First snake

[TheDude]

Picked up the Maverick 732 the other day. Made my first snake yesterday, just to get a feel. Went with a 2x2 almost all the way around. Took about 30 min to get to 220°. Got to 250° while getting ready for the day. Got it back down and heald 220-235° for about 6 hours. Probably used a little under 1/3 of the snake. Had plenty left to set up an indirect setup to cook dinner. Gonna try some ribs and butts in the near future. That first brisket is in sight.

[TheDude]

Picked up the Maverick 732 the other day. Made my first snake yesterday, just to get a feel. Went with a 2x2 almost all the way around. Took about 30 min to get to 220°. Got to 250° while getting ready for the day. Got it back down and heald 220-235° for about 6 hours. Probably used a little under 1/3 of the snake. Had plenty left to set up an indirect setup to cook dinner. Gonna try some ribs and butts in the near future. That first brisket is in sight.

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Appetizers.





The payoff.

[1buckie]

Shoot for about 260 on the larger stuff.....even ribs.....doesn't take as long, you can still put all the smoke you want on, the meat takes to a little higher temp just fine, you don't get fooled by a slightly "off" thermometer that thinks it's moving at 225 when it's actually 210~215 & the cookup never gets done......all kinds of reasons to let it go up just a bit, but the main reason is Kettles, under most conditions just like to run 250~275.......


PS: That's really neat & orderly.....good job !!!!

[TheDude]

Shoot for about 260 on the larger stuff.....even ribs.....doesn't take as long, you can still put all the smoke you want on, the meat takes to a little higher temp just fine, you don't get fooled by a slightly "off" thermometer that thinks it's moving at 225 when it's actually 210~215 & the cookup never gets done......all kinds of reasons to let it go up just a bit, but the main reason is Kettles, under most conditions just like to run 250~275.......


PS: That's really neat & orderly.....good job !!!!

Even with brisket? Seems like I could almost set and forget at 260°.

[AZRaptor]

I tend to smoke at about 270 for brisket and 250 for butts and ribs. Gonna try some butts for the eCook which will be my first smoke on the kettle. 6 hours out of a third of the snake sounds good. I plan to build mine the same way.

Up till now I've only smoked on my WSM or pellet smoker.

[TheDude]

Only have two kettles. I'll buy a WSM at some point, but a brisket on a kettle is a goal for me.

[1911Ron]

How many coals did you light? If you light more your temp will come up faster and you can cook at a higher temp. I have simplified my life and for ribs, butts and brisket I cook around 275 more or less, I don't sweat a dip or spike in temps to much unless they last a while.

A lot of folks smoke on their kettles all the time and they don't own a dedicated smoker.

[MINIgrillin]

Start with a larger load of burning coals. It will help get kettle up to temp and it won't hurt anything to have the temp up a shade high for the first 20-30 minutes on something like a butt or brisket. Once it gets past that it will settle into snake temp. Don't forget water pan. And smoke chunks.

[SmokenJoe]

Looks to me like your off to a great start !!!   I could sit right down and gorge on that ...     SJ