LarryR Posted May 28, 2010 Report Posted May 28, 2010 Going to dip into my stash this weekend and use some ECC for a cook. How much do you think I'll need for an 18 hour cook at 225 - 250 with a Stoker? Based on the pictures of the 85 hour cook I'm thinking it will take less than one layer (I think a box has four layers or levels) to complete this cook. Anyone ever track this?
mguerra Posted May 28, 2010 Report Posted May 28, 2010 fill'er up Fill the basket. Whatever doesn't burn up, use again. It's a royal pain to run out of fuel during a cook. You probably won't notice it at the moment it runs out and will therefore find a partially cooled off cooker and partially cooked meat. Then you have to take out the meat, restart the fire... Having done this, I can tell you, you don't want that. Simple and easy to just fill it up with charcoal every cook.
Fetzervalve Posted May 29, 2010 Report Posted May 29, 2010 What Doc says, say NO to running out of fuel, it can ruin your whole day. Box up what's left for next time.
Firemonkey Posted May 29, 2010 Report Posted May 29, 2010 Your estimate is about right- a layer or less. But definitely fill the basket and take out what doesn't burn. It's cheap insurance, cause doc is right. Running out of furl is something you will only let happen once!
Syzygies Posted May 29, 2010 Report Posted May 29, 2010 I switch back and forth between extruded coconut charcoal for low & slow cooks, and Lazzari hardwood lump for higher temps. I ordered a second charcoal basket, so I could avoid handling any unburned extruded coconut charcoal. The spare basket fits nicely on a 14" terra cotta plant saucer.
LarryR Posted May 29, 2010 Author Report Posted May 29, 2010 I'm rationing I'm rationing the 7 boxes of ECC I have left and only using it for long low and slow cooks so I'm trying to dial in an amount without having much unburned leftover. So I guess I'm trying to make a calculated guess as to how much I'll use. If I do run out of fuel at the end of the cook it's pretty easy to roll a handful or two of Rancher briquettes down through the front opening of the upper grate so I'm not overly concerned with having to add a little fuel at the end of the cook. Thanks for everyone's input and I'll report back what the magic amount is As a side note I did buy 30 bags (540 lbs) of Rancher yesterday so I'm pretty well stocked on that.
mguerra Posted May 29, 2010 Report Posted May 29, 2010 Dude, FILL the basket! Remove what does not burn up and use it later. The first time you run out of fuel, you are going to know what we are talking about. So don't.
LarryR Posted May 30, 2010 Author Report Posted May 30, 2010 Moot oint today but I appreciate the input and will use it Well, went to pick-up my brisket and my butcher didn't have the one I called in on and asked to have set aside for me. Ended-up having to go with the largest size he had 7 lbs, LOL, it's a packer too, funny, it's a little tiny packer. I'll post pictures later. My other option was a beautiful 15 lb Kobe Beef packer ($75 not a bad price at all) if we were having guests I would have bought it but it's just the SO, myself and our 8 yo son. That's a lot of brisket just for the 2.5 of us. I ended-up going with the left over lump that was in the basket and topped it off w/Rancher since it's probably going to be about a 10 hour cook.
mk1 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Posted March 22, 2013 Re: How much ECC for 18 hour cook? Digging up the thread.... My previously posted 21 hour cook of pork butt plus ribs used about half of a 10 pound basket
LarryR Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Posted March 22, 2013 Re: How much ECC for 18 hour cook? Never ceases to amaze me.
ThreeDJ16 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Posted March 22, 2013 Re: How much ECC for 18 hour cook? Just for reference, when I did the 85 hr charcoal test, I believe it was just over two layers out of the charcoal box. But it was the newer style charcoal basket that is much deeper than the original. Think I estimated around 12 lbs, out of a 16 lb box. Was a long time ago, so it is hard to remember exactly. -=J
teddysurf Posted March 23, 2013 Report Posted March 23, 2013 Re: How much ECC for 18 hour cook? I always fill the basket before any cook, thinking I'd rather have more than needed than less. When I do that with the CoCo, my experience is that any unburnt coal is "compromised" in the sense that it no longer has any structural integrity. Specifically, it appears like the coal I loaded but if I bump it or try to pick it up it basically crumbles to dust. It doesn't appear to be ash, it just acts like a binder (which I do not believe is used in the product) isn't effective and it just crumbles into useless coal dust. Has anyone else experience this? I snuff the fire by closing everything down ... I would think if there's a leak it would burn to ash. Confusing!
EGGARY Posted March 23, 2013 Report Posted March 23, 2013 Re: How much ECC for 18 hour cook? Digging up the thread.... My previously posted 21 hour cook of pork butt plus ribs used about half of a 10 pound basket From your picture you left the CoCo whole. You don't break it up ? I have 5 boxes of the CoCo and have not used it yet. Thanks.
mk1 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Posted March 23, 2013 Re: How much ECC for 18 hour cook? I whack 2 rods together and they break into 1/3 and 2/3 chunks....the big ones are the 2/3 pieces they work well like this.....
normstar Posted May 27, 2013 Report Posted May 27, 2013 Re: How much ECC for 18 hour cook? Just to chime in with what I've even doing with Coco Char for small cooks. I've been lighting just one whole piece of Coco to get the KK to about 220-250 to smoke some fish for 2-3 hours. It is amazing how much heat you get from just one piece! Don't use the heavy ceramic heat-deflector though, as that will absorb most of the heat. I either use no deflector and put te fish up high in the dome it next time I'm going to try the steel deflector. Ie also use the basket splitter, which works well and is a great tool to have in your KK arsenal. Happy smoking!
