How bad a set up is this

[DTrainMike]

So I was a little impatient and wanted to try the snake method on a small roast. The I was immediately worried about temp. I grabbed what had. The Pyrex thermometer and just stuck it on the vent hole. It's like 2.5 or 3". How far off do you think the temps are off?

I've seen that a tru tel bq100 is the proper gear. Is that right?




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[pbe gummi bear]

You should be fine with that setup. It's more important that your reading is consistent so you know what adjustments to make. I've found that closing the top vent a bit while running the snake really helps to keep the temp in the smoking range.

[MacEggs]

You're fine .. Just let it ride.  The IT (Internal Temperature) should be the main thing you should keep an eye on.

[1buckie]

That's pretty much American, right there.....fix the things that break & keep cookin' !!!!

By like 2.5 or 3", do you mean hanging above the cooking grate?

If it's near the meat & stays stable for lengths of time, it will give you some idea of where you're at.....to be accurate, I try to get a reading right at "Meat Level" (<<< Technical Term)

What are you cooking & what is is reading, generally?

[addicted-to-smoke]

Hi Mike,

I'm not familiar with that thermo so I don't know if it's reading 210 or 276 in your picture here. Both are "OK" insofar as not knowing the time things were running ...

There are two "gotchas" here, however:
1) Temperature at the lid isn't often the temperature at the cooking grate (which is what you care about when setting an "oven temp" right?). 1buckie and I like the simplicity of a cheap oven thermometer sitting on the cooking grate, for the occasional peek.

2) Lid and grate temperatures won't tell you about meat temp.

But I don't want you to freak out here. As pbe gummi bear says, you're looking for temperature "trends" during a low-and-slow cook. Experience and practice will show the way.

The Tel-Tru BQ100 is indeed the best replacement 1 3/4" dial that can fit into a standard Weber bezel for lid installation. I like lid thermometers because they tell me at a glance "way too hot" or "dead charcoal." But not a whole lot else.

[DTrainMike]

Hi Mike,

I'm not familiar with that thermo so I don't know if it's reading 210 or 276 in your picture here. Both are "OK" insofar as not knowing the time things were running ...

There are two "gotchas" here, however:
1) Temperature at the lid isn't often the temperature at the cooking grate (which is what you care about when setting an "oven temp" right?). 1buckie and I like the simplicity of a cheap oven thermometer sitting on the cooking grate, for the occasional peek.

2) Lid and grate temperatures won't tell you about meat temp.

But I don't want you to freak out here. As pbe gummi bear says, you're looking for temperature "trends" during a low-and-slow cook. Experience and practice will show the way.

The Tel-Tru BQ100 is indeed the best replacement 1 3/4" dial that can fit into a standard Weber bezel for lid installation. I like lid thermometers because they tell me at a glance "way too hot" or "dead charcoal." But not a whole lot else.

Details.
•68f outside
•270degree snake of lump charcoal
•Some hickory chunks placed around the snake
•3lb beef bottom round roast
•bottom vents all open
•top vent mostly 1/2 open
•3 hr cook and used about 7/10ths of fuel

It went well. I had it going for about 3 hours running between 250-275 (a range I saw in a post). With some every 15 minute baby sitting. Adjusting the top vent when necessary.  My meat was a little dry, but very tasty. I took its temp at about 2 hours in and it was about 170. I let it go because I thought I'd get better smoke flavor. Guessing the last hour I should have brought the temps closer to 220.

So look for temp trends and check the meat itself. Gotcha. I think I'll grab an oven thermometer too, like you mentioned.

Like to hear thoughts on how to balance smoke and not dry out my meat.







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[1buckie]

Mike, it will depend somewhat on the particular cut of meat......everything you listed there seems right in line, maybe just try loading the wood closer to the first part of the chain if heavier smoke is desired.....

I'll do that often.....hammer the smoke early, then just cook thru to wherever it's supposed to be for "done", for the particular cut......like so:



A possible help might be to leave the top vent all open & control temp with the input......that way, the smoke / burn doesn't 'stall' in the cook chamber & give you less than desirable flavors......something I've found by watching what the big dawgs say about their offsets, trailer sized cookers & such......freely exhausting creates good draft & the burn is more likely to be clean that way......it may burn the fuel (wood & charcoal) a smidge faster, but I'll take clean burn any day.....

The roast looks pretty good, just getting the hang of when to end the cook maybe will help keep the juice factor good.....just a hair over, but not bad !!!!

Bottom round, tri-tip, London broil (Hyena brisket, I call it, my nemesis) clod & even brisket,
I'll inject.....with various things, depending on where it seems, that day, I'd like it to go......

Tr-tip, for instance......



(in the back)








All to well done & not dry.....

[addicted-to-smoke]

I agree, smoke flavor comes early in the cook. If I'm not doing a snake I'll get coals going, then add smoke wood and wait for white smoke to disappear into thin blue smoke. Meat on! But if it's a snake, where you're doing low-and-slow, smoke wood spaced throughout as buckie shows is OK and will also act as a little boost to the charcoal along the way.

The cut of meat has a lot to do with how tender or juicy it is, which is why porterhouses and ribeye cost more than rump or chuck or bottom round.

