Completed: Overnight with Kings. Competition

[Pete Z]

I am finishing up four ~6# pork butts that I cooked with Kingsford Competetion blend as fuel. The charcoal starts up super fast (I like that) and smelled nice when burning.

I put the butts on at 10 PM and the temperature was close to cruising speed by around 11. I started with a full Brinkman pan of hot water. I adjusted the vents and the temp was 240 at midnight.

I checked the temp at 7:30 AM and it was steady at 240. By 10 the temp had fallen so I knocked off the ash. I had to add 20 briquets at 11 and maybe 30 at 1 PM. The temp comes up quickly when fuel is added and smells like nice hardwood. I have so far used a little more than one bag.

The new stuff seems to react quicker than the old and smells nicer, but it doesn't seem to last as long. Ive never had to add fuel twice with the old K. I might use it for ribs, but 14 hour cooks seem to tax its limits. Pricy at $9/bag.

Here are some pics.

PS. Temps were 40s and 50s.

 

[Michael Freeman]

I'm curious, how open were the vents? I have to pretty much shut mine down to keep Comp K from getting way too hot. Don't get me wrong, I like Comp K and will continue to use it, but just curious how you kept the temp so stable for that long.

 

[Sean S.]

i looked for it at my costco this weekend but they didn't have any.

 

[Pete Z]

I eventually had the three bottom vents a little less than half open. I started with them 100% open and then adjusted them down during the first hour or two. I started with maybe a dozen lit.

An update from the first post: I ended up adding some more charcoal around 2 and I took the meat off at 3:30 or so. I think it took so long because the temp dipped into the 220-230 range before I added fuel each time.

 

[Michael Freeman]

Mine must burn hot because if I left the vents open almost halfway, my cooker would be up around 300. With Comp K I have to pretty much shut my vents down all the way to keep it around the 230s.

 

[Michael Brock]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Michael Freeman:
Mine must burn hot because if I left the vents open almost halfway, my cooker would be up around 300. With Comp K I have to pretty much shut my vents down all the way to keep it around the 230s. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I had the same problem with my Stoker brisket cook this weekend. Lit chimney over an unlit, went up to 280. And since I was cooking with the Stoker so I could sleep, the two uncovered bottom vents were closed, and it wasn't until I closed the top vent half/third that the temp came down to the 250s. It ran for a good hour and half at 280 before I closed the top event a little.