Sounds awesome , working for these Aussies in SS is one permanent BBQ , they shipped over a 40ft refrigerated container full of Aussie beef and pork and Bacon and sausages , oh dont for get the Lamb shanks , Im taking 2 freezers with 400kg on the back of my Landcrusier plus a genny to the final field destination
You can also soak the smoking wood for a little while to slow things down...
Two options. Snake is where you make a run around the edge of the firebox (works best with briquettes) with three or four briquettes deep so it burns like a fuse when you light one end. The other option is the minion method. Nothing to do with the film, it's named after an american guy who used it successfully in competitions. Essentially what you do is fill the charcoal grate and leave a hole in the middle about 6-8 inches diameter. Light enough coals to fill the hole and pop them in. With any method, as the smoker is coming up to temp, start with all vents fully open and when it gets to around 150f (ish), close the vents by 50%. Same again at 200f and just a fraction more as it creeps to 225f or whatever temp you're aiming for. If there's room, a pan of water over the fire will help to take some of the energy and help regulate the temperature a bit.
To some extent, I guess. With the snake you have a fairly consistent fuel supply burning over an extended period of time and if the air flow is closed down enough, it stops the fire running away. As I mentioned earlier, water pans help to absorb excess energy as water just boils off if the temp gets over 212f, so make it much easier to maintain a consistent 225-250f until the water boils off, at which point the temp will go up, but you can always top the water pan up again. If the temp ,is running away a little, topping up with cold water helps. It's just a learning curve, nothing more. You'll figure out what your smoker likes to make it do what you want and then you'll wonder what all the fuss is about. They're all different and they all have a sweet spot. slightly hotter is usually eerier to achieve and maintain which iOS why I suggested 250f rather than 225f. It's only a few degrees, but it does make a massive difference on some smokers. The Dancook and the Pro Q will sit happily at 225f, but the backwoods always finds its way to 250-260f while the big offset likes 275f on the right side and 250f on the left.
That's also kinda key, for me...one side hotter than the other. And I put the smoking wood/chips on the hotter side, generally. I also have a stainless pan with holes all over it for the smoking wood to sit in, so they burn indirectly when I'm trying to cook low & slow. It's not atypical for me to smoke something for 6+ hours...
I can't remember the last time I cooked anything direct when grilling. I normally use the Dancook for grill purposes at home as its built into a 5ft steel catering table so provides a nice workstation. I've got dividers for the grate so I tend to pile the coals on one side (sometimes both) and just cook indirect with the lid closed. A handy tip for smoke is to use wood pellets of whatever flavour you like. I've got a pellet smoker too, so usually have a ready supply to be able to throw a handful on the coals periodically.
If you have ocd and stack the coals neat enough, they won't!
...searing a two-inch, 65 day wet-aged, bone-in ribeye.
