LarryR Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 I've been hording my ECC but now that Dennis is restocked I'm going to start using it again starting on Thanksgiving. How much would you guys use for about a 6 hour cook at 325 (6 hours includes bringing her up to temp and letting her soak for about an hour)? I was thinking about 4 lbs of ECC. Thoughts? PS I know, I know, load her up and re-use. I do that with lump but not ECC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Re: Question for you regular use ECC guys I use the "load/re-use" approach with any coal. but my guess would be fill the bottom of the basket with one layer of the ECC, i assume you have the stuff that is in 3"-4" long sizes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Get a second charcoal basket! I bought a second charcoal basket from Dennis. I don't recall it being expensive, and it was well worth it. One holds local hardwood lump for high temp burns, and one holds extruded coconut lump for low & slows. I always use more than enough ECC, and I rest the spare charcoal basket on a terra cotta plant saucer in the garage. Shutdown is a tricky balance. One wants to snuff the fire without getting a stuck top hat. Get the bottom sealed tight, and the top loosely tightened. One can tighten further on one's pick up pass after dinner. (After the waxing ruckus I started, perhaps I should reword that? ) I haven't tried the new lump yet; I'm working through my old stock. The first batch Dennis offered (not made by Dennis) has the flavor characteristics I want, and is probably more fragile than the new stuff. In any case, lifting out the charcoal basket avoids handling the partially burned charcoal. I like to alternate, swapping baskets before each cook. Grill cleanliness is the Achilles' heel of low & slow cooks, but high temp cooks do a wonderful "self cleaning oven" job of cleaning up, after a grill floss cleanup. Now that ECC is readily available, maybe more people will spring for the second charcoal basket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paswesley Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Re: Question for you regular use ECC guys We already have a forum censor- Dennis! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted November 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2011 Re: Question for you regular use ECC guys UPDATE: Went with 32 pieces of ECC lit with 5 Rancher Briquettes, worked out perfectly. In-fact I imagine once I shake the ash off I'll have about 1/3 of what I loaded left. I'll post a picture after I shake the ash. n67002 n67003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
