I am the suck at kettle smokin

[Dave S]

My HD did not carry them. I bought mine at a local brickyard. They cost a few dollars a piece. Standard bricks could explode in your kettle and should be avoided.
The water pan should be on the cooking grate above the coals. Just watch for spills and don't use your wife's Pyrex pan as I did once. It does not handle being over top of the coals very well.
Hope that helps.

@ dave

I assume i can buy those bricks at homedepot for a fairly good price?

thanks

i really never add a water pan to the kettle. maybe thats me issue. Is the water pan supposed to be on the cooking grate or below the food?

thanks

 

[LT72884]

thanks Dave. Im gonna check it out today and see what i can find. I will give lump another try or ill just use stubbs or kf blue

 

[gtr]

Hey Dave S - is that shoulder cooking over a pan of beans or is that drippings that look like a pan of beans? Either way, seems like throwing a pan of beans under cooking meat is a great thing to do. :thumb:

 

[expatpig]

totally random question but i noticed with a stick burner, there is literally no smoke commin out. just fumes. Should it be that way with a kettle and a UDS?

thanks

Yes, If everything is right, you will see very little smoke. Wisps of bluish grey smoke is perfection.

 

[Dave S]

Yes, those are beans that I threw under the Butt for the last 2 hours of the cook. The good "drippings" got down in the beans and they were wonderful. Thanks

Hey Dave S - is that shoulder cooking over a pan of beans or is that drippings that look like a pan of beans? Either way, seems like throwing a pan of beans under cooking meat is a great thing to do. :thumb:

 

[rogwadd]

I had no luck with HD, Lowes, or Ace. Had to google for brick suppliers

I found Superior Clay with a dealer in Northern VA

Utah:
Looks like Sandy not too far from you.

http://www.superiorclay.com/dealerut.html

Beehive Brick and Stone
436 W Universal Circle (9160 S)
Sandy, UT 84070
801 748 1818, fax 801 748 1823
Contact: Tyler Rast, mgr (801 205 7387; Dee Young, 801 205 7401

@ dave

I assume i can buy those bricks at homedepot for a fairly good price?

thanks

i really never add a water pan to the kettle. maybe thats me issue. Is the water pan supposed to be on the cooking grate or below the food?

thanks

 

[LT72884]

I had no luck with HD, Lowes, or Ace. Had to google for brick suppliers

I found Superior Clay with a dealer in Northern VA

Utah:
Looks like Sandy not too far from you.

http://www.superiorclay.com/dealerut.html

Beehive Brick and Stone
436 W Universal Circle (9160 S)
Sandy, UT 84070
801 748 1818, fax 801 748 1823
Contact: Tyler Rast, mgr (801 205 7387; Dee Young, 801 205 7401

OMG beehive brick and stone is owned by my neighbor Brad fairbanks! hahaha small word. I used to be his network engineer and consultant for beehive brick!

Thanks for the reminder to call them!

 

[LT72884]

ohhh yeah. forgot to ask.. wood chunks in a cast iron smoker box from coleman. Its about 8 inches long, 1 inch high and 5 inch wide.. im thinking of placing chunks on that and then place the box right on the coals.. or do what dave did. haha. thanks

 

[landarc]

I use wood chunks directly in my kettle, I often have to shut the power vents to a clothes hangers width to control heat down to 225F, I use no smoker box at all. The fire bricks will help. I use a cast iron skillet to create a heat sink and to direct more air to the side fire and away from just blasting into the kettle and creating extra convection which makes the fire harder to control.

 

[Wampus]

I'm with landarc on this one. I only use chunks for longer smokes and put them directly on coals, whether in the kettle, ECB or UDS. The only time I use chips is if I'm grilling because they just don't last long enough.

I've not used the bricks, but then I don't often low 'n' slow on my kettles anymore since I got the UDS.

When I DID, though, I always just put a large foil water/drip pan directly in the center. Then I'd put unlit coals on either side of that and add lit coals (3 or 4) on each pile (with chunk in it).

I like the "coal snake" idea mentioned earlier too. Sounds like that would allow for a longer burn time and more controlled.