How to set up charcoal/fire for low/slow

jld · January 2009

I've seen some good sites about how to get up the charcoal and fire pit for ensuring a stable low and slow fire, but 15 minutes of forum/google searching has not turned up what I'm looking for.

Does anyone have links and or suggestions about this?

Thanks!

gdenby · January 2009

GoTo:

www.nakedwhiz.com/elder.htm

Crimsongator · January 2009

Everybody has an opinion about this. Some say big chunks on the bottom and then make them smaller as they go up. I just make sure the is 1-2 bigger chunks in the bottom and then dump the lump in. Just don't let all of the dust fall in, it will make air flow difficult.

Be sure to get a good established fire, with enough lump. I fill my large most of the way up the fire ring.

Get everything started good and then start dialing the draft door back. For a 250* fire, my bottom draft will be open 1/8-1/4" and the tops closed with the petals open. Hope this helps (or at least it makes sense)

jld · January 2009

Thank you! This was what I was looking for.

I have wood chip to smoke my shoulder. Advice on whether it should be wet or dry and how much to use?

Thanks!

giantwing · January 2009

dry chunks work fine in the egg, wet chips or would is for propane freaks

jld · January 2009

Is there a rule of thumb on how much wood chips to mix into the charcoal?

Grandpas Grub · January 2009

For long cooks sometimes I will add more chips during the cook.

OR

Sometimes I build aluminum foil 'tubs'. About 3" long 2" tall. I fill those 'tubs' with well soaked chips and put some water in there too.

Seal the 'tubs' up and put a few fork holes in the top of the 'tubs'. On my large I use 3 'tubs'. I also put some dry chips in with the lump also.

The theory, which seems to work well, is that the dry chips will smoke first and as the water evaporates out of the foil 'tubs' they will then begin to add smoke.

If possible I use chunks. If I am using Jack Daniels, I don't soak. Apple, Cherry, Pecan, grape chips I do soak for long cooks.

If I am doing a shorter cook 5 hrs or shorter I sperad a few chips but put a good handfull and pile it on the edge of the burning lump. I let the burning work itself into the chips.

With chips be careful when opening the dome the increased oxygen will allow the chips to flame up and possibly burn/char the food. If the chips are flaming I put the green ceramic cap on the dome until the flame goes out, 20 to 30 seconds is all it takes, then the DFMT goes back on.

GG

jld · January 2009

Hmm, thanks for the advice.

Here's my dilemma: I just built up the charcoal for tomorrow's pork shoulder cook and realized I perhaps got a bit ahead of myself in adding wood chip. I was mixing in the wood as I assembled the charcoal. After I got done I realized I used about 7 cups of Apricot chips throughout the firebox. Is this way too much? If so I'll take the pile apart and rebuild with less wood, but if that much chip is within range, I'll just go with it and chalk it up to a learning experience.

Advice?

Thanks.

John

Grandpas Grub · January 2009

Are you going for sliced or pulled pork - different done temperatures and cooking times?

I have only once cooked with Apricot but it was really good.

7 cups sounds like a lot of wood. Sometimes I use a lot of flavor wood but never that much.

With that said, Apricot is pretty mild, and you are cooking a shoulder, which is going to be a long slow lower temperature cook. The chips are mixed throughout your lump.

I am not sure if I would change it up - this might turn out really, really good.

If you decide to leave it as it is I sure would like to see and hear about the results.

GG

jld · January 2009

The plan is pulled pork.

250* indirect, 4.8Lb bone-in shoulder, Planning on taking it out when temp is about 192*-195*.

I think I may just leave it. The firebox is full, the charcoal is about 2 inches below the (legs pointed up) platesetter.

7 cups is a lot of wood, but I figure that since it's mixed throughout that the fire will not be too smokey at any one time. Add that to the fact that people say that meat only absorbs smoke until the outside starts to cook that worst case I'm just wasting a few cups of wood.

Someone warn me if I'm not thinking reasonably. I'd rather not ruin this shoulder by way oversmoking it. I'm a newbie, this is my first low/slow cook.

Spaceman Spiff · January 2009

DigiQ.

Grandpas Grub · January 2009

A lot of folk take the meat out at different temps. I usually don't pull until 200° sometimes 205°.

A very good test is to use a the fork test. Test it to make sure it is tender. You will know when to pull. The rest after the cook is also important. Wrap the meat in foil then wrap in a lot of towels or a blanket. You can also put some crumpled up newspaper in a cooler and put the meat (in foil) in a cooler to rest. If you use newspaper, I would suggest wrap the meat which is foiled in newspaper. A good thick wrap.

If you wrap it well the meat will stay "hot" for 4 to 6 hours.

Good cooking.

On a overnight cook or long cook I fill the lump to the top or within 1" of the top of the fire ring.

Plate setter "legs up" is also referred as "inverted" plate setter.

Don't panic when the meat gets into the plateau.

This is an easy cook and you will be in for a real treat.

GG

The Naked Whiz · January 2009

The smoke flavor comes from smoke particles being desposited on the surface of the meat. As long as you have smoke in the cooker, the smoke flavor will be building up. The notion of meat absorbing smoke flavor until a certain temperature is confusion with the fact that the smoke ring, which is caused by an actual chemical reaction, only develops until the meat reaches a certain temperature. Good luck with the cook!

How to set up charcoal/fire for low/slow

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