Cooking Overnight In a Smoker

[Naco]

Hi all, I've read a few threads on this subject, but all seem to mostly address offset cooking. I cook pork shoulders eastern NC style, over direct heat. I've started to get into overnight cooking and am looking to increase the burn time for my charcoal. Typically I pour a chimney full of lit coals over 5 pounds or so of unlit coals. This gives me about 5-6 hours of good, solid heat with the intake and exhaust mostly shut. I open both very slightly to provide a small amount of airflow through the cooker.

I've read about banking the coals, but I worry that it won't work or that ash will get on the meat since I cook directly over the coals. Any ideas?

PS: My cooker is a Char-Broil Silver Smoker, barrel style.

[ricepad]

I have the Silver Smoker, and have always used the firebox using the Minion Method when cooking butts and ribs. I had a friend take a couple of sheets of expanded metal and weld them to make a charcoal basket about a foot across and maybe 10 inches tall (it could be bigger...I've never measured it). I fill that basket with unlit lump, then dump some lit coals on top of the pile in the basket. I keep the exhaust vent wide open (reduces creosote buildup), and close the intake almost completely. This setup will burn about seven hours pretty reliably.

[Naco]

I cooked again two nights ago and had good results. I got the coals to burn for about 7 hours by using fewer lit coals on top of my unlit charcoal than I usually do, so while not quite there, still an improvement. When those coals went out, I flipped the skin toward the coals and put about 1/4th to 1/2 the original amount of coals underneath the shoulders, with a "reserve" pile in the firebox to provide some extra heat without running the risk of burning the skin. The barbecue turned out great, and the skin was especially good this time.

What am I missing with the Minion method? Although I don't see any fundamental differences between building a fire in the cooking chamber and the firebox, I have tried and failed at it using the firebox.

[bizkat]

I've found these boards to be a valuable resource:

http://www.barbecuebible.com/board/

[Sensuous]

I have an idea for you, Naco. You bring that Char-Broil Silver barrel-style smoker up here to Delaware and cook me some Carolina barbeque so I won't have to stop off at Smithfield's anymore.

[Naco]

Why, you little imp!

It really is pretty easy to cook your own, though. I live 10 minutes from the reknowned Skylight Inn in Ayden, and I still do it! And you can do eastern style barbecue on a regular kettle grill if you want, I just got the smoker because it was a deal, and big enough to let me cook several shoulders at once. I don't even use the side firebox.

[Sensuous]

I saw something on tv about Skylight. You are lucky.

I do miss the barbeque restaurants with their own smokehouses. I hope you get a lot of ideas from more serious commentors. Good luck!

[Meatgarden]

Naco, Google "minion method". You've got the right idea, wrong execution.

[Naco]

I have, which is where I got the idea. What's off about the execution?

[Mike CP]

From what I can tell 'Minion Method' describes mixing lit and unlit coals in the firebox, and not in the cooking chamber.

Naco, I recently purchased the same grill as you (for the same good deal for large size reasons) and am very interested in knowing how this works out, whichever way you end up setting it all up.

[tommy]

the minion method is used in a variety of smokers, including those which aren't offset. not maybe people have complained about ashes getting on the food.

[Uncle Bob]

Just curious.. but what is your thinking for not using the fire box...as the cooker was designed to do?

[Naco]

Eastern NC barbecue is typically made by cooking over direct heat. I got the cooker with the offset fire box because it was on sale and lets me cook more meat at once than I was able to on a regular grill. And I do occasionally use the fire box for doing brisket, so it's nice then.

[Uncle Bob]

I'm familiar with the Eastern NC style and whole hog cooking, with direct heat. Just not familiar with the requisite cooking of shoulders, butts etc. with direct heat on a offset cooker to achieve the same...The distance between the fire grates and meat grates would seem to present a challenge...Luck and

Have Fun!

[Naco]

I take the fire grate out of the bottom of the cooking chamber, which gives an extra couple of inches of space between the meat and coals. It works fine, I've done it tons of times. I'm just trying to get the charcoal to burn a bit longer for overnight cooking.