Adding Charcoal

[ClimberDave]

This weekend I plan to smoke a brisket  and may use my SnS.

Just curious  how and when do you add additional charcoal??

Do you light it in a chimney and add it or do you  put it in unlit? 

Thanks

[sparky]

I did a chuckie last week on my 26.  After 7-8 hours I just moved all the lite charcoal to the far side and added unlit to fill the entire SNS.  Keep going for another 4 hours until I hit 205° on the chuckie.  There was a lot of ash (KBB).  I will only use weber charcoal for long cooks from now on.  A lot less ash. 

[TentHunteR]

While I don't have a SnS, for years I did plenty of low & slow indirect cooks on a Weber with charcoal held off to one side (same basic idea as a Slow n Sear). 

Of course there are different takes on this, but here's mine:

I never liked adding unlit regular charcoal briquettes to a cook already going on because regular briquettes have binders and clay that don't burn cleanly until they are completely lit (ashed over).  I just don't like the flavor it gives.  This is also why I never cared for the Minion method.

For long cooks, I always preferred to light another partial chimney and add it after it was completely lit and ashed over.  You can cover the food with foil to keep ash off while doing this.  Put the lid back on and adjust the vents for temperature accordingly.


Again, I am talking about REGULAR charcoal briquettes here.   If you're using lump or competition briquettes, which don't have the binders, then that's a completely different story. They burn much cleaner.

At any rate, that's my 2¢... 

[cookiecdcmk]

Tent:  I am glad to see your comments.  Using unlit charcoal was always my concern, because I always saw the dark smoke when first starting my charcoal in a chimney.  I never used unlit charcoal so I do not know how it would effect the taste.  But I still see many people using this method, with apparent good results, but still am wondering?

[Pappymn]

Good topic. I think I've been doing it wrong


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[smokeasaurus]

I did a chuckie last week on my 26.  After 7-8 hours I just moved all the lite charcoal to the far side and added unlit to fill the entire SNS.  Keep going for another 4 hours until I hit 205° on the chuckie.  There was a lot of ash (KBB).  I will only use weber charcoal for long cooks from now on.  A lot less ash.

Sparky is spot on. Just keep the Minion Method going and you will be fine.

For high ash output worries, just use the one touch system periodically to get rid of the ashes, just remember where your air input setting is at before you clean.

Haven't tied the Weber charcoal yet....but am l;ooking for it.

[tomcrete1]

I use the SNS for Chuck roast quite often, 6-8 hours. I fill up the basket all the way and use one Weber wax cube in one corner to start it and it gets me all of 8 hours at 250 ish. Im also using Royal Oak Hickory charcoal. Works well for me.

[ClimberDave]

While I don't have a SnS, for years I did plenty of low & slow indirect cooks on a Weber with charcoal held off to one side (same basic idea as a Slow n Sear). 

Of course there are different takes on this, but here's mine:

I never liked adding unlit regular charcoal briquettes to a cook already going on because regular briquettes have binders and clay that don't burn cleanly until they are completely lit (ashed over).  I just don't like the flavor it gives.  This is also why I never cared for the Minion method.

For long cooks, I always preferred to light another partial chimney and add it after it was completely lit and ashed over.  You can cover the food with foil to keep ash off while doing this.  Put the lid back on and adjust the vents for temperature accordingly.


Again, I am talking about REGULAR charcoal briquettes here.   If you're using lump or competition briquettes, which don't have the binders, then that's a completely different story. They burn much cleaner.

At any rate, that's my 2¢...

Have always wondered about that myself,  however  when  using the SnS you start with a dozen  lit briquettes and fill it up with unlit briquettes  so its  actually  pretty much the same thing, so far i have noticed a problem. 

 I guess  if i catch it and see I need to add fuel  and have some time (I frequently catch it when my temps start to plummet and its already late)  I will just light  a half chimney or so  and then  dump in the  SnS

[tlg4942]

While I don't have a SnS, for years I did plenty of low & slow indirect cooks on a Weber with charcoal held off to one side (same basic idea as a Slow n Sear). 

Of course there are different takes on this, but here's mine:

I never liked adding unlit regular charcoal briquettes to a cook already going on because regular briquettes have binders and clay that don't burn cleanly until they are completely lit (ashed over).  I just don't like the flavor it gives.  This is also why I never cared for the Minion method.

For long cooks, I always preferred to light another partial chimney and add it after it was completely lit and ashed over.  You can cover the food with foil to keep ash off while doing this.  Put the lid back on and adjust the vents for temperature accordingly.


Again, I am talking about REGULAR charcoal briquettes here.   If you're using lump or competition briquettes, which don't have the binders, then that's a completely different story. They burn much cleaner.

At any rate, that's my 2¢...

I am in complete agreement with Cliffs 2 cents...

[Big Dawg]

While I don't have a SnS, for years I did plenty of low & slow indirect cooks on a Weber with charcoal held off to one side (same basic idea as a Slow n Sear). 

Of course there are different takes on this, but here's mine:

I never liked adding unlit regular charcoal briquettes to a cook already going on because regular briquettes have binders and clay that don't burn cleanly until they are completely lit (ashed over).  I just don't like the flavor it gives.  This is also why I never cared for the Minion method.

For long cooks, I always preferred to light another partial chimney and add it after it was completely lit and ashed over.  You can cover the food with foil to keep ash off while doing this.  Put the lid back on and adjust the vents for temperature accordingly.


Again, I am talking about REGULAR charcoal briquettes here.   If you're using lump or competition briquettes, which don't have the binders, then that's a completely different story. They burn much cleaner.

At any rate, that's my 2¢...

Have always wondered about that myself,  however  when  using the SnS you start with a dozen  lit briquettes and fill it up with unlit briquettes  so its  actually  pretty much the same thing, so far i have noticed a problem. 

 I guess  if i catch it and see I need to add fuel  and have some time (I frequently catch it when my temps start to plummet and its already late)  I will just light  a half chimney or so  and then  dump in the  SnS

Right, Dave.  If you're using the minion method, which I understand some do not like, but if you are using that method, I've never seen, nor understood, the problem with adding more unlit briquettes.  You're just extending the method.  This is at least 75% of the reason for using a SnS in the first place ! ! !

I haven't done a brisket on my 26er, but I've done plenty of butts and chuckies.  Like Sparky, I just scrape all of the lit coals to one side and fill up the other end.  And like The Smoke, I just use the One Tough system, as needed, to knock down the ash buildup.

If you feel that you're getting an aftertaste, and I'm not discounting those that do, from KBB, then use lump or a more expensive briquette.  I haven't had any complaints, so I just stocked up over Labor Day.





BD