Where to start a fire

[Sweaty Paul]

While I have done a bunch of reverse sears with my new Primo XL I have only done two longer cooks. With my first few reverse sear cooks (using a 2 zone technique)k I started the coals near the air intake and I did that with my first long cook. My rationale was that as the fire burned down the charcoal air would flow into the cook chamber keeping good air flow. Then I watched a few videos and folks were starting their fires in the middle of the fireboxes. I have done that for subsequent reverse sear cooks and found that it is helpful for having a larger cook area of hot coals. However, I recently did a longer cook for 2 racks of ribs starting the fire in the middle. I seemed to have a harder time keeping the temp at 250 and found myself do more frequent vent adjustments to keep the temps more stable.

Wondering what others do. Thanking you all in advance.

[Thunder77]

If I am doing a slow cook in my XL, I break one firestarter in half and place each piece halfway from the midline to the edge of the firebox. This seems to be my perfect method for low and slow.

[Sweaty Paul]

Will put that idea in my tool box.

[JCBBQ]

I’ve had no trouble holding temps in my XL w middle starts but I like to get things going faster w about a half a chimney of the little pebble size leftover charcoal from previous cooks. Not just a cube of fire starter. Once you get the hang of it you won’t over shoot. I’ll get the whole thing heat soaked in about 45 mins. Thinking about this, I might start just to the right of center. The left side bc of the vent seems to burn faster than the right.