Too much ash


 
J

Jonathan W

New member
Hi folks,

Long time listener, first time caller. I've tried searching a bit, but couldn't find anything conclusive, so i thought I'd ask about something that's been a bit of trouble for my last few cooks.

I have a 22.5 WSM. I tend to use Kingsford Blue, minion method, full water pan, starting with 30 or so lit coals on a cold (40 degree) early spring morning in Maine.

With long cooks, everything seems to be super-solid for the first ten hours or so, but after that, I seem to have a hard time getting temperature to stay above 225 (this weekend, I was around 250 without much effort or problem for the first eight or ten hours). A gentle stir of the coals will usually alleviate the problem for a bit, and sometimes a little more fuel helps, but I usually reach a point at about 12 hours where, even with vents wide open, nothing really helps.

Fortunately this weekend, it gave out just as things were finishing up. I took the center section off the cooker, and the remaining coals got hot enough so I could put the grate right on top of the charcoal ring to finish the ribs up and caramelize them a little more, and continued to burn for a few more hours.

So, seems to me that ash buildup is capping the amount of time I'm able to cook - it's just getting to a point where the coals are getting choked out.

Anyone else deal with this? Perhaps a change to lump is in order for long cooks, though I was always under the impression that lump burned hotter and faster.

Thanks so much for your help.
 
maybe try other brands with natural briq such as stubbs. also check into not using a water. many don't. that water takes up heat which means you will use more coals.
 
That far into the cook, people generally just add another half chimney or so of HOT coals to keep things going. Should buy you at least another hour and a half of cook time. Alternately you could add a half chimney of unlit 3 hours sooner. Still you'd want to knock the ash off the existing coals before adding more.
 
George and Tyler make great points. ^^^

In my experience, it's just what you've got to deal with when you use Kingsford original. Personally, I think you'll be happier if you switch to K Comp, Stubbs, or even a good lump, but if I was to cook overnight, I'd stick with water and just leave leave the vents shut a bit more when you go to bed, all things being equal, and then refuel as needed the next morning to finish the cook. If I'm around the house and cooking during the day though, I only use water in the pan for ribs that I'm not going to foil. There's more vent adjustments for sure, but better bark and I use less charcoal.

Hope that helps!
Dave
 
First, thanks for calling the Mr. Obvious Show ;)
Your question has been answered, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity given your opening line.:D
 
No Xp with K-blue...But alot of ppl do long smokes with it on this site. Try another brand or even another batch. Or go lump witch has almost no ashes compared. or do like another tip i got on this site(cant remember who it was) Take your wifes Vibrator and ductape it to one of the legs of the WSM...Set it on "orgasm" and let it rip....That will make sure you dont have any ash problems 4 sure!? ;)
 
The Kingsford can produce a lot of ash but it burns as consistently as anything I've used. Normally a 12 hour cook shouldn't be an issue though. Not to the point where you cant control things. I've done much longer cooks without too much problem either but I have had some cooks on windy days that created some ash issues.

I tried some other brands and tried lump but nothing compared to regular Kingsford for heat management and consistency. Sometimes just banging on the bottom part of the cooker or jabbing something in the vent holes to move the ash around will help long enough to keep you cooking.
 
Hi Jonathan, you could try a silver bullet smoker jacket if you feel like purchasing an accessory for your WSM. I increased my fuel efficiency by approx 2/3, and you won't have to worry about temp dips(maybe temp increases though-it's a great insulator!).

http://www.thebbqguru.com/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top