pork shoulder weber kettle snake method
*Disclaimer: in no way an actual guarantee. Place a foil pan on the bottom grate to catch drippings. I generally don’t bother with the second half as meats take on the greatest amount of smoke earlier in the cook plus I may be wrapping later in the cook. It takes a little practice, but that happens with any grill or smoker. Low and slow cooking is another fantastic way to use your Weber® Kettle. 3 I usually place a few pieces around the first half of the snake. Posted by 7 months ago. A big tray of water absorbs heat and this will ultimately smooth out the temperature in the pit. As per my sweet diagram above the top vent should be positioned opposite your lit beads. OP, here are several places that discuss the Snake method for cooking on a weber kettle. In terms of starting out you can’t get much cheaper – this was set up in a $15 weber made in 1981 and I used $6 of heatbeads to achieve consistent heat over 14 hours. We seriously will have to try this recipe. We’ll wait for the smoker to get up to the desired temperature before messing with the vents. In this video I'll teach you step by step how to set up your kettle grill for smoking. In the picture above I started on the right hand side, working anti-clockwise around the kettle ensuring each new row of heatbeads is leaning on those prior. I think you would still be fine with the snake method using a small snake. Occasionally you will come across a funny shaped briquette in your bag – I don’t like to use these for the snake, but they’re perfectly useable for all other methods of BBQ. Well I got brave today. Strap on your seat belts folks, this is going to get pretty heavy on the pictures. Temp went up and I start shutting down all my vents, fire started choking out and temp dropping so I was opening the vents right up again – it was a mess. In addition to this I would generally prefer to keep my vents open so the oxygen and smoke are flowing than to risk choking out my snake (pun intended?) Run more wood along your snake. Spritzing your pork … How to set up a charcoal grill for smoking using the snake method. Smoked for 6.5 hours at 220deg then wrapped till finished at 205 internal. Speaking of lit beads, I usually get some briquettes heating up around the time I start my second row. Follow the snake method correctly and I guarantee* your food will turn out great. Season the pork butt on all sides with Killer Hogs Hot rub (substitute your favorite rub if you … (At this point I was going to have a graph to show you but I buggered up exporting it off the iGrill so you get nothing). You can use a lighter brick like I’m using or newspaper. Get your lit heatbeads and begin placing them on the spot you created for them earlier, tongs are a good idea as you want the precision to be able to put them leaning up against some of the unlit beads otherwise your snake won’t catch. I put exactly 2 litres of water into the water pan and at the end of this 14 hour test I still had around 600ml, so not a huge amount of steam over 14 hours. Use a chimney starter or whatever method you have for lighting heatbeads, up to you. The snake method works by running a long ring of unlit charcoal briquettes around the outside of your weber. https://barbecuebible.com/2020/06/09/testing-the-snake-method to achieve a long cook at low indirect temperatures (grilling in direct heat is when you place food directly over the coals, indirect is when you use the radiant heat produced by the coals – placing your food off to the side of the I was able to maintain temperatures between 250 and 300 degrees without any real adjustment. Light one end of the snake and the fire burns slowly until it reaches the other end. Keep the top vent open all the way. ... Snake method is a reliable way to maintain low temps. I placed a total of 10 lit beads on the end of this snake. You then place a couple lit briquettes at one end of the ring – or snake – that will continuously ignite the adjacent charcoal briquettes. https://heatbeads.com.au/hints-and-tips/cooking-low-n-slow-snake-method Follow. For those of you without dedicated smokers, this is a great way to try out authentic barbecue without investing any money. or causing the wood to smoulder giving the meat a bitter creosote taste. Archived. On my large grill, I could probably do 2 or 3 pork butts at a time, but on a kettle grill, you’re probably limited to one. Placing the Pan and the Coals. Easy Snake Method While Sleeping Charcoal BBQ Smoked Pork Shoulder Weber Kettle Grill. I would have expected fully loaded that snake would have run somewhere in the 260-275f range which is great for barbecue. I didn’t need it, but was ready just in case. I want 195°F internal for tender, sliceable pork shoulder, and 205°F for pullable pork. Place approximately 70-72 unlit Weber Briquettes to one side of your grill, or two piles of 36 Weber Briquettes to both sides. Place approximately 16 Weber Briquettes in your charcoal From what I've read, everyone suggests a 2x2x1 snake with wood chunks every couple inches and a starting pile of about 8-12 lit coals. Be sure to let the starter cube burn completely to prevent any off flavors from the wax. When I put the lid on, I turned it so the top vent was on the opposite side of the snake. 