Replenishing hot coals into a WSM?


 
G

Garret Komjathy

TVWBB Fan
Looking for suggestions on an easier way to replenish hot coals into a fired up WSM. I have been dumping them right from the chimney starter and most of them don't make it into the charcoal chamber. Suggestions?
 
I had to constantly add lit coals to my old Brinkmann during a cook. I used a deep fryer ladle. I could get 8 - 10 coals on it at a time. It has a long handle to reach into the coal chamber. Used tongs to place the lit coals on the ladle.
 
With a full charcoal ring and a Minion start I very seldom ever have to add coals, they generally last long enough for 14-16 hours without adding more. The few times I've had to I just open the door and toss in unlit coals. You can always add handles to the WSM and lift the whole assembly off then add them. I'm curious why you have to add coals so often.
 
I agree with Tom, I've never thrown hot coals into my smoker. I normally leave the door off and throw unlit coals in. Wait until all the coals are good and lit than put it back on. It does not take long and you really won't lose that much heat from it. Once the door is back on your temps will climb but they will stabilize and should go back to the temp you want without adjusting the vents at all.
 
With the little wsm, it's not too hard to do the "hot squat" and completely replenish the fire by taking the cooker off the base if needed. Just be very careful, especially if using water in the pan. Otherwise, I just use a small shovel to dump UNlit lump or LIT briqs into my small wsm, or a full-size shovel for the same in my BIG WSM. I've used a LOT of different kinds of charcoal and lump, and that's just how I prefer to cook.

If you have the smaller wsm, replace the water pan with the Brinkman water smoker CHARCOAL PAN from Academy Sports or somewhere. It'll allow you to heap up enough charcoal from the start that you shouldn't need to add, especially if protected from the wind.
 
I built a chute out of light weight aluminum I had. A piece can be purchased at Lowes. Easy to bend and cut. Just open the door and pour coals from chimney down chute into ring.
 
I usually just grab the small fireplace "shovel" that nearly everyone has. Works very well, lit or unlit.
 
My problem hasn't been getting the new fuel in there, it's been NOT stirring up the ASH. Argh, what a pain. I know it's harmless but I hate putting new fuel in and the ash cloud forming inside the smoker. at least if it were easier to take the whole smoker off the "pit" you let the ash disipate before placing the smoker back on. (that was the technique I used with my Brinkman)

I was thinking of putting handles on the sides of the main canister but realized the pretty Weber cover might not stretch over the handles, its quite tight already.
 
Jody Smith said:
My problem hasn't been getting the new fuel in there, it's been NOT stirring up the ASH. Argh, what a pain. I know it's harmless but I hate putting new fuel in and the ash cloud forming inside the smoker. at least if it were easier to take the whole smoker off the "pit" you let the ash disipate before placing the smoker back on. (that was the technique I used with my Brinkman)

I was thinking of putting handles on the sides of the main canister but realized the pretty Weber cover might not stretch over the handles, its quite tight already.
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Jody, I've had a couple of handles on my 18.5" and the cover still fit. However, handles aren't really needed to lift the 18.5" off the base. Just be careful, especially if using water in the pan. Another couple of tips are to use lump and to close the top vents when you open the door to tend the fire. Lump doesn't have near the ash that briquettes have, but if you close the top vents to add fuel, don't forget to open them back up.
 
Dave Russell said:
Jody, I've had a couple of handles on my 18.5" and the cover still fit. However, handles aren't really needed to lift the 18.5" off the base. Just be careful, especially if using water in the pan. Another couple of tips are to use lump and to close the top vents when you open the door to tend the fire. Lump doesn't have near the ash that briquettes have, but if you close the top vents to add fuel, don't forget to open them back up.
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Thanks Dave, thats great advice. I need to source some good lump. I've gotten the Cowboy lump from home depot, but the chucks are huge, and are about useless for the WSM. Tried the green egg lump and most of it was so small chunks it went through the grate... Plus, I stocked up on Kingsford back at July 4th when Home depot had the double packs for $6..

Again, thanks for the tips, I'll try them out this weekend.
 
Tom_M said:
With a full charcoal ring and a Minion start I very seldom ever have to add coals, they generally last long enough for 14-16 hours without adding more. The few times I've had to I just open the door and toss in unlit coals. You can always add handles to the WSM and lift the whole assembly off then add them. I'm curious why you have to add coals so often.
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I can't think of a time where I have had to add coals, lit or unlit to my 18.5 WSM. It'll go 14+ hours on a full ring using the Minion method. For shorter rib cooks, I can get almost three full cooks in before having to replenish with fresh lump as well.
 
Jody Smith said:
I need to source some good lump.... I've gotten the Cowboy lump from home depot, but the chucks are huge, and are about useless for the WSM. Tried the green egg lump and most of it was so small chunks it went through the grate...
Click to expand...

You're welcome, Jody. As far as the lump, I'll use a hatchet or something to bust up big pieces a bit, but mainly when grilling. As far as cooking on the bullets with lump, all I'm concerned about really is packing it in tight, like putting together a puzzle. You might put your large pieces in first, and then dump the small stuff in to fill in the gaps. A piece of expanded metal or another grate turned 90* to your charcoal grate will help catch small pieces if needed.
 
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