I learned something tonight.

[RonB]

As most of you know, I have a Weber kettle that I do all my grilling and smoking on. I use both the regular and the small chimneys depending on what I need. And at the end of a cook, I shut the vents to save charcoal. I then reuse the partially spent charcoal for shorter cooks.

Tonight, with the wife out of town, I took a single 5 oz beef patty that contained chuck and Wagyu, (the package didn't say how much Waygu), out of the freezer for dinner. I put a layer of fresh KBB in the bottom of the small chimney and filled it with the leftover charcoal from the SnS. There were a lot of small pieces in the leftover charcoal, so the chimney was packed. My kettle has the gas assist lighter and I always use it to light the KBB. It normally takes 10 to 15 min to get the charcoal hot. Well after an hour, the top layer of charcoal was still not ashed over. Using a Thermopen to check the temp showed the surface temp to be ~ 400* F. That's not searing hot, but I cooked the burger anyway - flipping every minute until it was 140*. That's when I made the burger and ate it. BTW - I put a fresh picked, very thick slice of tomato on the burger and it was super.

So what did I learn? It seems to me that the small leftover coals were close enough together to prevent good airflow and prevent the temp getting high enough. To check this, I dug the BBQ Dragon out of storage and held it under the chimney and flames shot out of the chimney, but they died down as soon as I removed it. That's when I put the burger on.

The next time I use the small chimney, I will fill it with fresh KBB to see how long it takes to get ready, and I will check the temp for comparison.

[Xandera_7]

Makes sense... Less airflow=less heat/fire

[Mudbeaver]

Had that happen yesterday, last of the bag of royal oak in the chimney, last chimney for the ribs, thought man all those Lil pieces on top ought to light right up, instead had a vortex in the middle, they acted like a lid on the chimney

[FireMan]

When we have nothing to do, the interesting things we can get ourselves into. Keep it up Doc Little Pieces.

[JimLinebarger]

That is the same conclusion I came to with the older version of the SNS. I now use fresh KBB so that it will fill the bottom of the SNS and then I put the used coals on top. This may be why they came up with the new hole pattern on the new SNS's. Many of them are 2X the original sized holes. I like that idea but just can't pull the trigger to spend another $130 and then have the first SNS just collect dust.

[Huskee]

Yeah I'm sticking with my original in the 22 and the XL in the 26. Wife won't let me get a third large kettle. I do have a drill though......

[JimLinebarger]

Lol

[Dadof3Illinois]

That’s why I plan on cutting some of the grid out of my XL, it doesn’t allow the ash to drop out and restricts the air flow.

[Mr. Bones]

I have had similar results lightin chimleys of saved charcoal. I started usin all fresh, works better.
Now, I just put em (saved briqs) in a small, lidded galvie can.
They end up in th coalbeds of my stickburners, an give up their final BTU's there.
I do so hate to waste anything.
My ancestors would be rollin in their graves...

[Huskee]

I only ever light used coals if they're in the kettle, from when I shut the vents from last cook. I just put a lighter cube down and pile those coals loosely on top of the cube. Works pretty well, but they still never light the same as fresh because they're partially spent. Sometimes I'll light fresh and add them on top of the spent ones.

[realdocBBQ]

I may be misremembering, but it seems somewhere on the free side Meathead had an article talking about charcoal briquettes and how they were specifically designed for size and shape to maximize the interplay between surface area and airflow/spacing between briquettes. I've gotten away from using lump, which I used to use, in part because of this reason and in part due to the risk of some treated lumber making it into the mix - I remember seeing a few pieces of lump in my bags that were suspicious in their appearance.

[Mudkat]

Not to mention shreds of blue tarp I would find every so often in lump charcoal.

[FireMan]

Science Project: about 2/3 with new briquettes & the rest with used. 2 sheets do newspaper, ash be damned, 1 match (I am to cheap to buy one of those lighters) & let her rip! I was cookin Australian Shrimp & a piece of salmon. The timing speaks for itself. The shrimp was outstanding. The coals did their job. Meal was a success.

[Mudkat]

Forget the project. Just give me some of that food!

[FireMan]

Sorry the pics are a little out of sort.

[Mr. Bones]

Lol FireMan Great cook, ya tightwad!
Oh, wait!
What do I see, in yon motor garage?


At least, it appears ya don't save th unburnt part of yer wood matches, to throw in yer firepit, like some folks I could name...
(I told yall bout my ancestors; why, they'd come up outta th ground, kick my arse, if I was to waste summat!)
Also, please note th homemade lump, as well.
Yeah, this is a outdoor-cookin kinda home!

[Mudkat]

I spread a lot of used charcoal at the bottom of my fire. It evens out the heat when I cook over it.

Now speaking of matches, remember how great they were back in the day? With one match you could start a nice fire, light a cigar, and clear the odor in the powder room. Now they are so cheap they won't always light when using the crappy striker strip on the box they came in. And they burn right out. That's right. I complaining about matches. 😃

[Mudkat]

HawkerXP had some great old matches at the Va/Md meatup. They had the BIG phosphorus chlorate and sulfur tips on them just like their used too. Ahh the good old days....

[Mr. Bones]

Tell me true, yall Mudkat HawkerXP ...
When ya were boychilds, didn't ya ever try to flick em with a nail, light em on yer zipper, etc, like our Cowboy, an other movie heroes?
Ever git one o them

BIG phosphorus chlorate and sulfur tips

that stuck up under yer thumbnail?!?!?!?!
Yep, me neither...
Dang Dang, that freakin HURT!!!!!!

[Mudkat]

No way I'd ever do that Mr. Bones . Nor would I ever light them the off the jeans pant legs of whoever was near me. 😏

[Mr. Bones]

Waitin fer th Bus...


Lid removed fer Demonstration Purposes, normally on can.

[HawkerXP]

Mr. Bones I swear I had some of those "strike anywhere " matches. Couldn’t find them. Did find some leftovers from a Camporee where we did a fire starting competition. Here are some of the leftovers.

[Mr. Bones]

HawkerXP

Not something I leave in my pack unattended.

I absolutely agree, wholeheartedly, Brother!!!!
Ours, out of situational necessity, was carried fer Survival purposes, an we electrical taped th everlovin canine feces outta them, to prevent "ackies"

[Mudkat]

Yes, yes. These were the matches you had at the meatup. Tips on matches these days are 1/2 the size and blow out easily. Sorry, I'm still complaining about matches. 😁

[Buck Flicks]

I was always partial to cotton balls rubbed with vaseline. You can pack dozens of them in an old 35mm film canister.

[Buck Flicks]

I save mine for use in a full-kettle coal grate. I don't use it in a SnS application. Light a full chimney of coals, drop 'em on the grate, then drop the partially used coals over the new lit coals. Extends the life and heat of the fire for "lots of burgers and brats," without choking off the airflow of the SnS when a more controlled fire is needed. I'm gonna get a couple of those metal garbage cans... one for new coals, and one for snuffed coals. Good idea.