Water pan and fitting wood

I think I figured this out. So I am doing ribs right now. I am using regular kingsford blue. You do not need to fill the grate all the way to the top. I filled it about 3/4 of the way full. Then put about a half weber chimney of lit coals over that. I am using the 18.5 wsm. The wood doesn’t fit directly under the water pan of course. But I have found that’s not where you want the wood. You want it on the outer edge. So this let’s me fit the wood on with the water pan with no issues. I am doing a brisket cook for Christmas Eve. So that will go for at least 12 hours in the cooker. I am going to test tonight to see how long these coals stay at 225. But I know that my last brisket cook with the weber charcoal I filled the grate all the way up and then a half chimney of lifts coals. They lasted well over 24 hours with all the cents closed. I am thinking 1/2 to 3/4 of unit and half a chimney of lit of the weber charcoal will easily last you the 12-15 hours it takes with wood on outer edge and water pan.

I checked my log and I did 5 pork butts at 225° with water in the pan on my 18.5. I started with a full charcoal ring and had to refuel at 18 hours. Now - this was in Florida and the nighttime low outside air temp was 78°. By noon it was up to 91°. The St. Louis I grew up in was a lot cooler than that in December. I had replaced the water pan with the Brinkmann pan. I did have to add water and the Briinkmann holds more water than the Weber pan. I always fill the charcoal ring with unlit Kingsford for long cooks. I would rather have some to recycle than have to refuel. Your cooker - your call.

Chris recommends, and I agree, that you want your smoke wood against hot coals at the start of the cook. I want as much smoke as I can get on the meat early in the cook. After 4 hours I don't worry about smoke wood. I'm a big believer in each of us doing our thing the way we want to and you're developing your own processes. Have fun with it and enjoy the great meat you produce.

Thank you. I do put the wood on to the hot coals as soon as I start the cook. I use three good size chinks of hickory for ribs or brisket. I put the meat on and then I put the wood on. I make sure and spread out the lit coals over the entire ring of unlit so I get a lot of heat on the chunks. It works for me. And I do believe everyone should do it how they like it. Which is why I believe that homemade bbq is the best bbq. BBQ joints that feed hundreds of people or more each day sometimes are not putting out the highest quality product to each customer. Which is why I am doing bbq only once or so a week at my place. And I’ll sell until I run out. Every bite of bbq you get at my place will be of the highest quality.

Ok so the kingsford lasted a good 12-14 hours. I get a tad confused because the temp gauge goes down slowly but the atc still says I am at 225. Not sure about that. But you do get a good 12 hours at least if not more. The weber should last much longer than that. So wings always kingsford professional, any meat that takes 12 or less hours kingsford blue and brisket always weber to be sure I have enough fuel.

Most of us only use 12-15 lit briqs to start, not 1/2 a chimney. May take a bit longer to get to temp but it'll last a lot longer. Colder temps use a few more, warmer temps a bit less.

Len Dennis said:

Most of us only use 12-15 lit briqs to start, not 1/2 a chimney.

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That is how I was taught, too. Yesterday with ambient between 35-45 while doing a shoulder at 250f +/- 20f on the WSM 14 I lit 6 coals. 20-25 minutes after dumping the lit I was at 207f at the grate.

Ah ok. I used to put less in there but I started putting a few more in there to get up to temp faster. And I find that opening and closing the lid it also comes up to temp faster. Not much of a swing in temp. I try to only opene when necessary. I remember on my 14inch I used 12-15 to start it and I only got about 12-13 hours out of the kingsford blue. But the weber I got well over 20 hours. I think I will try to use a bit less next time though when lighting.