Author Topic: More charcoal for longer burns?  (Read 1946 times)

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Offline marty22877

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More charcoal for longer burns?
« Reply #-1 on: May 30, 2017, 08:54:54 AM »
So is anyone else adding charcoal or doing anything to get a longer burn?  I've had mine over a year now and have definitely run a bunch of stuff through it, but I'm noticing right around 7-7.5 hours the charcoal seems to burn out and i can't keep a cook going.  I like to have my pork butt's hang out in the stall for a bit so what i'm running into is the last little bit.  For instance here's what i did yesterday:

1. loaded up the basket as full as it could be
2. took out 40 caols and put them in a chimney
3. lit the chimney with newspaper and at 12 minutes dumped into the PBC
4. grabbed a 6.5lb butt and let it hang in the cooker at 8:30am.  i had injected it and put on my rub 24 hours prior like i always do.
5. Around 1155ish is when i noticed it was at 165ish so i let that cook for a while, i find out it comes out more tender the longer i let it hang out in the stall
6. 1pm took it off the hooks and placed on the grate (almost lost it here as one hook pulled right out)
7. around 4 we were still at 190ish in the middle and 200ish around the edges (i like to go to 203).  at this point i noticed my PBC wasnt putting off any real heat.
8. wrapped and put it back on the pbc with just a little bit of apple juice in there, for 15 min with the lid cracked.  i thought this would bring me up to 203 but the temp actually went down so i pulled it and put it in a cooler for 1.5 hours.

now the butt came out fantastic as it always does, but if i were cooking say 2 butts which would fit i doubt i could go the same route as i did.  so i'm wondering if anyone adds charcoal and at what time?  4? 5? 6? hours in?  start in the chimney first? or have you modified your charcoal basket to hold more?  looking for any ideas here because this was a real problem in the winter, i actually had to finish a butt before i wanted to because the PBC just didnt have any more fuel in it.

Offline smokeasaurus

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Re: More charcoal for longer burns?
« on: May 30, 2017, 10:03:43 AM »
The PBC is a power cooker and 7-8 hours is the norm for a basket of briquettes. I wonder if enlarging the fire-basket would change the way the PBC cooks.

Have you considered making a UDS? They can run at 225-250 for up to 14 hours. Most of them are 55 gallon barrels and have larger charcoal baskets.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Sure more will hop in...................
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Offline Smokin Papa Steve

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Re: More charcoal for longer burns?
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2017, 10:24:19 AM »
So is anyone else adding charcoal or doing anything to get a longer burn?  I've had mine over a year now and have definitely run a bunch of stuff through it, but I'm noticing right around 7-7.5 hours the charcoal seems to burn out and i can't keep a cook going.  I like to have my pork butt's hang out in the stall for a bit so what i'm running into is the last little bit.  For instance here's what i did yesterday:

What brand of Charcoal are you using?  I use Royal Oak or Stubbs.  Yesterday I made ribs with a full basket of Royal Oak.  After 6 hours (end of the cook) I had plenty of juice left.  In fact when I went to clean up at 7.5 hours after the start, I still had about 20% un-burned.  Hope this helps

Offline marty22877

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Re: More charcoal for longer burns?
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2017, 10:43:14 AM »
just the blue bag of kingsford.  it will still put off heat but it's not a usable heat.  i would think the royal oak would burn hotter and shorter?

Offline ClimberDave

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Re: More charcoal for longer burns?
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2017, 12:18:30 PM »
I have wondered this myself.

Usually I don't have to add   charcoal  but on a few occasions  I have.
First was  on my 2nd cook  which was pork butt.    The PBC wouldn't get up to temp and for a few hours I tried opening the vent more  cracking the lid  etc...   hours later  it got going and the cook began around hour 7 the temps started dropping I looked  in and saw the charcoal was  almost gone.
I added some unlit charcoal  and waited but it seemed to take forever to come back up to temp, I had waited too long  before adding.  I then lit some in a chimney and added it and things go going again,  think at about 8.5 hrs  I finally pulled it and it was good  but  could have cooked longer.

I to have always been curious about when the you should add charcoal and if it  should be lit or unlit.  I  checked the PBC site and couldn't find any info regarding this.
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Offline Smokin Papa Steve

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Re: More charcoal for longer burns?
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2017, 03:33:11 PM »
just the blue bag of kingsford.  it will still put off heat but it's not a usable heat.  i would think the royal oak would burn hotter and shorter?

Try next time using Royal Oak - it has more energy since its all natural.  I never had to add any charcoal for long cooks.  In fact if doing a butt or brisket (on the grate). I will use magnets to partially cover the rebar holes to keep the pit temp down to 250 - 275. 

Offline smokeasaurus

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Re: More charcoal for longer burns?
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2017, 06:55:51 PM »
The new Weber briquettes are supposed to be a good slow hot burner but a buck a lb................
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Offline marty22877

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Re: More charcoal for longer burns?
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2017, 07:47:25 PM »
just the blue bag of kingsford.  it will still put off heat but it's not a usable heat.  i would think the royal oak would burn hotter and shorter?

Try next time using Royal Oak - it has more energy since its all natural.  I never had to add any charcoal for long cooks.  In fact if doing a butt or brisket (on the grate). I will use magnets to partially cover the rebar holes to keep the pit temp down to 250 - 275.

how long can you burn for?

Offline Smokin Papa Steve

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Re: More charcoal for longer burns?
« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2017, 09:17:37 AM »
just the blue bag of kingsford.  it will still put off heat but it's not a usable heat.  i would think the royal oak would burn hotter and shorter?

Try next time using Royal Oak - it has more energy since its all natural.  I never had to add any charcoal for long cooks.  In fact if doing a butt or brisket (on the grate). I will use magnets to partially cover the rebar holes to keep the pit temp down to 250 - 275.

how long can you burn for?

I have done 8 hour briskets on a single coal basket of Royal Oak.  It might help that I am in South Florida where we have high ambient temps most of the year

Offline zak99b5

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Re: More charcoal for longer burns?
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2017, 08:19:54 AM »
When I am doing a long cook (6+ hrs) in the PBC, I fill the basket basically all the way with charcoal then set it in the barrel.  I add 40 more briqs to the starter chimney and light.

You have to pour them in carefully, and maybe get out the long tongs once in a while to pick up a briq or two that spills over, but you get a good long burn.
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