ODC Method didn't go so well

[slopoke76]

So, I gave the ODC lighting method a try yesterday to do a 4 slab rib cook. The kids got a kick out of constructing it from a picture I printed off and they had it done in 5 minutes including loading the chimney starter with the pre-determined amount of loose coals from the empty circle in the middle!!! Oh to have fast nimble hands, eh? Anyways, it looked cool and it did start burning the unlit coals pretty quick after I dumped in the hot coals from the PBC chimney starter, which by the way, takes about 25-30 minutes to get fully ashed over and ready to dump. I put the re-rebars, probes and meat on after about 5 minutes, air temp spiked at 221, then started dropping. I watched it drop to 195, when it finally dawned on me that something wasn't right. Took a peek inside and seen a lot of black unlit coals on the opposite side of the vent and a few on the side near the vent. So, I just cracked the lid for some air flow and got the air temp up to 400F along with heaps of billowing white smoke, that we can do without. So, Im wondering if I might have let it burn a little longer initially or is something else amiss?

[Jerod Broussard]

I know the problem. It was supposed to be OCD.

[slopoke76]

Hahaha...oops!!! Ya OCD...what does that stand for by the way?

[richinlbrg]

GEESH, get it right, willya guys??

It is CDO. Same as OCD, butt in the correct order.

[tbob4]

richinlbrg - OCD is when you keep changing the order of the charcoals for no reason. Hahahaha

[slopoke76]

Something else does come to mind about yesterday.....it was cooler than normal and rained most of the day. The PBC is covered so no direct contact with rain.

[Jerod Broussard]

Rain is a PBC killer. High humidity sucks the life out of my charcoal.

[DWCowles]

Sounds like you didn't let it burn long enough before putting the ribs on. The pit temp should have been around 275-300 F. before hanging the ribs.

[slopoke76]

275-300F with the lid off?

[Mr. Bones]

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Definitely, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder!
Uh-Oh! Definitely 137 briquettes...

[MBMorgan]

Wapner at 7 ...

[HouseHomey]

I'm an excellent driver.

[Mr. Bones]

MBMorgan HouseHomey LOL!!!
Definitely on th' same trail as me...

[slopoke76]

Hahaha...it all makes perfect sense now!!! Thanks Mr. Bones

[Mr. Bones]

Anytime, Amigo!
An', Yes. Bless th' Kids, an' their young, nimble hands!

[Nate]

I'm not sure that pouring the coals in to a middle hole as opposed to evenly distributing them over the entire charcoal basket is the best method for the PBC. Also it sounds like you didn't allow enough time for the lit coals to get going in the cooker before adding meat.

[HawkerXP]

I only use the OCD method for when long burn time is needed. As in a big slab o beef or lots of little slabs o meat. Sounds like you needed more time before meat went on.

[JeffJ]

Keep in mind, the PBC is engineered to work in a very specific way - lit coals dumped and then spread around on top of unlit coals, specifically, KBB. Any deviation from that formula has the potential for failure.

[fzxdoc]

There are lots of folks here who swear by the OCD method with their PBCs. I always thought it sounded kewl, and I plan on trying it one of these days.

For sure, slopoke76 it sounds as though you didn't let the fire burn long enough to get a good light on the coals before adding meat. I usually let the fire burn for 10 minutes with the lid off and rebars out, and then 10 min with the lid on and the rebars out before adding the rebars and then the meat. The second 10 minutes is to allow for a lot of that white smoke to clear away before putting the rebars in and the meat on. The temp of the barrel can be as much as 360-400°F by the time you add the meat. It usually drops pretty quickly (within the first 20 minutes or so) to the PBC's sweet spot of 275ish and stays there for several hours.

If your temp does not drop within the first 20-30 minutes, then check to see if the lid is on really tight, with no smoke seeping out. Even a little leak can screw up the barrel temp for a while. I religiously check the lid for leaks immediately after adding the meat for every single cook. If the lid is on nice and tight, then shorten the times you let the PBC burn with/without the lid (try 5 minutes each instead of 10 minutes) until you get a good lighting routine that works for you.

So you might want to give the OCD method another go once you refine the lighting procedure that works best for your PBC.

And keep your powder dry. Store your charcoal (all of it, opened or unopened bags) in a sealed container like a Rubbermaid bin. Charcoal loves to suck up humidity, which is why, rain or not, I pour it right before I want to light it (no doing ahead).

My PBC chugs right through the rain as long as there is a good fire lit and some sort of cover over it so the water does not pool in the lid. Huskee recommends using the cover to your kettle grill placed over the PBC cover so the water drips off.

Kathryn

[slopoke76]

Thanks for the reply Kathryn, I now see there were several factors at work. 1)Yes, it is humid here in the tropics, 2) The kids prepared the coals the evening before, 3) I didn't let the coals burn long enough, 4) I haven't taken any precautions against any open charcoal bags absorbing humidity.

[hogdog6]

I attempted Spinaker OCD method once, about 1/3 way through my A.D.D kicked in, dumped in the rest and never looked back. Just happens to be how I roll. Cook on!!!

[Jerod Broussard]

I don't do OCD for long burns, I do "B & B!! It's dynamite, B & B....watch me explooooooode"

[rototiller78]

I've done a modified version of Spinaker 's OCD method by doing three rings of charcoal in basket. Then I put about 30 or so briquettes in chimney then when they were all ashed over, I dumped them all over the basket and it worked out great. Make sure to do the 10 min of rebars out and lid off burn time then 10 min of rebars out and lid on burn time before you add meat. Kids are great, right? They think it's fun to do that stuff and it gives you more time to do whatever else you need to do.

[slopoke76]

Ya, it's great the kids like to help out, have fun and learn in the process. I like the sound of your modified OCD technique, might have to give that a try sometime too.

[PappyBBQ]

Like most here I've only employed the OCD method for L O N G cooks. Last time i went over 12 hours. And it's funny how different everyone's process is for getting the coals going. Me, I do the standard OCD double ring (or just the full basket if not trying to set a time record), drop the 30 - 40 lit coals in the middle (or sprinkled around if non-OCD) and then lift the basket into the barrel. I might leave the top off for a few minutes, but I typically slide in the rods and pop on the lid and then monitor temps until they stabilize and white smoke is done with. Sometimes I have to pop the lid once or twice, sometimes I don't. The stabilization process takes about 30 minutes. Once I'm stable I pop the lid off, drop in a chunk or two of wood, load the meat as fast as I can and get that lid right back on. Unless I'm really loading the barrel down with meat, my pit will purr along, fluctuating between 261 - 269 until the cook is over. For long OCD cooks I never peek. These barrels are as unique as we individual humans are it seems. You learn and adapt. And once you do you can truly set it and forget it. I've left mine for hours at a time unattended. This kinda fun should be illegal!