I probably use twice the charcoal you have in your first picture or more. I don't snake it, I just dump it in and add about a dozen fully lit coals on top/around the pile (wood chunks mixed in the pile) Bummer about the less than ideal cook. Been there / done that (more than I want to admit)
Kemper. That snake in your first pic looks too short. You could have built the snake around to the 7 o'clock position, (in your pic). You could have gone 4 & 3 with the snake also. IMO you only got snaked by the snake, not bad cooking. MORE FUEL!!
