When you add charcoal to your PBC during a long cook, how exactly do you do it? Today, I pulled all the meat out, then filled my chimney half full (about 40 briquets) and dumped it on the dwindling coals. I let that go uncovered for 10 minutes, and then covered it with no rebars for another 10. I guess I really have three questions: When you add charcoal to a dwindling fire, 1) how much charcoal do you add, 2) what do you use to add it, and 3) how long do you let it burn before putting meat over it?
Depends how much longer I got. Half chimney is plenty. I rarely need that much. I hang meat immediately. Dump it from the chimney itself. Will eventually get a compact chimney for easier dumpage.
Thanks. The little chimney is on my Xmas list. I've gotten reasonably good at dumping from the full size one, but awkward dumpage is definitely an issue.
I cut a lip in mine but it is still a pain. I had a snaffee on a cook Thursday night and was frantically lighting some charcoal in a chimney at 0215 to get my barrel up to 400 to finish off a butt by 0430.
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:
SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron Griddle
Grill Grate for SnS
Grill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:
Extreme BBQ Thermometer Package
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:
Thermapen MK4 (pink)
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:
8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
Yeah, I dump directly from the chimney itself as well, but I remove the meat first, just like you do, Crunchy . It only took one time to see the meat covered with ash to remind me to get the meat out, then add the hot coals, wait a bit for the ash to settle, then rehang the meat and get back in the game.
I get the chimney going then I use these babies. I put on my Pit Mit and add two coals at a time, with the coal basket still in the PBC. Then I can pick where I want those coals to go without even removing the meat. And if its not too loaded down with meat, Its easy peasy. This is one of Meathead's very underrated tools. Its perfect for the PBC. I can even lower the coal basket into the barrel with them. (as long as the basket isn't packed to the gills.) I always use them for adding coals to any of my cookers. With the looooong handle it makes it easy not to burn yourself. Plus the jaws open wide enough to easily fit two coals in at a time.
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:
SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron Griddle
Grill Grate for SnS
Grill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:
Extreme BBQ Thermometer Package
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:
Thermapen MK4 (pink)
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:
8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
When I do, and I usually just toss it in the oven to finish to be honest, I light about 10 coals, they will get hot fast, then I put another 30 or so on top and then dump them all together, works well with the small chimney. Gotta remove the meat though. Added coals on my first WSM cook today, just open the hatch and toss them in, pretty awesome.
When I tried to do this, I added the unlit coals to the cooker and then it took a long time for the white smoke to burn off. So long, my food got cold. I'm talking a half hour here before the white smoke finally went away. All of the coals have to catch, if there are some on the side that haven't caught yet they're going to put out white smoke when they finally ignite.
I've tried pre-lighting coals in my chimney starter and just quit doing it because time after time the fire goes out and doesn't light the charcoal. Happens again and again, I got tired of it and now I use those pressed-sawdust flammable starters, they work like a charm. Nothing discourages guests like seeing the supposed BBQ master unable to get a fire lit.
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