Charcoal basket going out

[texugo]

I have a 22.5 inch Weber kettle (which has been awesome) with the one-touch system. It's a newer one with P shaped bottom vents

I keep running into a bit of an issue when smoking low and slow. I am using two Weber charcoal baskets loaded with unlit charcoal and smoking wood. I put one on either side of the BBQ, and a drip tray with some water in the middle.

I start a small amount of charcoal in a chimney, and place it on top of each charcoal basket, and both baskets proceed to light, temperature stabilizes, meat goes on,so far so good...

About 2 hours into the smoke I find the one basket has gone out with lots of unburnt charcoal, and the other is nearly or entirely used up. I will then have to light more charcoal in the chimney and work frantically to get snuffed out basket going again without getting ash everywhere or letting things cool down too much.

Each basket has about the same amount of charcoal and wood in it to start, and gets about the same amount of lit charcoal. I position them so each has an open vent under it, and the third is in between them.

What am I doing wrong?

[Mr.CPHo]

Hello and welcome.  My advice is to ditch the dual basket setup for cooking low and slow and go with one zone either banking your coals to one side or playing with a snake. 

Or tweak your process to start with just a few lit coals in the corner of your basket first, and then fill the rest of the basket with unlit. 

Good luck and have fun

[bamakettles]

Slow N Sear.... check them out.  Banking can damage your porcelain.  https://snsgrills.com/products/original-kettle-grill?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvYSEBhDjARIsAJMn0lhc9cDZwwr0fUyGrq0sEQRvRp3oFvpA0aFXCstQqQRhyxCu_grvwjUaAuOsEALw_wcB


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[michaelmilitello]

A snake for low and slow is super reliable.   No cost if cost is a concern. 


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[Thundermtn]

Oxygen is your problem, even though you're splitting the bottom vents, the top vent still matters. One will draw through faster under the top vent and the other side starves.

Snakes work better for smoking than baskets, experiment some more.

[Kneab]

First of all what are you smoking?
Ribs, pork shoulder, brisket or something else.
Snake would be good for all of the above. Temp is controlled by bottom vent while keeping top vent wide open.

I have attached a couple of snake pictures in case you are wondering what others are talking about.
Normally I set my snakes so even if the vents below coals become blocked with ash the one beneath the meat will not get blocked.
These pictures are of a 26 but the same applies to a 22.
Take your time laying out briquettes and sprinkle broken up lump charcoal across the top to help connect them. It is a little insurance to keep the snake going. Place your wood chunks on the top.

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[Kneab]

And welcome to the Wkc

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[HoosierKettle]

The only thing I have to add is I agree with all the comments


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[22ket~tle]

agree too - thats why my baskets are now one - aka. bro and sear ( i do have two others that i use one at a time for shorter cooks )


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[texugo]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I've tried to keep the top vent evenly spaced between the two sides as well, without improvement. I've been smoking with the both the top and bottom vents partially closed, so I'll give it a shot with the top vent totally open.

Mostly I smoke ribs and pulled pork, but also smoke whole chickens and turkey on a rotisserie, and make al pastor. The slow and sear would work for the ribs and pork shoulder, but probably not for the rotisserie as it would expose the bird/meat to direct heat.

I'll also give the snake method a try next time and see how it goes.

[Stoneage]

Heat rises, so maybe you could light the baskets from below, instead of on top. I don't use baskets to smoke, but to separate the snake as a kind of guide instead & then snake round them.
Doing it this way with the vents (top & bottom) at about 50% open seems to work for me.
I have a Cajun Bandit stacker/smoker unit so I use the fire ring round the outside as well but its not essential.