when to refresh coals

[daffyduck]

this is a newbie question, but...

I have recipes that tell me to maintain the temperature in a certain range (275-300), and when it drops to 250 I freak out and try to add more (unlit) coals, but I find that it doesn't increase the temperature: the added coals just sit there without ashing over.

Is 250 too low to ignite unlit coals? I could have sworn that adding unlit coals at 300 increased the temperature after awhile to 315, but adding it at 250 didn't do anything for me.

Also what's the typical starting temperature when adding a chimney-starter's worth of coals? I find it's around 400 degrees (and drops fairly quickly after that!), and I'm wondering if that's too low. It's a 22'' kettle, Weber.

Oh and one last question. When adding wood chips, is the smoke supposed to escape only through the vents? I find that smoke often escapes in the space between the lid and the grill. I assume that's normal, because the lid contains no seal on its edge, so fluids should escape, but I just wanted to make sure.

[stephan]

What kind of smoker are you using ?

[peeps]

If you are trying to do a long cook in your kettle, look up how to do the minion method with your kettle. There are several setups you can do to get long cook times without adding extra charcoal. Use the google search bar at the bottom and you will find several threads on this.

[Happy Hapgood]

Make sure you have enough to start with. You can adjust your temps with the vents.

[Hitman0321]

It sounds like an airflow issue. At the bottom there is a search function, look up the minion method as mentioned. Then it becomes an issue of opening or closing the bottom vents a little to adjust temps. Essentially, it involves placing a small amount of lit and ashed over coals next to a larger pile of unlit coals in your kettle and then it slowly consumes fuel as needed, temps being adjusted with the vents.

[sliding_billy]

You mention adding at 250, but are there still lit coals when you are adding? You could be running 250 but still have nothing there to light the ones you are adding. Is there still fire at the coal that is in the cooker? If you have to, throw a couple of coals into the chimney to get the fire back. Last thing, don't get too freaked out by small temp changes. You are going to spike when you add fuel. You are going to fall below target at points too. Just keep working at it and learn to use your dampers.

[dano]

To answer your first question I agree with the comments above...sounds like an airflow issue.
In terms of smoke...the more insulated and tightly sealed the smoker the more the smoke is only going to exit through the exhaust. On a Weber the smoke can really come out of anywhere....no insulated and the seals are not that great...

[Bludawg]

Your questions would get a more direct and specific answer If we new that your cooking on. I'm not a mind reader and as far as I know no one else is here either. Based on the limited Info provided by you, this is the best I can do. On my stick burner I cook in a Zone I prefer to run at 300 but anywhere between 275-325 is fine when I see my temp drop to 275 I add a Split.
In your case I think your burning Briquettes Yes?? Add 5-6 every hour during the cook regardless of the temp. In theory you need to add as much as you burn in 1 hr to maintain the temp. your cooking at. You have to add it a little early but not so early so to avoid a big spike. This is Fire management 101 it comes with experience,Elevation, Ambient air temp, Humidity, High & Low atmospheric pressure all play a roll, as to how it fast it burns.

[ButtBurner]

Originally Posted by Bludawg

Your questions would get a more direct and specific answer If we new that your cooking on. I'm not a mind reader and as far as I know no one else is here either. Based on the limited Info provided by you, this is the best I can do. On my stick burner I cook in a Zone I prefer to run at 300 but anywhere between 275-325 is fine when I see my temp drop to 275 I add a Split.
In your case I think your burning Briquettes Yes?? Add 5-6 every hour during the cook regardless of the temp. In theory you need to add as much as you burn in 1 hr to maintain the temp. your cooking at. You have to add it a little early but not so early so to avoid a big spike. This is Fire management 101 it comes with experience,Elevation, Ambient air temp, Humidity, High & Low atmospheric pressure all play a roll, as to how it fast it burns.

he said its a 22" weber kettle.

[peeps]

Originally Posted by Bludawg

Your questions would get a more direct and specific answer If we new that your cooking on. I'm not a mind reader and as far as I know no one else is here either. Based on the limited Info provided by you, this is the best I can do. On my stick burner I cook in a Zone I prefer to run at 300 but anywhere between 275-325 is fine when I see my temp drop to 275 I add a Split.
In your case I think your burning Briquettes Yes?? Add 5-6 every hour during the cook regardless of the temp. In theory you need to add as much as you burn in 1 hr to maintain the temp. your cooking at. You have to add it a little early but not so early so to avoid a big spike. This is Fire management 101 it comes with experience,Elevation, Ambient air temp, Humidity, High & Low atmospheric pressure all play a roll, as to how it fast it burns.

Originally Posted by daffyduck

It's a 22'' kettle, Weber.

[Bludawg]

Well in that case
Use the Ring of Fire, 2 coals wide and stacked two high place chunks every 3 " on top of the snake light up 10 and put them at 1 end position the exhaust opposite the fire let the vents WFO and it will cruise at 300 for at least 10 hrs.
OR
Dump an unlit chimney on one side cover the rest of the coal grate with foil, bury 4-5 chunks of wood in the coals light up 10 and drop them on top exhaust opposite the fire bottom vent 3/4 open add 5-6 briquettes every hr.

[SmittyJonz]

Ya he said right off he's cooking on Weber - I smoke on my Kettle with DIY SmokyNador and add woods and briquette no problem during cook - it'll hold relatively steady till charcoal gets low - add 6-10 pieces and temp comes back within a few minutes......

See special wood/charcoal adding hole.......think ill be adding one on opposite side after smoking butt on it last weekend - my lit coals where to far side after 4 hrs and I had to poke a stick in there to push charcoal over

[ICDEDTURKES]

Possibly your briqs are too ashed over to get the new coal going.. Knock them off with something before adding new.

[fingerlickin']

Good thread on setting up a kettle for long cooks.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=129246

[aawa]

When cooking pork butts/briskets on my 22" kettles this is my setup.


I use the ring of fire method. Instead of a layer of 2, layer of 1, then wood, I setup the 2x2x1 method so I can cook at a higher temperature. Layer of 2, layer of 2, layer of 1, Wood.


Light with 8 coals that are ashed over and dump on one end of the ring. with foil in the middle to catch dripping and limit where the air flow is going (through the coals)


That setup held 300-325 for 6hours and had more than enough to run another 3-5 hours. I had the bottom and top vents wide open.