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smoking

daveshannon
daveshannon Posts: 4
edited January 2012 in EggHead Forum
how much coal do you use to do a brisket or any 16 to 18 hour slow cook.i would like to try some good resipes on smoking.

Comments

  • Start with a clean firebox...I use a shop-vac to clean out everything before a long cook.

    Then start with largest pieces of lump on the bottom for good airflow, the progressively smaller pieces until you have completely filled the firebox.  Some recommend mixing in preferred wood chips as you fill the firebox.

    I start the fire in a single location and bring it to temp, then put in chunks, placesetter, etc and get it back to temp again.

    Be sure to give the fire plenty of time to burn clean before you start cooking and you're good.



  • boatbum
    boatbum Posts: 1,273

    I completely fill everytime I start.   If it is overnight, I clean out the firebox as bluegrasstiger said.   If its a short cook, I stir the remaining charcoal well with the ash clean out tool to knock the ashes off.

    shutting down the air, I almost always wind up with charcoal left over.

    Cookin in Texas
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    For the anticipated very long (14+ hour cook expectations) I will clean out the fire box as mentioned above and load about half way up the fire ring with lump.  Even after a 22 hour low&slow (at around 250*F+/- on the dome) there is pleny of lump left.  Remember-you can never load too much lump.  The amount of burning lump is controlled by the air flow-as long as you maintain good air flow and adequate fuel you can go for as long as you want.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
    I use to be a fanatic about cleaning out my BGE before a long cook and load it with charcoal as described. I have since discovered that it doesn't make any difference,

    Now, I just give it a few stirs to get the ash to go through the fire grate and then clean it out below. I just dump in new charcoal on top of the old stuff. I always fill it to the bottom of the fire ring (even for high temp cooks).  If I expect it to cook for more than 20 hours, I'll add extra charcoal to the middle of the fire ring or so.

    It is now a lot less work and the cook progresses just as well.
    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    shiff is dead on.

    just make sure there's not a pile of ash below the grate clogging things, and that the grate itself isn't blocked from above, and dump the lump to the bottom of the fire ring (or higher if you want)
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante