WSM - Adding fuel mid cook

[BRUN]

So far, every time ive used my WSM ive had to add fuel mid cook, apart from yesterday all cooks have been at low ambient temp, with wind and rain to deal with, so I guess ive needed more fuel for that reason ?

Yesterday I put on some beef ribs and a brisket at 9am, at 2pm I suddenly got a temp spike from a steady 250f to over 300f and then it dropped all the way down to 160f. I added more fuel and got things going again and ive no idea what happened, I had nearly a full bag of heat beads in, mixed in with some lumpwood (fuel express).

I added more fuel and got things going again, but it ruined my cook, I was on a bit of a deadline, dads in hospital so with going to visiting I had to have it all finished by 4pm and I lost an hour+ of cooking time, I know I shouldn't have tried to smoke with a deadline but it was what it was, id already spent £40 on meat and invited people round so I had no choice, made the best of a bad situation.

Anyway, the point of my ramblings is this, how do you guys add more fuel mid cook. I find the door too small to accurately get new lit coals into the basket, I feel like I need some sort of slide to get it in properly, the other option is lifting the whole middle and lid off, but this is pretty dangerous and without handles a bit difficult (wondering whether the Pro Q would have been the better buy!)

Also how much do you fill the basket with at the start, I had pretty much a full bag of heat beads in, plus some other lumpwood (and some cherry wood chunks), so probably 5kg+ in total, do you need it right to the top, a bit more ? I filled the basket like a ring and put the lit coals into the middle

[RobinC]

If I'm cooking with heat beads or weber briquettes I've never had to add fuel and have had the WSM running for 15 hours plus. In terms of adding fuel I've always done the precarious hot squat wearing some welders gloves. I take it you were adding lit fuel? I've always found with a WSM that's lost temp I can raise the temp by not putting the lid on properly so that more air is getting into the cooker.

[zzubnik]

When I have to add a load of lit fuel to my WSM, I lift off the top two sections in one. I've tried using the door, but it's so much quicker just lifting the two sections.

[BRUN]

If I'm cooking with heat beads or weber briquettes I've never had to add fuel and have had the WSM running for 15 hours plus. In terms of adding fuel I've always done the precarious hot squat wearing some welders gloves. I take it you were adding lit fuel? I've always found with a WSM that's lost temp I can raise the temp by not putting the lid on properly so that more air is getting into the cooker.

you might have just hit the nail on the head, before I had my temp spike and drop off, id just wrapped everything in foil, maybe I hadn't put the lid back on properly and loads of air was getting in, hmmmmmmm

when using heat beads, they only come in small 4kg bags, for a 15+ hour cook I presume your using more than one bags worth at the start ?

[BRUN]

When I have to add a load of lit fuel to my WSM, I lift off the top two sections in one. I've tried using the door, but it's so much quicker just lifting the two sections.

ive done this a few times but I don't like doing it because of the water pan, don't wanna spill boiling water over my feet lol

[zzubnik]

ive done this a few times but I don't like doing it because of the water pan, don't wanna spill boiling water over my feet lol

I'm always concerned when I put it back on. The water pan is loose and can fall out if jolted. Water + fire = explosive release of steam.

[RobinC]

If I'm cooking with heat beads or weber briquettes I've never had to add fuel and have had the WSM running for 15 hours plus. In terms of adding fuel I've always done the precarious hot squat wearing some welders gloves. I take it you were adding lit fuel? I've always found with a WSM that's lost temp I can raise the temp by not putting the lid on properly so that more air is getting into the cooker.

you might have just hit the nail on the head, before I had my temp spike and drop off, id just wrapped everything in foil, maybe I hadn't put the lid back on properly and loads of air was getting in, hmmmmmmm

when using heat beads, they only come in small 4kg bags, for a 15+ hour cook I presume your using more than one bags worth at the start ?

You tend to get heat spikes/drops when you have the cooker open for any amount of time. I tend to find that temp stabilises again within 30 mins or so. If the lid wasn't sitting properly then the temp will go up.

I always shutdown my WSM after I've finished cooking. So the next cook has some of the left over fuel from the previous one. It's not often that I start from a totally fuel less cooker. I just top up whatever I need. I also don't mix fuels within a single cook. The lumpwood and the heatbeads will burn at different temperatures for differing amount of times so that may well have given you some variation.

Regarding cooking to a deadline I tend to try and build in some resting time for the food particularly larger cuts like pork shoulders and briskets. This resting time also gives me some leeway if things don't go according to plan.

[BRUN]

well ive now learned a few things from this thread, so well worth asking

don't mix fuels, make sure my lid is on properly , and don't try and cook when you have to visit family members in hospital, or any other deadlines

[mark70]

If I'm cooking with heat beads or weber briquettes I've never had to add fuel and have had the WSM running for 15 hours plus. In terms of adding fuel I've always done the precarious hot squat wearing some welders gloves. I take it you were adding lit fuel? I've always found with a WSM that's lost temp I can raise the temp by not putting the lid on properly so that more air is getting into the cooker.

you might have just hit the nail on the head, before I had my temp spike and drop off, id just wrapped everything in foil, maybe I hadn't put the lid back on properly and loads of air was getting in, hmmmmmmm

when using heat beads, they only come in small 4kg bags, for a 15+ hour cook I presume your using more than one bags worth at the start ?

Toby the boss on here sells Heat Beads in 7kg bags at a good price too. I ordered last Thursday evening and delivered today well impressed

[BRUN]

how much are they, I prefer briquettes as you don't get any loss of product with the small bits of wood you get with lumpwood, but the 15kg bags from Big K are looking attractive, 3 bags for £50 delivered is nearly £1 per kilo of good stuff