Low and Slow on the SNS

[Hollando]

Hi all,

Had my kettle for a few weeks now, so far I'm loving it. I've cooked ribeyes, burgers, sausages and veggies on it. All done with a medium to high heat.

Last night I decided to attempt a low and slow cook on a rack of ribs. They turned out okay, but not what I'd hoped. I won't get into the debate about wrapped/unwrapped, spritz or water pan, etc.

What I would like help with is figuring out where I went wrong controlling the temp. Until the last 2 hours of a 4 hour cook the temp kept pushing from the low to mid 300s where I wanted to keep at 225 - 275.

I started off with a dozen charcoal in the corner, then added in a unlit chimney and water after 10 minutes. I opened the vents to 1/4 bottom and 1/2 lid, when the tempts got to 170/180 I put them down to 1/8 and 1/4. When it started creeping to the high 200s I shut them completely.

I have some friends coming over on Sunday, and I'm doing another rib cook. Any advice would be appreciated. For full disclosure I did add hickory and filled SNS water pan.


-H

[HoosierKettle]

I recommend trying it without the sns. Bank coal, baskets on each side, snake method, then use the sns with and without water then report back.

There's a whole wide world beyond the prescribed sns.

Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[pancho2017]

I've only done a low and slow one time with the SNS doing ribs which I don't like but the wife loves them.

I followed the directions ABC gives and the kettle held 225°+/- a couple of degrees through the entire 3-2-1 cook plus a few hours after we took the ribs off.

Only difference is I used wood chips and I have the drip n griddle. Plus I used four large binder clips at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock to get the lid to bowl seal down nice and tight.

Maybe I got lucky idk but the SNS and drip n griddle never leave my kettle.

I love the drip n griddle because it catches all the crap dripping down. After several greasy burger cooks, and such, the bottom of my kettle still looks like near brand new including the ash sweeps.

I did read someplace, maybe it was here hell idk but you want to position your kettle so the lid vent is opposite the breeze or wind. Say you have a little wind coming out of the south position your kettle so the lid vent is to the north. Makes sense to me so that's what I typically do.

[kettlebb]

If I'm reading this correctly you completely closed the top and bottom vents?  If so, I'd never do that. I always keep the lid vent wide open and adjust temp with my bowl vents.  With charcoal you'll always want the exhaust open so you don't put soot and creosote on your food.

I started smoking with the SnS. I always put 5-8 lit briquettes in the corner depending on the charcoal I was using and slowly let the kettle come up to temp. With the water tray full and an additional water pan I'd always have the temps run off a little higher near the mid way point of the cook and id have to be sure to keep adding hot water to the SnS tray.

The temp never got out of control. I personally shoot for anything in the 240-270 range and I'm ok with swings in that range. The times I had it really run away is when I neglected to keep adding water to the SnS.

My opinion on the snake method is it's much more stable and doesn't require the same kind of maintenance for low and slow cooking. Like all things YMMV. Keep trying and have fun cooking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SMOKE FREAK]

I don't have a SNS. I just make a pile of unlit lump on one side, add a few lit coals to the pile, and put the meat of choice on the other side of the grill. Lid thermo goes on the side with the meat and the lid vents stay open. adjust temps with the bottom vents. Lid temp usually settles in around 260-300. On longer cooks I can easily add some more unlit lump to the coal bed as needed. Works every time.

[powermatt99]

Anytime I'm doing low and slow, kettle or WSM, I place two paraffin cubes in the basket, SNS, or at the start of the snake and light. No chimneys for L&S on a direct (not offset) set up. I don't like the minion method because more coals are lit at any one time. IMO, it is easier to use your vents to stoke a colder fire UP to temp than to use the vents to choke a hot fire DOWN to temp. While I'm not a charcoal miser, I use considerably less charcoal than when I've tried the the minion. It also helps on longer cooks to conserve fuel.

[Hollando]

I've only done a low and slow one time with the SNS doing ribs which I don't like but the wife loves them.

I followed the directions ABC gives and the kettle held 225°+/- a couple of degrees through the entire 3-2-1 cook plus a few hours after we took the ribs off.

Only difference is I used wood chips and I have the drip n griddle. Plus I used four large binder clips at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock to get the lid to bowl seal down nice and tight.

Maybe I got lucky idk but the SNS and drip n griddle never leave my kettle.

I love the drip n griddle because it catches all the crap dripping down. After several greasy burger cooks, and such, the bottom of my kettle still looks like near brand new including the ash sweeps.

I did read someplace, maybe it was here hell idk but you want to position your kettle so the lid vent is opposite the breeze or wind. Say you have a little wind coming out of the south position your kettle so the lid vent is to the north. Makes sense to me so that's what I typically do.

Thanks for the advice. How much unlit charcoal did you put in (roughly like half a chimney , full, etc.)

I'll give the binder clips a try.

No drip pan for now, just using a makeshift one. There sorta of hard to get near me.


-H

[pancho2017]

I've only done a low and slow one time with the SNS doing ribs which I don't like but the wife loves them.

I followed the directions ABC gives and the kettle held 225°+/- a couple of degrees through the entire 3-2-1 cook plus a few hours after we took the ribs off.

Only difference is I used wood chips and I have the drip n griddle. Plus I used four large binder clips at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock to get the lid to bowl seal down nice and tight.

Maybe I got lucky idk but the SNS and drip n griddle never leave my kettle.

I love the drip n griddle because it catches all the crap dripping down. After several greasy burger cooks, and such, the bottom of my kettle still looks like near brand new including the ash sweeps.

I did read someplace, maybe it was here hell idk but you want to position your kettle so the lid vent is opposite the breeze or wind. Say you have a little wind coming out of the south position your kettle so the lid vent is to the north. Makes sense to me so that's what I typically do.

Thanks for the advice. How much unlit charcoal did you put in (roughly like half a chimney , full, etc.)

I'll give the binder clips a try.

No drip pan for now, just using a makeshift one. There sorta of hard to get near me.


-H

I filled the SNS up level to the top with unlit briquettes after the 12 lit briquettes in the corner of the SNS were ashed over.

[techdavis]

I had this same issue the first time I did ribs on the SnS. I just got binder clips and a better thermometer, and last weekend did a 6 hour cook at 225-250, easy to do, with the SnS. Once the temp got to about 190, I closed the bottom almost all the way (just open a crack), and to top to half (I know, I should leave it wide open, but that's what worked for me). Got great control and an amazing cook.

I do agree that the snake method is easier for true low and slow - I was able to do a 6 hour 225 degree cook that way before I got the SnS, but I hate chasing the fire with the food. Way too much work - I like cooking, not rearranging.

[Hollando]

I had this same issue the first time I did ribs on the SnS. I just got binder clips and a better thermometer, and last weekend did a 6 hour cook at 225-250, easy to do, with the SnS. Once the temp got to about 190, I closed the bottom almost all the way (just open a crack), and to top to half (I know, I should leave it wide open, but that's what worked for me). Got great control and an amazing cook.

I do agree that the snake method is easier for true low and slow - I was able to do a 6 hour 225 degree cook that way before I got the SnS, but I hate chasing the fire with the food. Way too much work - I like cooking, not rearranging.

Thanks so much. Glad to see I'm not the only one.



-H

[Hollando]

I took the advice with the binder clips, and not jacking up the temp. Instead I shut vents lid and bowl around 190 - 200. Not completely just a crack on the bowl and less than 1/4 on the lid.

It ended up at 225 to 250. Currently in hour three will post later on how things turned out.


-H

[crizpynutz]

Glad to see things seem to be leveling out for you, how did it finish up?