Best long cook coal technique?

[PaulJ]

Wow, Wartface---An 18-hour cook is awesome! I'm trying to get my technique in gear on a Saffire smoker-grill that I bought recently. How high above the air holes did you pile the lump charcoal? I'm still trying to get a good sense of how much fuel is needed per hour of low-and-slow cooking. Can you advise me?

[Spinaker]

I like that Eugene, cool and effective idea man!

[eugenek]

Here are a couple pics using plain clay bricks.

[Ernest]

do you want the wood to smolder? Doesn't that give you that dirty smoke flavor?

[Guy]

Eugene can you splain the bricks to me?

[Guy]

Great description Mr. White. And great technique.

[Breadhead]

Good cook Craigen... It looks perfect.

I do all of my smoking in a Big Green Egg. I've done 18 hour low and slow cooks and didn't add any lump coal and had about 20% of the coal that was unused. I like to see how you guys do it though.

[OGMrWhite]

I keep the top vent half open per MH advice on the main site, however I will close it down when the wood starts smoking so the smoke stays inside longer.

[eugenek]

The fuse/snake method is very consistent in the kettle. I like to use a few bricks inside to shield the meat and minimize the direct heat even further.

[Craigen Perrie]

Did the fuse. Built it 2 wide, 2 high with an extra 1 on top. Burned so well I was shocked... Kept almost exactly at 225°F over 6 hours, then it started to climb up into the 250°F region for the last couple of hours. Managed to keep it steady at around 240°F by adjusting my intake and exhaust. Had my shoulder on for 7h30m and still have enough coal to go for another hour or two I reckon. Great technique.

Will never do a low an' slow cook without it again.



You can see that when I pulled it off the fuse still had a bit of life in it.

[Craigen Perrie]

There are! No idea why you would use them though, only if you were desperate. Kind of like with Coca Cola I guess...

[Papa Bob]

there's other websites?

[_John_]

I use the fuse like OGM says, but I have taken to putting the wood on the grate just above the start of the fuse. To me it just seems like it will smolder a lot longer without charring.

[fuzzydaddy]

I have only 1 cook under my belt on my 26" Weber, but I started with the top vent fully open, and only adjusted it if I couldn't control the temp with the bottom vent. Others with more experience will surely chime in.

[Craigen Perrie]

Oh man. That was the perfect response. I am going to do exactly that! Do you keep your top vent completely open and then control with the bottom vent or the other way around (have seen conflicting information on different websites, I would think having the top vent open is the best way).