Running out of charcoal

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Crotonmark

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I'm using blue bag kingsford. I am 11 hours into a pork butt cook. I have a 22.5" weber. I used a 2 x 2 snake about 90% around the kettle.
I've had to do two refills so all in I've done about 120% of the kettle area.
This is a pain to do refills.
What other charcoal could give me longer life?
Thanks
Mark
 
Oh. And I've kept the temp at 225* and I started with a metal pan full of boiled water
 
Lots of people have great success using the snake method with KB on the kettle. You could try some all hardwood briquettes.


Even though you can smoke on the kettle i prefer to use a dedicated smoker because it uses way less fuel and they're set it and forget it. My mini takes just a few lbs of charcoal for a 10 lb butt.
 
Stubbs burns longer, less ash and tastes better. But yeah a dedicated smoker will use less fuel.
 
Crotonmark said:
Oh. And I've kept the temp at 225* and I started with a metal pan full of boiled water
Click to expand...
Could your metal pan be used like this?
firering.jpg

I pour lit coals on one side of the brick. I can fill the ring up to the cooking grate with briquettes.
 
well maybe I am expecting too much from my charcoal
the UDS looks cool but I loves my kettle

Looks like I should use wicked good.
 

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Crotonmark said:
well maybe I am expecting too much from my charcoal
the UDS looks cool but I loves my kettle
Click to expand...
Hey there is nothing wrong with kettle grills, heck i got 3 of them. I wouldn't trade any of my cookers because they all have their purposes.
 
Have you tried leaving your metal pan empty and lining it with foil, using it as a dry drip pan? It takes more fuel to run a cooker with a water pan than without, at the same grate temperature. Although the hot water does keeps the spikes under control.
 
^^^i was thinking the same thing!!!

My Weber 26.75 will burn at 275* vents all wide open with 6 coals deep. I can get an easy 10 hours out of it if I reduce the air inlet and run at 225
 
I would go for a 3 X 3 ring, or even a 3 X 4 ( width X height ) and see if they don't last longer. I did a 3 X 3 for some ribs, and had half a ring left when the ribs were done. It was my first long cook on my new kettle while I was still learning what it would do. My rings are about 3/4 of the way around the grate.

Have a Blessed cook!

Omar
 
Your ring should easily last you longer than 6 hours. I would recommend the following:
- Check to make sure your lid is not out of shape
- Use a pizza stone, fire bricks, or sand instead of water for thermal mass
- Try to keep the lid closed as much as possible
 
Crotonmark said:
well maybe I am expecting too much from my charcoal
the UDS looks cool but I loves my kettle

Looks like I should use wicked good.
Click to expand...


I'm scratching my head over this list. I've got a few bags of WG briquettes and don't see them burning a long time. They also fall apart very easily.
 
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