So I tried low and slow using the snake method today. I set a snake four coals thick just over a third of the way round the coal grate, with a tray of hot water in the centre. I started it off with about 16/17 hot coals from the chimney, left it an hour or so till it reached just over 135C, then put my pork shoulder in.
The snake burned fine, but not as hot as I was expecting, pretty much 117 for the rest of the cook, which lasted about 5 hours (I ran out of time, the snake could've gone on another hour or so, I think). The internal temperature got to 67 by then, and I had to cut things off there. It was done nicely, but I was hoping to get it up to 88ish to finish.
So my questions are:
How do I get the snake hotter? Larger starting fire? thicker snake?
How do I control the temperature with the vents? Since it was cooler than I was expecting, I left the vents completely open pretty much all the time, following the fire with the top vent. I'm primed to expect that the more you close either vent, the cooler it gets, is that still the case with snakes?
What's the clearance on a 22" kettle charcoal grill? I'm practising snake as I'm hoping to do the Xmas turkey in the grill, so how big a bird am I limited to?
As a first go, not too bad, I thought, but could definitely do better!