Tonight - The chimney has been lit...


 
M

Mike Rockwood

TVWBB Fan
with about 20 briquetts.

The ring is full. Apple and hickory chunks located throughout. A few to go on top. Sand in the pan.

Southern Comfort is readily at hand.

2-8lb butts, rubbed last since last night, waiting in the fridge. They're going on at 7pm,EDT.

1-6.5lb brisket flat, also rubed since last night, in the fridge. It's going on about Midnight, under the butts.

I'm smoking for a friend's daughter's HS graduation party at 2pm, tomorrow.

The met will come off between 10am and Noon, wrapped and placed in a cooler for a while.

It's supposed to be a fairly calm night here, in the Boston area, mid 50's for a low.. I'm hoping my Red Sox can beat those Angels from the left coast.

Time for a re-fill. 1st pitch is at 7pm.

Ahhh... Q'ing, baseball, and adult beverages. God Bless America!
 
Hey Mike

Good luck with all the food.I'm getting up at 5am to start a 7.5lb butt and an 11lb brisket.We'll see how it goes.

Talk to you in the morning
Jeff
 
The temps at the dome have risen to 225. I'll keep an eye on them before closing down the bottom vents a bit. Each vent is currently open about a third.

Steady stream of smoke rising from the top.

My RedSox are up, 1-0.
 
Mike,

Good luck with that cook! Not an Angels fan here...go Giants!

Go easy on the Comfort...it's so good that one tends to kinda over-indulge if you know what I mean. Don't know about you, but not even a WSM full of butts (and brisket) could get me outta bed after a suthun comfort night!
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Sox win, 7-4. Damon hits 3-run double in the bottom of the ninth to break the tie.

The WSM temps have settled in at 240. I closed one vent, and left the other two open about 1/3 each.

The breeze has settled down for what looks to be a calm night.
 
Temps at the dome was at 240 when I got up.

Brisket is sitting at 153, and the butts at 165.

I opened the vents a bit and did a gentle tapping of the fire ring.

Sipping coffee, the sun is rising clear, and there are some good smells wafting into the house from my deck.
 
Good Morning Mike

Glad to see you made it thru the night.i'm also just completing my first overnight.i only had to get up twice for temp control.I decided not ot chance my food not getting done today.Seems like that was the right choice.Have fun at the party.

Seeyaa
Jeff
 
Mike, sounds like you're having success. I'm in the process of my first overnighter as well. Put one 9lb butt on last night at 7:30. Got up at 3:00am, lid temp was 270, added more water and closed all the vents (that was a mistake). When I woke up at 6:00am the lid temp had dropped to 180, so I opened up the vents to 100% and stirred up the coals. A half hour later, the lid temp stabalized at 260. Everything is back on course. Good luck with the rest of your smoke!

Do you guys think I will have to add more charcoal? I started with a full ring, seems to still be about half full. If so, a full chimney? Should I close all the vents when I add it?

BTW, go Blue Jays!!! Doc Halladay made it look easy again last night...Cy Young here we come!

Chris
 
hey chris

I woiuldn't think so .I've went 12 hrs before using the mm and had wellover a 1/4 left the next day,but thats without a lot of wind.If you've had a lot or a litle steady wind your consumption will go up.

Good luck finishing up
Jeff
 
I for one always have to add some but my cooks go 18-22 hours. What I do is fire a chimney about half full and carefully ad lit coals with long tongs. Seems that since youre cokker rose to 270, a bunch of fuel has been used. Some throw on unlit coals but that never has worked well for me. I havent learned that trick yet I guess.
 
Goodluck to all you guys on your overnighters.
I ad unlit coals to the pit. I have one of those little flower garden shovels that telescopes to about 3 foot long. I add the unlit coals with this, and the length of it lets me either put the coals where I want them, or I just toss them in and use it to push them where I want them.
I have used a garden hoe I cut to 3 foot long before also to move the unlit coals where I want them, or to just stir them up. Hey, the hoe was only $.50 at a yard sale!
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Dale, at what point do you add the lit half-chimney? When the temp starts dropping? Or do you anticipate this? Mine's been going now for almost 13 hours, and the ring is getting low so I'm thinking I'm going to have to replensish soon.

Chris
 
Hey Chris, I do both ways you descibe. lol But once I notice a temp drop late in the cook, I fire up half chimney full and put them in as soon as they are burning. I dont wait for them to ash all the way to white, just make sure they are lit. Be careful!
 
I tend to anticipate the need for fresh coals and dump a chimney of unlit on top of the charcoal ring (I tilt the charcoal door like a chute and slide them in). But, like you, if the temp has somehow fallen and can't get up, I've been known to add a few lit coals to the mix and temporarily crank the vents open (but not too long---just a 1/2 hr mebbe). Mostly I leave the thing be...!
 
I just spread out the remaining lit coals and added a half chimney of unlit. We'll see what happens......

Thanks!
 
Well.. the butts and brisket are up to 180, and looking mighty fine. I think I'm on target for removal in a couple of hours and let them sit wrapped in a cooler.

Whenever I've had to add briquettes, I've used a narrow, fireplace shovel to add them. Depending on the situation, they go in unlit, or fired up. Depends on what I think I have left, and how much longer I feel I need to go.

When I first fill the ring for a smoke like this, I finish loading the ring by placing a number of briquettes, by hand in the ring and stack them up over the height of the ring, making a slight depression in the middle of the pile where the lit briquettes go. It is truely an over-full ring. I have gotten 20hr+ burns this way, without a need to add more along the way.

Jeff, Chris - Best of luck to you in your first overnighter. One or two more, and you'll have the confidence to sleep through the night. I hit the sheets about 12:30 this morning, and got up about 6:30. Gotta' love the WSM!
 
Thanks Mike. Well, everything is going smooth. Adding the unlit charcoal did not cause a change in temp and now the butt temp is at around 180. Should be soon!
 
The butts and brisket have been wrapped and in the cooler for about 90 mins. I'll be leaving them there for another 90 mins, or so.

WSM grills have been lowered to sit on top of the coal-ring, and have all burned-off and scraped down with a stiff wire bruff. Still coals left, after 17hrs.

All that left is the pullin', slicin' and enjoyin'.
 
20+ hrs on one full ring is incredible. Ive cooked a bunch of overnighters and have never made it 20 hrs without adding coals. You guys are just too good.
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