Best ways to add coal to WSM?


 
Matt H. said:
Always put them in unlit. Obviously this requires the fire to not be almost dead. I've never noticed an odor. Really isn't different than doing the minion method
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I usually wait until the smoke from the charcoal igniting subsides befor the meat goes on - even with the minion method. I guess it is not noticeable based on your experience. Good to know
 
Todd NC said:
I usually wait until the smoke from the charcoal igniting subsides befor the meat goes on - even with the minion method. I guess it is not noticeable based on your experience. Good to know
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I always assemble and put the food on immediately. Others feel they can taste an off flavor, but I can't. I try to never really get a roaring fire though unless I'm going for high heat
 
I add hot coals with this !!

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A cut down modified piece of gutter will accomplish the mission. A smal shovel and a section of gutter gets the job done.
 
I went to box store and bought garage door handles 3 bucks each and they line right up with the grate support screws for easy mounting now you can lift the center easy hot or cold.
 
I actually started pushing the hot coals back to one side, and just adding unlit through the door. I get some close to the remaining coals so they light, if I have time enough I'll actually let the unlit sit before pushing them over to the hot coals. In my opinion this eliminates any of the white smoke you can get when they first light, at least from cold. From my experience that's what the minion method does, warms your coals before actually lighting, which is why you don't have a constant stream of white smoke throughout a minion cook.
 
I did the Hot Squat several times throughout my first Pork Butt cook. Temps were in the low 20s. I had two pork butts and the water nearly evaporated towards the end. I can see been an issue with a full water pan and 4 butts.
 
I've done the hot squat, but this is on an 18.5" WSM with an empty pan, and the heaviest thing I've cooked so far has been one 8-pound pork butt. And even then it was just to move the coals around, not to add more.

I agree the hot squat might be a bad idea if you're talking about a full water pan and multiple butts or brisket.
 
On the newer WSM's the door holds open and acts like a chute. My 22.5" has that and it works ok, my 08 18.5" didn't have that so I added Weber handles.
I've lifted 40# of butts easy with no water.

Tim
 
I've been lucky I guess, I haven't had to add charcoal for any of my cooks yet. If I'm doing a long cook I load a full chamber of charcoal. Any that remain unburnt I save for a future HH cook. I know eventually I will have a cook wher I will need to add some charcoal and there are some great ideas here.
 
I like Matt Grabills ductwork chute method, I might add a knob on one side to add a little stability.
And guys, it's a chute, shoot is what one does with firearms, arrows or rubber bands.
Sorry, parents were teachers.
 
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Timothy F. Lewis said:
I like Matt Grabills ductwork chute method, I might add a knob on one side to add a little stability.
And guys, it's a chute, shoot is what one does with firearms, arrows or rubber bands.
Sorry, parents were teachers.
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I would usually give you hell for a post like that ... but i REALLY should know the difference.. :). Good work

rb
 
I don't know, maybe I'm just stupid or something. But, I did my first two cooks on a new 22.5 WSM this past weekend. The second one was over-night. When I woke up, 8 hours after I put my meat on, the grate temp was down to 200*. I just opened the charcoal door, stirred up the remaining coals with a fireplace poker, and threw in 4 double handfuls of charcoal. It didn't smoke or anything, just started raising the temp. Within 15-20 minutes, it was back to 250*, and the pork shoulder finished up in 4 more hours. So, maybe I'm not understanding the question.
 
MickHLR said:
I don't know, maybe I'm just stupid or something. But, I did my first two cooks on a new 22.5 WSM this past weekend. The second one was over-night. When I woke up, 8 hours after I put my meat on, the grate temp was down to 200*. I just opened the charcoal door, stirred up the remaining coals with a fireplace poker, and threw in 4 double handfuls of charcoal. It didn't smoke or anything, just started raising the temp. Within 15-20 minutes, it was back to 250*, and the pork shoulder finished up in 4 more hours. So, maybe I'm not understanding the question.
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Sometimes when just tossing new charcoal on top you end up with white smoke while it lights. Perhaps with stirring up the coals before throwing more on you actually moved it around enough so that your new warmed a bit before actually lighting.
 
When I first started my Q career, I would do the "Hot Squat". Now I start the smoker with plenty of briqs, mounded up high for overnight cooks. I can't remember the last time I had to add briqs. I always go waterless now, too. That helps a lot.
 
Open bag of lump or briqs
dump bag into ring
light with weed burner
cook Hot and Fast
never have to add fuel until next cook
 
For most things - I find that the "trick" is to really pack-in the Charcoal Ring in the first place.

I usually use natural Lump Charcoal with a relatively heavy mix of smoke wood in there (since the HWL Charcoal, unlike most briquettes, does not impart much flavor on its own)

However, on those long cooks like a batch of really big shoulders or Brisket - I have a "cheapo" Fireplace Shovel that I picked-up a a big-box home improvement place. This one is hollow / punched and rolled from a piece of thinnish flat stock and has a handle that is about 2-feet (60cm) long, with a mid-sized flat "scoop" at the end. This is long enough to reach-in under the water pan and dump unlit coals wherever I want them.

I usually stir the remaining lit coals, to spread them around and knock ash out of the bottom of my crossed charcoal grates - so that the remaining fire "beathes" better before adding new unlit on top.
 
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