Given the volume of the ranch, would it help to split the snake up and run 1/2 on opposite sides ?
I had the same thought and was going to try that next, but after starting it with 30 lit briquettes it hit 225f in 20mins..... I did have to adjust the vents for the next 2hrs to keep it between 225-250f but once the 30lit ones burnt out and the snake was lit it settled and didn't require much vent control for the rest of the trial which was 10hrs. I estimate you could get a 40hr cook if you had the snake running around the entire charcoal grate.
Golly and I have been thinking about how we could turn it into ranch WSM similar to
@Prof. . Only problem was it was cost a fortune to get a middle section built. So I decided to put our roti ring on to see how the temps went. Well.... It handled beautifully, I had to close the top vent to 1/4 open to control the temp but once I found that sweet spot it sat at 235f for the next 3hrs
So I'm getting some brackets welded to the inside the ring to support a second grate. It'll only have 6 inches clearance between the racks but that should be enough for most cuts we'll be cooking and the larger cuts can go on the top shelf where the lid gives it more clearance
We have to cook for 50 people next weekend and have 120 guests at a wedding to cook for the following month so it'll be getting a proper trial very soon
After seeing that vents are all but closed with no meat I'm pretty confident it will hold temp even once the C.M.F. Kicks in