From http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_gu...coal_fire.html
A lot of questions about this.
How the heck do you get the lit coals out of the grill so as to add the unlit coals!
It doesn't say. The Minion Method is mentioned, but that uses a heck of a lot of charcoal.
You bury wood in the pile? I thought smoking was supposed to go for only the first hour or so of cooking. If you do more after this, your food will be over-smoked.
How do you get around this problem? Last week when I made my rubbery chicken, I had to add more coals. I had to place them on top of the burning coals as I saw no way of doing it otherwise. Sure enough, they put off that white smoke for about 30 minutes until they all caught. What am I supposed to do with my food during this time? Can't put it on the grill, it will taste bad due to the white smoke. Can't take it off the grill, the temperature will fall and it will stop cooking. What to do?
I thought of lighting coals in my chimney, but that doesn't really work for some reason. I have tried again and again and the newspaper balls just burn up and don't light the coals. It works sometimes, but it's unpredictable, which means I can't use it. I had to switch to those sawdust cubes to light my fire, and they work fine.
For long cooks
Part of the problem with charcoal is that it starts cold, heats up rapidly, hits a peak, and then slowly cools as the fuel is consumed.
But it is important to keep the temp of your grill or smoker constant. There are several clever solutions. The core concept of them all is that you put lit coals on top of unlit coals, or visa versa, or side by side, and the ignition of the new coals synchronizes with the death of old coals.
They work well with one noteworthy problem. Freshly lit coals put out a lot of smoke, and it is thick white smoke, not the thin blue smoke that makes the best flavor.
Part of the problem with charcoal is that it starts cold, heats up rapidly, hits a peak, and then slowly cools as the fuel is consumed.
But it is important to keep the temp of your grill or smoker constant. There are several clever solutions. The core concept of them all is that you put lit coals on top of unlit coals, or visa versa, or side by side, and the ignition of the new coals synchronizes with the death of old coals.
They work well with one noteworthy problem. Freshly lit coals put out a lot of smoke, and it is thick white smoke, not the thin blue smoke that makes the best flavor.
you put lit coals on top of unlit coals

you start by pouring a Weber chimney full of unlit coals (80 briquets) into the grill or smoker and bury about three chunks of wood in the pile. Then put 1/2 a Weber chimney (40 briquets) of hot coals on top of cold coals, and a lump of wood on top.
Freshly lit coals put out a lot of smoke, and it is thick white smoke, not the thin blue smoke that makes the best flavor.
I thought of lighting coals in my chimney, but that doesn't really work for some reason. I have tried again and again and the newspaper balls just burn up and don't light the coals. It works sometimes, but it's unpredictable, which means I can't use it. I had to switch to those sawdust cubes to light my fire, and they work fine.
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