Pulled Pork in a 22" Weber-temp control issue

[Crotonmark]

Up at 4am today. Popped a 9# Boston butt on the weber. Setup the weber with a 2x2 snake. Put wood chunks on top of the snake.
Here's the problem.
I ran out of charcoal twice. One at 8 hours and once 3 hours later. Temp per maverick was 210-230. I started with a pan of hot water under the grill. I keep the exhaust vents wide open and control temps with the lower vent.
The charcoal used was john Wayne briquettes.

Why did it it last longer? The outdoor temp started in the mid 40s and it is now in the low 60s

Thanks
Mark

 

[Bludawg]

Sounds like the Duke sold you a blind hoss Get better charcoal and ditch that dam water pan your water is stealin your thunder.

 

[Crotonmark]

Yea. Had better luck w Stubbs and Blue Bag Kingsford.
Thought water was needed to maintain temps.

 

[Bludawg]

Temps are determined by the size of the initial fire and your vent opening.

 

[Crotonmark]

Ok. What does water do? I read it stabilized temps.

 

[ajstrider]

It will sort of stabilize your temperatures and at the same time, it is a fact that it will suck up the BTUs of your charcoal. If I were doing the snake method, I believe I would do more than a 2x2 snake, that isn't much charcoal.

Some people have great luck smoking on a Weber Kettle, but I care too much about controlling my temperature and I get frustrated at it.

 

[Crotonmark]

I'd like a BGE but it's about $2k all in. That's a lot.
How much charcoal would you use?

 

[falconer]

I do a pork butt on my WSM 18 with a CyberQ and a full water pan. I put in about a half bag of KBB or Kcomp, the use leftover charcoal to fill a chimney as a lighter. Dump that in a "volcano hole" in the middle instead of a snake. 4-6 chunks of wood, usually apple. That charcoal will last the entire cook and leave as much as a quarter to a third.
Are you using a 22" WSM or kettle? I've found that my kettle uses more charcoal than my WSM, by a substantial amount. It may well be the CyberQ and its controlled airflow that keeps the consumption down...


Charlie

 

[Crotonmark]

It is a kettle.

 

[jtlduke54]

Instead of water in the water pan I use the bottom of a 16 inch Terra cotta flower pot. I wrap it well in heavy duty aluminum foil and place it in the water pan. It regulates the heat, but once it heats up the first time it doesn't rob the fuel the way water does. sort of like a cast iron pan used for cooking.

 

[Bludawg]

Look here water boils at 212 deg F. If you want to run your kettle at the ridiculously low temp of 225 deg F you are going to need quite a bit of makeup air so your gonna have a hot fire heating the water to keep the temp low sort of redundant when you think on it for a spell.
I do quite a few LONG cooks on the kettle and I use the Ring of Fire to do it 2x2 wood on top no farking water pan. It's called fire management:tongue: If I want to cook at 250 Iight 8 briquettes and put them at one end, top WFO bottom about 1/8 " open for 275 I light 12 and open to 3/16" for 300+ light 15 and open the bottom WFO. In the middle of the ring of fire I put a drip pan free formed out of foil. Make sure the exhaust port is opposite your fire. I get 16 hrs at 250 12 at 275 and 8-9 at 300+ All you need do is rotate the exhaust port 90 deg every 4 hrs or so. I use HEB Brand mesquite Briquettes Cause they is cheap like me. 7.00 for 20 lb

 

[Crotonmark]

Look here water boils at 212 deg F. If you want to run your kettle at the ridiculously low temp of 225 deg F you are going to need quite a bit of makeup air so your gonna have a hot fire heating the water to keep the temp low sort of redundant when you think on it for a spell.
I do quite a few LONG cooks on the kettle and I use the Ring of Fire to do it 2x2 wood on top no farking water pan. It's called fire management:tongue: If I want to cook at 250 Iight 8 briquettes and put them at one end, top WFO bottom about 1/8 " open for 275 I light 12 and open to 3/16" for 300+ light 15 and open the bottom WFO. In the middle of the ring of fire I put a drip pan free formed out of foil. Make sure the exhaust port is opposite your fire. I get 16 hrs at 250 12 at 275 and 8-9 at 300+ All you need do is rotate the exhaust port 90 deg every 4 hrs or so. I use HEB Brand mesquite Briquettes Cause they is cheap like me. 7.00 for 20 lb

Thanks.

 

[Skip]

It is a kettle.

Build you snake larger with it going all the way around the kettle and place the wood chunks heavier at the beginning of your burn. The pork butt will accept more wood flavor in the beginning of the cook. You want to go 3 briquettes high and build them tight. Turn the grill as the snake gets closer and position the exhaust directly across from the head of the snake. KBB is cliche but it is consistent. Stubbs and KB comp are others people swear by. Due to space constraints I don't think lump would help you and would probably hurt in the kettle.

 

[Crotonmark]

Thanks again.

 

[Wood Fire Steel]

I actually have a butt and a rack of bb on right now in my weber 22" kettle. Did a 2x2 snake with chunks of cherry and a water pan. Held consistent at 225-230 all day. Had to close down the vents to keep it that low. Had to lay down a new snake at about 7 hours in. The bb 2 hours smoke, 2 hours foil, 1 hour sauce. Look great. Used KBB.

 

[Crotonmark]

Well I'm done at 12 hours. Let sit for an hour.
Was softer that other times but not a lot of flavor.
Getting frustrated.

 

[Crotonmark]

I actually have a butt and a rack of bb on right now in my weber 22" kettle. Did a 2x2 snake with chunks of cherry and a water pan. Held consistent at 225-230 all day. Had to close down the vents to keep it that low. Had to lay down a new snake at about 7 hours in. The bb 2 hours smoke, 2 hours foil, 1 hour sauce. Look great. Used KBB.

Don't know why I had issues

 

[1buckie]

Stubb's with lump chips, black walnut (old)....

stubb's & pecan....

Wicked lump & maple....

About halfway done....

I'm a horse's a$$ when it comes to stacking neatly.....only had one ever break & go out.....with using Orange Tree lump only.....

Common burns are what Mr. Dawg sez.....8.5 or 9 up to 12, 12-1/2 hr.....depending on outside temp, moisture, rain, etc.
Itwill be a little different in different climates, but not by a ton.....

Common temps are: shoot for 260+ & play the ball where it lies.....

Sometimes if I don't feel like fiddlin' with it, just bunch up the coals to banked at the end & let the temp go up some....won't hurt anything.....

Here's one that was neat & orderly, for everyone else's benefit.....

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/s...bq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=190049

A lot of the time, I leave all vents, all open & stack less charcoal....then adjust down with the lower vents after it gets going......oh, and I don't worry about it too much.....

 

[Crotonmark]

Well maybe it was the water pan? Don't know why it burned out

What do you do for flavoring the meat?

 

[Bludawg]

It burned out because your water pan was stealing your heat. Was it Smoky and taste like pork?? IDK put some sauce on it if you're the my bbq comes from a bottle type. All I do to mine is salt & smoke Wrap in a Flour tortilla and scarf it with a lil ENC vinegar sauce or Texas Pete