For something like bottom round, you can cheat-tenderize by slathering it with fresh kiwi guts or pineapple? a few minutes prior to the cook. 15 mins MAX with kiwi unless you want the kiwi's specialized tenderizing bacteria to turn the beef into mush! Even then, it won't be juicy, it's bottom round, not a ribeye. That said, you can sear the meat for example (if you want that "grilled" experience to be there) and then cook it in a cast iron dutch oven with other stuff in there to juice it up quite a bit.

I'm not a beef expert and have teetered dangerously close to my bullshit edge here, just so you're aware.

[addicted-to-smoke]

Ah, beef injection. I gotta get me a decent injector. Really tired of less than juicy beef, if that be a savior.

[MINIgrillin]

I'm not sure I have a seen a debate on lump vs briquette as applied to snake method on WKC. I'd like to see one to read about the successes and techniques of running lump. I have a difficult time with it.  I personally am of the opinion that lump is more likely to fluctuate temperatures due to the inconsistency of the material. The few times I have tried lumpy snake style I was riding the temperature roller coaster the whole time.

I run snakes on the 26r with KB blue. 3x2x1 I sprinkle pellets on the second layer and lay the final coal row over top of that and a few chunks at the front.  I find briquettes are much easier to maintain a consistent temperature with snake method.

I was just going back over your second post and you said that you checked temp at 2 hrs into cook and your meat temp was 170..? If that's the case then that's why it was dry. Try using a water pan to help buffer the temp a bit. Use a foil ball or potato to hold therm on grate. Shoot for meat internal temp of 140 for medium. Invest in a thermapen! There is no better way to quickly improve product outcomes than knowing what your temperatures are and should be. For happiness and safety's sake... Thermapens are cheaper than hospital bills.

[1buckie]

I'm not sure I have a seen a debate on lump vs briquette as applied to snake method on WKC. I'd like to see one to read about the successes and techniques of running lump. I have a difficult time with it.  I personally am of the opinion that lump is more likely to fluctuate temperatures due to the inconsistency of the material. The few times I have tried lumpy snake style I was riding the temperature roller coaster the whole time.

I run snakes on the 26r with KB blue. 3x2x1 I sprinkle pellets on the second layer and lay the final coal row over top of that and a few chunks at the front.  I find briquettes are much easier to maintain a consistent temperature with snake method.

I was just going back over your second post and you said that you checked temp at 2 hrs into cook and your meat temp was 170..? If that's the case then that's why it was dry. Try using a water pan to help buffer the temp a bit. Use a foil ball or potato to hold therm on grate. Shoot for meat internal temp of 140 for medium. Invest in a thermapen! There is no better way to quickly improve product outcomes than knowing what your temperatures are and should be. For happiness and safety's sake... Thermapens are cheaper than hospital bills.

@MINIgrillin

Here's some disscussion.....


http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/lump-charcoal/msg96965/#msg96965

I've done OK using lump, but it takes longer to set it up......depending on type (brand) sometimes it will burn a bit fast no matter what you do.....

These ones were mixed & went pretty well.....

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/re-print-ok-what's-in-kettle-3/msg35831/#msg35831

[DTrainMike]

I'm not sure I have a seen a debate on lump vs briquette as applied to snake method on WKC. I'd like to see one to read about the successes and techniques of running lump. I have a difficult time with it.  I personally am of the opinion that lump is more likely to fluctuate temperatures due to the inconsistency of the material. The few times I have tried lumpy snake style I was riding the temperature roller coaster the whole time.

I was just going back over your second post and you said that you checked temp at 2 hrs into cook and your meat temp was 170..? If that's the case then that's why it was dry. Try using a water pan to help buffer the temp a bit. Use a foil ball or potato to hold therm on grate. Shoot for meat internal temp of 140 for medium. Thermapens are cheaper than hospital bills.

Definitely the lump is not easy to snake. I will put more effort on making it a more consistent cross section. I tend to lean to a less processed product where ever I can, I cut my grass with a reel mower and use a 1940s craftsman manual mitre saw, so I'll have to stick to lump!  A silly compulsion of mine. I used a water pan. Actually. The meat was slightly dry, I think that's what I said. Could have been better. It wasn't a very big roast. And I let it go for another hour, mistake. So what about this potato thing?!  You set a potato next to your meat to for thermal mass?

Thanks for weighing in.


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[DTrainMike]

Mike, it will depend somewhat on the particular cut of meat......everything you listed there seems right in line, maybe just try loading the wood closer to the first part of the chain if heavier smoke is desired.....

I'll do that often.....hammer the smoke early, then just cook thru to wherever it's supposed to be for "done", for the particular cut......


All to well done & not dry.....

Aw crap Bucky. I scrolled back up and saw you meat pics and now if got the hankering bad!!

I gave a brisket brining to be smoked at a friends house in Monday. I have spare ribs too. Are ribs to be brined?


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[1buckie]

" You set a potato next to your meat to for thermal mass?"

Naw, just push the probe thru a half of a potato, set on grate,,,,,,it's so the temp probe will check right next to the meat without touching it or the metal....I don't have a pic, but someone will......


Hee Hee !!  Just typing at the same time here !!!

"Are ribs to be brined?"

I wouldn't brine the ribs.....a little too thin of a product for that activity........may end up too salty....

[DTrainMike]

Gotcha. Thanks Buckie


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