Adding Lump to Exisitng Fire for a Long Cook


 
J

John Vale

TVWBB Fan
Tonight I am going to cook my first butt and expect the cook time to be about 14-16 hours for a 7 lb bone-in butt.

I will use Wicked Good Weekend Warrior lump, and I expect that I will have to add more lump to the fire after about 10-12 hours.

I have never done such a long cook before, so I have no experience adding fuel to an exisiting fire. Do I add lit or unlit lump? Also should I try to mix it in with the coals or just put it in the ring on top for the buring coals.

John
 
When I've had to add lump, I just add unlit. I have handles on the side of the middle section of the WSM, so I lift it off, stir the remaining coals slightly so any ashes will fall through the grate, and add the unlit lump on top of the lit. Or, if there's very little left, I push the lit into a pile on one side of the charcoal ring, and pour the unlit next to and over it, so it will light easily.
 
I have never used weekend warrior, but from what I have heard about it, I think it is unlikely that you will need to add more lump during the cook. Just fill up the ring as much as possible, pack in the lump as densely as you can, and do a minion method start. The other thing that helps to get more time out of your fuel is to use sand, empty water pan, or clay flower pot base instead of water in the pan.
 
Almost - At the eleven hour mark, I did add some unlit lump to the fire because the grate temp starting dropping a bit. At 12 1/2 hours the butt temp was 195 and I took it off. I have the feeling that if I just stirred the coals up a bit I would have made it without having to add any more lump. I am fairly new at using lump. Packing the WGWW more densely in the ring was certainly helpful.

John
 
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