How long until a Refuel?


 
KevinJ

KevinJ

TVWBB Pro
I am just wondering how long you get burns until you need a refuel? While I am not adverse to the hot squat (yep in flip flops again), I would prefer not to. I am using K and filled the ring and then about 20-25 lit to start around 11:00 last night. It settled in around 248 with one close and 2 vents just cracked. Around 7 this mornign temps started to drop so I gave a leg kick and opene one vent 50%. Temps went up slightly then after an hour started dropping. When I refueled I noticed that there was so much ash it was choaking out what charcol was left. So about 8 hour and i am running out. Is that normal or do yu see how i can stretch it out.
 
I've held 225-ish for 14 hours and had fuel leftover; doing exactly what you did (probably 15-20 lit). Conditions were dead calm and temps in the 50's. All three vents at less than 25%.

If you smoker is where it gets some sun, it should be heating up a bit shortly.
 
K should burn longer than that. You might start with less lit at the beginning.

If you are doing an over nighter and using water, try adding water after the temps stabilize.

I use lump and haven't had to refuel in ages.
 
You know what, I forgot to mention that I start with a full water pan of hot water. That could be part of the issue since its such a big heat sink. I just figured i would get more time.
 
I haven't made the jump to lump yet (mostly because the only lump I can find locally is Cowboy and that doesn't get very good reviews) and exclusively use Kingsford Blue. I get the same results, a lot of ash and temps starting to fall around the 8 hour mark. I don't do the leg kick. I take the middle/top sections off (hot squat) and stir the coals, knocking the ash down into the bowl. Then push all the leftover coals into a pile in the middle of the ring. This gives me another 5-6 hours of stable 250* temps...putting the total time at 13-14 hours without having to refuel.

I also use a full water pan (cold, right out of the hose)...usually don't have to refill that either.

HTH.
 
Unless my fuel has been compromised by this FL humidity I am confident a full ring (quality lump or briq) will hold temps 15 hrs. It is not uncommon for longer burn.

I doubt it has to do with putting hot water in the pan. That would conserve fuel.


Gary
 
My longest burn has been right at 21 hours with a full load of Kingsford Original. Temps at 235.

This was with the DigiQ II controlling things, and it probably had another couple of hours it could have gone. No water in the pan, just foil.

Before I got the controller, I did a 20 hour cook with a full load of K. Temps at 250ish, and again no water in the pan, just foil.
 
My longest was 26 hours using Kingsford and wood chunks. I used 15 - 20 briquettes lit for a MM start. I used a Brinkmann charcoal pan as a substitute for the stock WSM water pan.

I use my WSM mounted on top of an 18 1/2" OTG mounted to a gas grill frame rather than the stock bottom. I did sweep/clean/dump ash every few hours. I did not add any additional vents to the OTG as a base, I just use the OT system for venting, usually cracked about a quarter to half inch open works for me.

When the brisket was done, I had enough coals left to grill some sausage patties for breakfast after removing the WSM middle and top section.
 
You'll get longer burns if you use no water, either with an empty pan or a sand or terra cotta heat sink.

I use the ceramic and I'm confident in a 18 hour burn at least, starting with the ring packed entirely full and about 12 lit.
 
If you pack the K in and use 15-20 lit to get it started,you should get 12-16 hours easy. Make sure you pack it in by twisting the ring after loading. HTH
 
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