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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking. |
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05-12-2018, 03:55 PM | #1 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 08-02-17
Location: Alaska
Name/Nickname : Jonathan
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Snake Method in Weber 22.5 Not Working For Me. Help?
I should have taken a picture. I didn't. So here's the lowdown.....
I made a ring alternating RO briquettes 2 wide with 1 extra row of briqs on top of that. Snake went around about 80% of the fire grate. I lit both ends with a Weber wax cube at each end. Let it burn for about ten minutes til I had a nice flame going on each end. Put the lid on to bring it up to temp. Came back after rubbing ribs and butt, barely 200 degrees and briqs are not going anymore. Added a handful of lump to each end of the tail, lit that. That helped a little, but still not enough heat to start smoking. Very frustratedly, lit a half chimney of lump and dumped that in the 20% section that used to be open, connecting the two tails of the snake. Obviously, that got me up over 300 where I wanted to be to start. What am I doing wrong? Snake seems to work great for others without so much assistance. I was using a foil water pan, but I wouldn't think that would prevent me from cresting 200 with the snake method.
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Born and raised Alaskan and BBQ lover |
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05-12-2018, 04:02 PM | #2 |
is Blowin Smoke!
Join Date: 11-28-13
Location: North Granby, CT
Name/Nickname : Bill
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How did you have the vents set?
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Recteq 1070, XO 42” gas grill, Weber 36” Griddle, Blackstone pizza oven, Weber 26” kettle Gifted to various children — Kamado Joe Classic, 36” Blackstone Griddle, Weber Genesis, Rectec 680 |
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05-12-2018, 05:36 PM | #3 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 02-08-10
Location: Howell, MI
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Start only one end. Snakes take practice to learn how many coals to start, and how much to open the lower vents. Upper vents should be wide open. Think of it as lighting a fuse, the unlit coals are just there to maintain the temp established by the original lit coals.
Check out this link. https://www.perthbbqschool.com/blog/snake-method Water pans suck up heat and use up fuel. It could definitely cause a low temp problem. I just use an empty drip pan to keep things clean. I rarely use a snake. My setup for ribs is this. I fill the empty area behind the bricks with unlit charcoal, leaving room to dump some lit coals where I want them. Start with the top vents wide open and the bottom vents cracked, once the temp stabilizes, you can always open the bottom vent more to raise the temp. It's a learning process, each setup is different.
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Two Weber daisy wheel kettles A: 1979 P: 1993, and an unused ECB |
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05-12-2018, 05:50 PM | #4 |
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Join Date: 02-22-14
Location: Kensington, MD
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I never used the snake, but Dads is on it.
I like the Minion where you dump 12 burning coals onto a mix of unlit Kingsford Competition Royal Oak lump, and cherry or oak wood chunks. I have found Kingsford Blue Bag does not work nearly as well on a slow burn, only when grilling. I separate the coals/ meat by cutting a notch in a cheap sheetpan and sliding it between the coals and the meat, like a deflector. Pics kidnapped on Photobucket. |
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05-12-2018, 06:25 PM | #5 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 05-02-18
Location: Central CA
Name/Nickname : Flatbroke
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I’d do 2 rows of two and 1 in between the top row. Half moon over the the leg with out a wheel and aim it toward the wind. Crack bottom vent open only the with of a 16 penny nail. Top vent open all way. Tin foil over the exposed half of bottom grate to force air to coal. Mine held constant 250-270 that way. For 4-5 hours. Only did it once. I did place a cast iron pot with water over the tin foil.
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Lang 108D & 60D patio |
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05-12-2018, 06:27 PM | #6 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 05-02-18
Location: Central CA
Name/Nickname : Flatbroke
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MY top vent was 180 degree away from arch.
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Lang 108D & 60D patio |
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05-12-2018, 07:39 PM | #7 |
is Blowin Smoke!
Join Date: 04-29-10
Location: Louisville
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Problem was with how you lit it. You have to put a head on the snake, so to speak. Light 12 to 15 coals or so Ina chimney and once they are ready, dump them at the start of the snake. Those 12 to 15 are what will bring your temp up initially. If you want to run both ends towards the middle, you can, just split the lit coals up (and maybe use a few extra to start. That said, it's better if you build a bigger snake (2x2 or even 3x2) and burn from one end.
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05-12-2018, 07:53 PM | #8 | |
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Join Date: 02-22-14
Location: Kensington, MD
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Quote:
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05-12-2018, 09:48 PM | #9 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 08-02-17
Location: Alaska
Name/Nickname : Jonathan
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Born and raised Alaskan and BBQ lover |
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05-13-2018, 04:52 AM | #10 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 12-09-12
Location: Clarkston Michigan
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Why snake in the 22.5,? it takes up to much space. Minion is the best way to run that thing. However it does all depend on what your cooking. Get a medium size metal coffee can cut both ends off, put it in the middle of grate pour in charcoal around the can then in chimney light 15-20 coals get em good and hot then pour in the coffee can then with pliers pull out the can. if your fire is to high then lite less coals. Assemble and waite an hour for dirty smoke to subside, use that time to prep, that method will never fail you even in dead of winter,
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Meadow Creek PR60 w/dx2,WSM 22.5 Party Q, Performer, 26.75 kettle Gaser, |
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05-13-2018, 07:14 AM | #11 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 01-16-12
Location: Winfield, IL
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If you want 300° F you probably don't want to use the snake. If you do you may not reach the desired temperature.
As others have suggested, a 'jump start' may help. I would also add another row of briquettes. I usually use a quadruple row snake. More often I use two firebrick (corners trimmed to sort of fit the curve of the bowl) to provide a section for charcoal for indirect cooks. It blocks radiant heat transfer from the coals and provides a very good indirect cook, Depending on how hot I want it to go, I load it with briquettes of lump. When using briquettes I light some in the little Weber chimney and dump them on top of the rest of the briquettes. I also wonder if your briquettes were a little damp, causing them to burn more slowly. Did you have all vents wide open?
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Weber Crazy |
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05-13-2018, 08:22 AM | #12 |
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Join Date: 04-28-12
Location: Wis-con-sin
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https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/s...d.php?t=259633
Good pics on page 3. I can easily get 300 degrees except in winter or rain/wind, but need to do 2x2+1 to get there.
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Kettleheads Anonymous Charter Member Last edited by MisterChrister; 05-13-2018 at 11:45 AM.. |
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05-13-2018, 02:18 PM | #13 | |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 08-02-17
Location: Alaska
Name/Nickname : Jonathan
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Quote:
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Born and raised Alaskan and BBQ lover |
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05-13-2018, 02:53 PM | #14 | |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 02-08-10
Location: Howell, MI
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Quote:
With the Minion method, you have the space outside of the coals and over the bricks, and where the drip pans are. I only use a snake when the meat fits over the drip pan in the first photo. Even then, I only use it when I have the time to fuss with the setting up of the pieces of charcoal. Maybe once a year or so.
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Two Weber daisy wheel kettles A: 1979 P: 1993, and an unused ECB |
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05-13-2018, 03:01 PM | #15 | |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 08-02-17
Location: Alaska
Name/Nickname : Jonathan
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Quote:
What am I missing?
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Born and raised Alaskan and BBQ lover |
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snake method |
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