ride the snake.!!

[MINIgrillin]

First ever ribs cook today.  I think it went well.  26'r took care of me the whole way.  Built a snake with a little lump on top to help the smoke chunks.  It took about 30-40 minutes of tweeking vents to get a stable 260.  It really didnt want to be any lower than that.  Held 260 for 6hours no added coals. 



I learned that the heat recovery time was tricky after removing the lid.  I went on a roller coaster for 20 minutes trying to keep digital probe steady.  Does anyone have a DigiQ they could share some toughts on?  I want one. 
Ribs took an hour longer that I was expecting.  Taste good tho.

[pbe gummi bear]

Nice cook! Watch our for keeing your fire directly on the kettle. The heat can cause the porcelain to crack over time!

I have a stoker and it's great on my wsm. I've never used one on a kettle though. There are alot of options out there for temp control though so it's hard to go wrong.

[kendoll]

Ribs look great! So meaty. Nice work on the snake method.

Ken

[MINIgrillin]

Thanks guys. He whole process was pretty fun. I have to work on my timing,the bark, and flavor balance. I used an apple rub seasoning and it was a little too flavored. Not too much but I'll use less next time.

I'm keeping my eye out for a stoker. I need one now that I have a WSM.

As for the fire damaging the porcelain...someone before me has already been there done that. There is a 18 inch section that looks like it got VERY hot, crazed up, and then painted over. I'll make a grate or something to keep the hot coals off the finish. Or just use the WSM... It's good to have options.

🔥+🐷=😊

[HankB]

Looks good!

Rather than worry about temperature variations that result from opening the cooker, just keep it closed! I suppose you need to check when you think the meat is done.

I don't think a snake puts that much heat on the porcelain. It's the pile of lump when you're trying to hit 600°F that's more likely to do damage.