Kettle snake trouble!


 

Lance L

TVWBB Fan
I’m attempting to use the snake method in my 22” kettle. My problem is I get the temp stable and turn my back the temp drops off. I’ve stacked the coals 2x2 + 1 nice and neat and it goes out 45min in every time. I’m using Kingsford 100% natural hardwood Briquets.

Should I stop making the snake so neat and just pile a big mound of a snake around the outside of the drip pan and try that? Any advice is greatly appreciated!
 
My thoughts are the all natural briqs are more dense, like Stubb's (now named Cowboy) or the Weber brand. They do not light off each other as well as Kingsford regular.
For snakes I go with regular Kingsford.
 
My thoughts are the all natural briqs are more dense, like Stubb's (now named Cowboy) or the Weber brand. They do not light off each other as well as Kingsford regular.
For snakes I go with regular Kingsford.

Thank you so much for the advice I had the wife pick up a couple bags of the original. Gonna start another smoke around 2am “I will figure this snake method out”.

Should I keep them 2x2+1 nice and neat OR just pour them out in a circle?
 
lean them on edge like dominos - I forget if I have them leaning towards the unlit or the lit.
 
My thoughts are the all natural briqs are more dense, like Stubb's (now named Cowboy) or the Weber brand. They do not light off each other as well as Kingsford regular.
For snakes I go with regular Kingsford.

AGREED !!!! Lean them like dominos and bingo. Im still struggling using the WSM anymore cause I think the smoke is better in the kettle with the snake!
 
Thanks for the replies. Got a late start because of the rain. I used the old trusty Kingsford original but kept everything else the same just to see what effects the charcoal itself was having on the cook. I’ll definitely post a update on how it goes.
 
Your problem is Kingsford, It has too much clay and does not burn very good. I've tried different types of Kingsford with the same results. I now use a product that has zero none burning products in the charcoal, or at least they claim it does not. I am using less charcoal and better heat control. I always uses the Minon(sp) method in the smoking process. And a lot less waste at the end of the cooking process.
 
So swapping to the Kingsford blue bag definitely solved my problem. Smoked a BB for 7-1/2hrs and held a steady 250 the whole time without any stoking at all. And that that snake would have easily ran for 8-1/2hrs. Thanks for all the advice.
 
So swapping to the Kingsford blue bag definitely solved my problem. Smoked a BB for 7-1/2hrs and held a steady 250 the whole time without any stoking at all. And that that snake would have easily ran for 8-1/2hrs. Thanks for all the advice.
Happy it worked for you Lance!
Even Royal Oak all natural didn't "snake" well for me.
 
Happy it worked for you Lance!
Even Royal Oak all natural didn't "snake" well for me.

Bob, that’s why some of us have learned to listen when the guy with almost 14,000 posts offers an opinion.
We may listen but, either don’t hear or decide something else for whatever reason. I have never used the snake method for whatever reason, never went that slow on the kettle, probably should have tried it, the peak season is almost on the horizon though, maybe this year. It seems like an extremely frugal use of fuel!
 
I've used Kingsford with good results doing the snake method. But it did require some adjustments during the cook. However I don't know if that was the coal or other factors *wind effecting the temperature. But it wasn't a big deal since I wasn't doing any kind of over night cooking, and could monitor things. Now that I have a pile of Weber coal I'm looking forward to trying it and seeing if I can get a noticeable difference.
 

 

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