will give me about 45 minutes. From there, the amount of charcoal I will use is a matter of how long I expect to need the cooker running at those temps.

Im my WSM's, it is much simpler. If I fill the charcoal ring with Kingsford and add about 15 or so lit briguettes in the center on top using the Minion Method, I can cook for 12 to 14 hours at temps between 250 and 350. I can fill it only halfway and get roughly 6 to 8 hours.
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Well, I am not specifically talking about smoking (although I do need to know that for the future, i should have my UDS in a few days).....

For instance tonight I am going to put some small pork chops on the grill. I assume that I could use less coals than when I usually cook my fav... a HUGE porterhouse.
 
It depends what kind of charcoal you are using too. My guess would be they will use the same amount of charcoal becuase refueling isn't probably going to happen. Instead, you need a certain amount of charcoal to be lit to have a certain temperature to cook at.

Say for example, you use Kingsford. Those stay lit and put out a steady temp for a couple hours. Both of those items will be done within that time, so the same amount of charcoal is needed to cook them, and then you will have extra fuel for a while that simply burns up. Royal Oak lump tends to put out good heat for only about 45 minutes from my experience. Even so, I would imagine both the chop and the porterhouse will be done in that amount of time, so same amount of fuel is still needed to reach the temp you want to cook at.

So in this case, when cooking on one load of charcoal, using more coals is good for higher heat, fewer coals for lower heat. Timing probably isn't an issue for a chop or porterhouse as they will be done in less time than it takes for the coals to burn.

Hope this helps.
 
bigabyte said:
It depends what kind of charcoal you are using too. My guess would be they will use the same amount of charcoal becuase refueling isn't probably going to happen. Instead, you need a certain amount of charcoal to be lit to have a certain temperature to cook at.

Say for example, you use Kingsford. Those stay lit and put out a steady temp for a couple hours. Both of those items will be done within that time, so the same amount of charcoal is needed to cook them, and then you will have extra fuel for a while that simply burns up. Royal Oak lump tends to put out good heat for only about 45 minutes from my experience. Even so, I would imagine both the chop and the porterhouse will be done in that amount of time, so same amount of fuel is still needed to reach the temp you want to cook at.

Hope this helps.
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Indeed it does...

I use Kingsford, and typically use a full chimney full!

Is that too much!?
 
bigabyte said:
That is what I usually do.
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thillin said:
Sounds right
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Cool... cool

I am about to put the rub on and let them sit for a bit before I throw 'em on.

I am surprising the wife with dinner tonight!

Woot_wooT

Bbq Bubba said:
We built your smoker Saturday.....what happened? :biggrin:
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We had some technical difficulties with the nipples fitting properly. "Stay Down" took them home to weld them on for an air tight seal. I am picking it up later this week, then I will do a burn...... then the inaugural smoke will be for memorial day! OH YEAH!
 
Lets just say I made some fatties and I will be smoking them later tonight or tomorrow on the UDS.....

I have read that it only takes an hour or 2, so should I back off from using so many coals than I would for a longer burn? I would assume so, but I would also hate to run out
 
I think you need to try the 3-1-1 method for a fattie but that is my opinion. 3 hours in smoke, 1 hour foiled and sprayed with something, say apple juice and bourbon mixture, then 1 hour in a warm cooler.

At least that is what I think I read...try searching for the 3-1-1 fattie threaD
 
StayDown said:
I think you need to try the 3-1-1 method for a fattie but that is my opinion. 3 hours in smoke, 1 hour foiled and sprayed with something, say apple juice and bourbon mixture, then 1 hour in a warm cooler.

At least that is what I think I read...try searching for the 3-1-1 fattie threaD
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I found a thread about that and asked a question, but it wasn't answered.

When do you spray? right before you wrap it in foil, i assume?

... and that still doesn't tell me how many coals. Is there a coals to hour ratio?
 
fill your pot and cook and close off the drum when done and save the coals lump .. for next smoke thats what I have done
 
The Bengal Thing said:
I found a thread about that and asked a question, but it wasn't answered.

When do you spray? right before you wrap it in foil, i assume?

... and that still doesn't tell me how many coals. Is there a coals to hour ratio?
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I didnt spray mine. How i did it for my first fatty last week was 2 hours in smoke and 1 hour in foil and 45 minutes in cooler. Probably spray then wrap it to kep moister in is my guess.
 
LT72884 said:
I didnt spray mine. How i did it for my first fatty last week was 2 hours in smoke and 1 hour in foil and 45 minutes in cooler. Probably spray then wrap it to kep moister in is my guess.
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Makes sense.

My fattie is twice the size of my wife's.... I may have to keep mine on a bit longer.

I also must admit that I chuckled a little when I read "warm cooler"! hahaha
 
LOL yeah its an oxy moron. put newspaper in the cooler to insulate it so heat doesnt escape. my fatty was only one 16 oz sausage. so it cooked way fast. I wasted alot of coal to because with my gheto smoker i couldnt put it out.
 
LT72884 said:
LOL yeah its an oxy moron. put newspaper in the cooler to insulate it so heat doesnt escape. my fatty was only one 16 oz sausage. so it cooked way fast. I wasted alot of coal to because with my gheto smoker i couldnt put it out.
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how long did you do the 16 oz for

My wife used a 1lb sausage tube and I mixed 2 1lb'ers and put some brats in it.
 
The Bengal Thing said:
how long did you do the 16 oz for

My wife used a 1lb sausage tube and I mixed 2 1lb'ers and put some brats in it.
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2-1-1 or 2 hours smoked, 1 hour foiled, and 1 hour rest in cooler with rolled up newspaper

fatitalianwithbread.jpg

fatitalian.jpg

fatjackwithrotel.jpg

fatitaliandone.jpg
 
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