Temp increases getting in to the wider part of a SNS

[big_mack]

This is why I prefer the snake method. It's much more consistent than the SnS. It also burns longer.

was thinking that myself. consistent fuel. but makes my expensive SNS somewhat obsolete.

[rickgregory]

are you seeing any smoke from around the lid where it sits on the body of the grill?

I've gotten mine to do mid-200s before so I know it can be done.

[Attjack]

It's still a great charcoal basket.

[big_mack]

rickgregory not really. I added a gasket seal to the lid.

[rickgregory]

So, I had a small chuck roast that I picked up to smoke and make pulled taco beef out of. Right now the kettle is cruising along at 265. Here's what I did differently:

1) Started with eight B&B briquettes in one corner of the SNS.
2) When those were gray, added MAYBE 15 more, spread out in the SNS with only a couple touching the lit coals.
3) The bottom vents were closed down to about 1/8th open. Top at 1/2.

The temps started out at 200F and slowly have climbed over the first 2 hours or so. As I type this, it's at 267. It's been bumping around there. If it does climb close to 300 that's OK - what concerned me last week was that the temps here climbing rapidly, like 10F in a couple of minutes and shot past 300F.

I do think the extreme efficiency of the kettle+SNS is a blessing and a curse. Blessing since I can get a few hours out of relatively few coals. Curse in that if I do want to go really low for some reason, it's a bit harder - I'd probably want no more than 8-12 coals when doing something like bacon or fish.

[jfmorris]

Sorry guys, maybe its just me, but I don't see any huge fluctuation or increase in temperature when using the SNS. And I've used it a lot, on both my Performer and the SNS Kamado. Once I get the vents locked down where I want them, even without a temperature controller, things are pretty stable after the first hour or two. And I did plenty of snake setups before I got the SNS in 2017, and I much prefer using the SNS.

[jfmorris]

I also get 10-12 hours or more on a load of B&B lump or briquettes in the SNS. In a 2x2 snake running most of the way around the kettle, I never got that long without adding to the snake.

[Attjack]

I'll have to see next time I use my SnS (for the 26 I don't have one for my 22). It's been a while but I definitely recall having to refuel, add more water, and adjust vents. What I should really do, now that I modded the 26 to take a fan, is use that with the SnS. Then I would presumably not have to adjust vents.

[jfmorris]

Attjack with the Performer using the PartyQ and the SNS, I leave the fan off, all vents open until I get up to about 200 degrees. THEN I turn on the fan and close the bottom vent, and set the top vent to about 1/3 open, give or take. I only use the fan for cooks in the 225 to 300 range. The PartyQ is powered by 4 AA batteries is the main reason I don't turn it on earlier. I don't need to waste battery running the fan full out to try and get things from 100 to 225 degrees.

[rickgregory]

On mine I think it's a combo of needing some gasket (checks Amazon delivery status...) and how many coals are lighting early on. This cook is humming along around 260F just fine, like previous cooks.

I do think the number of coals being lit early on is a factor - not just the number you start with but how many unlit coals are touching them and thus light early in the cook. If you start with 8 coals and then have a lot next to them so they're lighting all at once you go from 8 lit coals to double that or whatever. Also, I cranked the vents way down to compensate for the leak and that helped a lot (checks Amazon again)

[rickgregory]

It just takes VERY few briquettes for this to sit at 250. I have a few almost burned out ones and 4-5 new and it's humming along at 250F:

[rickgregory]

Ha. I tossed on a few small bits of wood since the last chunk had burned down. It's at 278 now. Efficiency is NOT the problem here

[big_mack]

It just takes VERY few briquettes for this to sit at 250. I have a few almost burned out ones and 4-5 new and it's humming along at 250F:

I'm going to use the water sink and less fuel next time. That will hopefully provide a flatter temp curve. Problem is I will be out of town for a while so can't try this new approach for a while. But once back I'll be cooking a couple of racks right away.

[jfmorris]

If you are not adding water to the Slow N Sear for low and slow cooks (225 to 275), I will bet that is why you are seeing that much temperature fluctuation. I fill mine with a quart of hot water when I fill the rest of the SNS with fuel, and things stay stable. I don't bother adding more after it runs out after 4-5 hours though, and it doesn't ever seem to be an issue for me.