Adding Fuel During Long Cooks


 
J

James Harvey

TVWBB Pro
Hi All,

My question is not about method of addition to the WSM but WHAT you add.

Example - I usually start losing heat from a full ring of RO lump with a full water pan in stable temps after around 10 hours (which is short at 225F). When I add, I just lift off the whole middle and add.

Question is what do YOU add to get another 6+ hours?

Do you add only lit fuel (i.e. - from a chimney)?
Do you add unlit with lit on top (how much using a chimney as a measure)?
Do you just add unlit to the existing, still hot but not enough, fuel?

I have been adding around a full chimney of partially lit but I only get a few hours additional and that comes with an initial temp spike.

Any and all opinions welcome.

Thanks,

JDH
 
Just so you know, I'm no expert. but: first, it depemds how low the temp has gone. But usually, if it's fropped to 200 and a wee shake is not going to help, I throw a bunch of coals on top, maybe half a chimney. On top of that I usually throw some wood chips as they seem to get things going a bit more quickly. Anyway, that's me, and my best luck has been on long cooks.
 
Stop using water, pack the charcoal, load the ring very full and you can get 16 hours out of a ring.

If I had to add, I would add some unlit during the cook and space it out. Since you already have the middle section off, I would probably add a partially lit full chimney just like you're doing but since you're only getting a couple hours, I'd add a good amount of unlit first. Basically, I'd reload. Using water, I wouldn't worry about a temp spike. Just close the vents and get it back under control.
 
James, take the advice of those that often need to refuel, but if you'd just rather not in the first place...

After I quit using lump and the original Weber water pan, I quit having to worry about refueling. That's even with both grates full of 8-9 lb butts for 16+ hours. As long as I use an adequate windbreak in bad bbq weather, I'm good. I use hot water in my cheap Brinkman water smoker charcoal pan and heap up BRIQUETTES and wood, preferably lower ash charcoal like Stubbs. Harry Soo says to heap up the ring like you're at a Mongolian BBQ, but you don't have the room to do that with the '09 wsm water pan.
 
Thanks Dave. I use RO lump because I can get it within 5 minutes at my local market 24/7. Not the most cost effective option but it works on long weekends and when walking is smarter than driving. I usually keep a Walmart plastic clothing bin (no idea how much it holds) full of lump and arrange it as tight as I can. Regardless, if I stack it higher than the ring the fuel hits the bottom of the pan as you noted.
My long cooks are overnighters so, without a Stoker, I rely upon the water to keep things as even as possible to get a few hours of sleep. Once my Stoker arrives (next week I hope) I'll move to the clay pot.
I literally just finished rubbing a 12# brisket for an overnighter tomorrow. I'm going to load the WSM as tight as I can get with a few chunks of hickory and few more of cherry and see where it takes me. This is my first, no pressure overnighter with a brisket, so I'm going to document what I get as best as I can and see what works.

Of course, when the Stoker arrives, I have a 10# butt ready and will have to start all over again.

Thanks all.

JDH
 
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