Smoke VS Soot?

[DanielCChamberlain]

So, in my old upright Weber smoker, I used to start with well started and whitish coals in a chimney lighter. But using the snake method in the new kettle seems to suggest that there would be a lot of soot produced as the unstarted coals first begin to burn... One doesn't place meat on a grill and then start the coals...

How does the snake method reconcile this?

Thanks for your replies.

Dan

[michaelmilitello]

Great question.  I can understand the concern.  My experience with cooking with the snake method is there's no off putting flavor or soot developed by unlit coal igniting.   The same is true for minion method.  My guess it has something to do with temperature of the ignition being far  lower than lighting a chimney with a 1500 degree cube or torch.   Anyway, snakes work well.   




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[HoosierKettle]

My best guess is a chimney is lighting lots of coal at once producing lots of white smoke. A snake method lights coals slowly enough that produces very little ignition smoke. Whatever the reason, it works well without any ill results that I have found.


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[JEBIV]

I agree with both statements above, it just works

[hawgheaven]

I agree with both statements above, it just works

Ditto. I've used it for years...

[DaveG74]

I agree with both statements above, it just works

Ditto. I've used it for years...

I ditto the ditto! 

[jhagestad]

Totally agree with HoosierKettle and others here.  The snake and minion methods will certainly create ash and soot over the course of a cook, but what effects they might have would be dampened because of how long it takes to generate that ash/soot... like having a slight drizzle on and off over the course of 3-4 hours compared to a total downpour for 15 minutes.  I've never had an issue with ash or soot adversely affecting my food using the snake or minion method.

[SMOKE FREAK]

It also helps to use quality charcoal...

[DanielCChamberlain]

Appreciate your replies..

[1buckie]

What I thought about in arriving at something close  to what people now call "snake" or charcoal chain cooking is that as the initial starting coals are set in, they not only start the chain, but also preheat the next bit of charcoal......
All along the chain, this preheating continues....

If you watch someone whose adept at operating an offset cooker, large or small, they'll preheat wood splits on top of the firebox...
The reason for this is so the fuel is much closer to the heat of the ignition point so it produces a lot less smoke burning up to a "clean" fire/burn state
While charcoal isn't exactly the same, it's close enough to be workable in these setups....
Decently seasoned wood, set along the chain, or "in" the chain will preheat & burn clean also.....

If you watch
If you watch someone

[1buckie]

Disregard the last 2 lines....fat fingers on a fone.....

[DanielCChamberlain]

Okay, so tried it today. Set the chain 50% across the back of the kettle (26"). Finished a load of country ribs and a chicken leg quarter as an experiment. The grill stayed at 240 to 250 (the Kettle thermometer) for the 4 hours I did the cook and there's about 50% of the snake remaining. No soot on the meat! So, as an experiment, I'm thinking that an 8 hour cook will be possible with a 50% chain in summer weather.

I wrapped the meats in foil after 2 hours of smoke. The pork came out nice and smoky and the ckicken had that redish huge we expect to see. After 4 hours the chicken was done and the pork was at an internal of 175.

For the first cook, I'm chalking it up as a good test.