Adding Coals

[smokenator]

I love the Smokenator and have been turning out some amazing "Q" with it.

Question... How many coals do you add while smoking? I generally add 4-6 briquettes and 2 small wood chunks every hour and add water to the pan. I wonder if I am adding to much. I do the usual start up with 48 unlit, add 12 lit when they are white and ashed over.

What I am noticing is I am not really "holding" a steady temp. The temp rises as the water pan runs out, then back down again when I add water and coal. Seems to be an up down, up down game. I have seen some post where people are not adding unlit coals till after 2/4 hours so I think I am going about this the wrong way. My temps are not high but I still use the binder clips as it seems to be easier to maintain temps, even if they are not holding per se.

I set my range from 225-240 and I just go with it. The results have been amazing and get better every time. I am just concerned now I am feeding the beast to much coal.

What do you think?

Thanks!

[smokenator]

Also... When you add the first 12 lit coals. Do you stir them in with the unlit or just keep them in the center where the water pan goes?

Thanks Again!

[ecripps]

Just through the coals in the middle and move them around so the water pan can fit in. I add coals around the 4 hour mark. I don't use the binder clips unless I can't keep the temp below 250. When you run out of water, the temps will go up. Make sure to knock the ash off of the coals and sweep the ash out from under the Smokenator every hour as well.

Ed

[smokenator]

Thanks Ed! I have no problem with high temps but the do see a lot of smoke coming from under the lid. I can reduce that with the binder clips. With that said should I still not use them?

Thanks,
Jason

[sheepdad]

Sept 29, 2012 12:39:32 GMT -5 ecripps said:

Make sure to knock the ash off of the coals and sweep the ash out from under the Smokenator every hour as well.

Ed

Very important especially on long cooks...learned the hard way and kept choking my coals. However long your cooking make sure you do this.

[hotblackdesiato]

I've given up on the water pan that fits in the smokenator, lifting the lid every 45mins to an hour was tying me to the grill more than i wanted and leading to more temperature variation than i was happy with. Instead i use a 9by5 loaf tin that i place on the grate above the hole where the old pan used to sit.

I start with 80 to 100 unlit coals, which'll see me out to around 6-9h. I drop the 12 it coals into the middle with no stirring. The 9by5 tin i find needs refilling at ~3h at which time i give the coals a stir. At 6h add more water and give the coals another stir, at this point, if i'm going for a cook of >9h i'll add 12 or so coals.

[smokenator]

I am smoking a butt now and can tell you I have been putting in way to much coal. I am at the 3 and a half hour mark and just now stating to drop from the original 48 unlit and have been holding solid at the 230 mark. I added 12 unlit (6 on each side). See how this goes. The only reason I didn't make it to the 4 hour mark is because I start out a bit hot.

hotblackdesiato I may try that route. Seems like a more hands off approach and getting the most out of your coals.

[smibri]

Hi all - I'm a brand new smokenator user, and have been wondering how to add coals as the cook goes on. At what point should I add coals, lit or unlit, through which opening?

TIA
smibri

[BB-Kuhn]

The lit coals will shrink and recess in there, just put them in wherever there is space. Make sure your new unlit ones are in a place to come in contact with the lit ones, or else they may never get going. I have only added lit coals when cooking in cold windy temps, burning through fuel at 2x just to keep temp up. Normal conditions don't need lit add-ins.

[smibri]

Thanks BB-Kuhn. That really helps a new guy. And thanks for the tip on cold and windy temps, which is the case right now here in Ontario!

[BB-Kuhn]

You are quite welcome.

I fired mine up yesterday to cook a couple of slabs of bb ribs - i am still figuring out what my favorite method with the smokenator is...

I have come to the conclusion that I find it hard to come up to a reasonable temp (anything above 220 is tough) for the first hour or two with the water pan, so I let it evaporate and just rocked it dry.

It worked much better - I like to cook ribs around 250-275, so it was just a matter of catching the rising temp with the vents and nearly smothering the fire around 265, letting barely any air in the bottom with the top vent mostly open. Worked like a charm.

Water or not, the ribs were juicy, tender and ribbon-worthy, if I do say so myself as a KCBS judge!

[smibri]

Are you referring to "dome" temperatures or temps at the grill level. I just bought a Maverick dual probe and it measures grill temp, as I'm sure you know. Dying to try some ribs myself, but I think I'll wait until the weather warms up a little!

[BB-Kuhn]

I don't bother with the thermo in the lid. I've seen as much as 60 degrees of variance from the charcoal lower grate, the main grill and the higher part of the dome. It also makes the hovergrill a bit tricky, as it cooks faster up there by 20 percent or so.

I've moved to putting a probe on the cooking grate right next to the food. I make a loose foil ball and skewer it with a probe thermometer and monitor the cook that way. Works out just fine!

[pontush]

Hello
I have the same experience. When cooking during the winter time ( below freezing) I needed to add lit coals. Im looking forward to trying the smokenator now when its getting warmer.

Best regards
/ Pontus

[smibri]

Question regarding use of a Maverick ET 732 probe on the cooking grate.

Do folks run the wire under the lid (which i know is not recommended in the user guide), or does it have to be inserted thru the vent in the lid, which is a complete pain in the butt? I wouldn't want to damage the wire, but I do wonder what other people's experience has been.

TIA
Brian