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Debmar

Knows what a fatty is.
Joined
Nov 14, 2018
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Name or Nickame
shoe
Maybe a dumb question but here goes...

yesterday I used l some lump charcoal for the first time. (I am new to smoking and have only worked my way through a 20 lb bag of Weber briquettes so far) yesterday I smoked some ribs on my not quite complete uds using some lump charcoal and then shut down normally. This morning i planned to start work on finishing up the uds by adding some shelf brackets and wheels but when I went to take charcoal basket out I realized fire was not completely out. (it was out enough that the temp guage was not registering anything but a small pocket of embers were hanging on to life. ) When I was using the briquettes (4 or 5 cooks) it was always completely out when I went to check the next morning.

My UDS type smoker lid does not seal absolutely perfectly but I have not had this happen before. Does lump act differently compared to briquettes or did I maybe not have the lid positioned to seal as well as I have on my other cooks? the lump did have a fair bit of small bits in it so maybe that was part of the difference. just trying to figure this out. want to be sure I am not burning fuel up just for fun once I shut it down.

Thanks
 
The one thing with briquettes is they ash over which may help them go out a bit easier. Nevertheless, if it's still going the next morning you've got an air leak. If you are concerned about wasting fuel after shutting it down (like I am) I'd spend some time and/or a few bucks on getting a better seal for your lid. My lid has a gasket on it and I have the ring clamp that you can tighten down. The fire in it goes out like you'd poured water on it.
 
In my experience, lump takes about 1/2 the intake setting of the amount of intake to get the same temp using briquettes.
A small leak could snuff out briquettes. Not so much with lump.

Just finish your drum. Cook on it and it will/should seal up very well after a some cooks. Both the lid and exhaust.
All 4 of my smokers shut down (temp gauge reads outside temp)after 30 mins after cooking at smoking temps.
Around 50 mins after cooking at 700* on my smokers I do pizza's on.
With that said. To reach the 650* + temps. You can not maintain the higher temps with briquettes. Lump is a must. Lump burns hotter.
 
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