Maintaining temp on long long cooks with SNS

[Bikenauset]

I have a 22 kettle with SNS, and I am having a lot of trouble maintaining temps on very long cooks 10 hrs plus. Wondering the best way to add more briquettes, cold or hot? Any other suggestions greatly appreciated.

[fuzzydaddy]

Bikenauset at around 7-8 hours I usually have dropping temps when cooking boston butts (I use Kingsford Blue Bag), and I do the following:

• Stir coals to knock off ash.
• Stack remaining burning coals in a corner.
• Ash sweep.
• Add 1 chimney unlit (or less as needed for expected cook time).

I also turn over my butts for even cooking. My SnS doesn't have the bottom plate (it's open) so if I wait too long to do this, the remaining coals can fall through the charcoal grate, so I've starting doing this at 7-8 hours even though the fire could last longer.

What I'm doing is basically setting up the briquets just like when I started the cook, lit briquets stacked in the corner and adding a chimney (or less) of unlit.

Hope this helps!

[Thunder77]

+1 on what Mr Fuzzy said! 😎

[Bikenauset]

Thanks fuzzydaddy that makes sense.

[fuzzydaddy]

Also, on my bottom vent, I never go less than ~1/4 open. I use my top vent to fine tune for low 'n' slow cooks. By doing this I've yet to have ash block the bottom vent such that I need to do an ash sweep prior to the 7-8 hour mark. Maybe I've just been lucky ;-)

[Jerod Broussard]

""Any other suggestions greatly appreciated."" Bikenauset

Hardwood Briquettes. I use B & B but they are not available everywhere. I can get 15 hours on one load running 225-235.

[RonB]

I'm with fuzzydaddy on stir and sweep. Any time you notice the temp drop you should stir and sweep - assuming you have had steady temps. And then add more unlit charcoal when the lit coals burn their way across the SnS. If the meat is close to done, you don't have to use a full chimney.

[fuzzydaddy]

Thanks for mentioning don't have to use a full chimney. I edited my post which I had copied from my typical butt cook and missed it!

[Danjohnston949]

Bikenauset, I usually sweep the ashes ever 1 1/2 - 2 Hrs! I keep very close Watch on the Maverick 733 for Temp Drops! If it does I do exactly as fuzzydaddy says with the exception I generally don't turn the Meat! If you have a Small Weber Starter you can pour New Unlit Charcoal into the S 'n S by folding the Wing up on your Grill shoving the lit coals to one end and Pouring the new coals directly into the S 'n S! If you don't have the Weber Grate that has the fold up wings I would suggest you get one and that you get the one with the lift out center section as Well! +- $40.00
Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND,

Dan