4.5 lb Pork belly on a Weber kettle using the snake method. You can bet that I’ll use the snake method again. When I first did snake method I had probes hanging out all over the place and I was trying to hit that magic 225f temperature that I’d heard was the ONLY way to cook barbecue. I added some boiling water to the pan to help regulate temperature. – Northeast BBQ The flame from the lighter … We have some pretty standard outdoors cooking equipment, so we should be ok in that department. Begin by making a row two heatbeads wide around the edge of your weber, leaving a gap for your water pan. If your snake only went 1/4 of the way around the grill, that would probably be enough. If you do find your weber is running a bit too hot there are two controls you have at your disposal: the top and the bottom vent. I’m also mindful there is no one way to do things so if you have a different idea or approach you would like to share I’m always up for a discussion. Tececuk. Weber kettle (Gumtree is a great option – the model in these pictures is a 1981 kettle purchased for $15 – new ones are shiny and beautiful though). A couple handfuls of apple wood chips spread across the briquettes will ensure that the pork shoulder is constantly smoked throughout the process. © 2020 PERTH BBQ SCHOOL. If you have bottom vents, open them about 3/4 of the way. Not only will you look like a pro, the snake method is easier than standard grill smoking. My grill is shallower than a kettle grill so my wood chunks held the cooking grate up just a little bit. Weber's all-in-one chef, cookbook author, and food blogger Jamie Purviance says you don't have to splurge or hack apart your grill to make it a smoker. At this point you want both your top and bottom vents to be fully open. Good morning, everyone! Time to fire up the kettle! That’s how l’d always smoke on my 22”. If you’re not sure what you want to cook pulled pork is always a great option to start out with. By then placing a few lit briquettes at one end of your “snake” you are able to keep a consistent low temperature for a long period of time as the lit beads gradually light the unlit beads. Smoking wood of choice (chunks are best but chips will work too). Sprinkle on a few tablespoons of rub, spreading it evenly around the pork shoulder. Problems typically occur when there is not enough oxygen and the beads smoulder – for instance if you dumped a dozen unlit briquettes on top of two lit ones you’d have a bad time. If the weber had been fully loaded I think you would find the pit temp to be lower as a result of the big chunk of meat absorbing heat. 3 years ago | 125 views. I’ll generally pop a final chunk on top of the lit beads once they’re on too. We go camping a lot and want non messy, easy but delicious meals. You may have to make some adjustments to get it to work perfectly for you (although Aussie Griller did use a 22 inch kettle for his video). Single row of briquettes on top, leaving space for lighting. During the cook you will need to adjust your lid accordingly – the snake doesn’t move too fast so every two to three hours will suffice. This is a fairly common misconception. First time ever smoking, pork shoulder in a Weber Kettle. I'll check in as it goes along. Note: the snake above can run about 12-15 hours, if you’re doing a shorter cook you can make a shorter snake, however I would suggest always laying out a full snake as you can re-use any unused heatbeads by shutting down all your vents once you’ve finished cooking. Adjust the barbecue temperature to indirect medium heat (190° to 230°C), the … Close. You just need to know the snake method. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Stop the top row three briquettes from the end – this is where your lit beads will be placed, like lighting a fuse. For those longer low and slow cooks, we will show you how to use the ‘Snake Method’. Two wide row of briquettes around edge of the Weber. I am one hour into cooking a 8 lb pork butt. With either vent it is absolutely crucial you make small changes and give them enough time to take effect. It is now holding strong. The indirect method you're using is great for cooking chicken, wings, fish, or roasts. You’re now ready to cook! Light and place under the chimney. “But Gus, don’t heatbeads and other briquettes give off a kerosene flavour to the meat?”. You set up the snake by place unlit charcoal two pieces wide by two pieces deep right along the outside wall of your kettle style grill. This was some of the best pulled pork I’ve ever cooked. What to cook for your 4th of July Celebration, Apple Cider Soda Syrup, say that five times fast, Stay Cool and Cut Energy Costs with a Retractable Awning, Cutting the cord and cheaper cell phone updates, Thoughts from the Minnesota Blogger Conference, Protecting Against Hypothermia [Guest Post], I cooked on a 28 inch diameter fire pit grill. I prefer chunks but chips can work too. Then give it a liberal coating of the BBQ rub of your choice. This will help draw the heat and the smoke across your meat before exiting the smoker. The top vent stayed open all the way for the entire cook. In fact I’m going to say that again: make small changes and give them enough time to take effect. Would you say it is a great camping recipe? To be honest with you, these days I just let the snake run once I’ve set it up knowing that some days it will run a bit hotter than others but don’t actually check what temperature it’s running at. In this video, I cook a pork shoulder butt on my Weber Kettle charcoal grill using the Slow 'N Sear accessory. The water pan serves two purposes: heat sync and moisture. Place your main grate back in the weber and put whatever you have chosen to cook above the water tray (as this will also catch the drippings). Next up, the rub! I used a thermometer with the probe in the air behind the pork butt to gauge my cooking temp. RELATED: How To Set Up a Weber Kettle for Low And Slow Cooking. I miss my offset smoker. I'm assuming this is a 7 hour cook. For the snake method, we only need to light three to four pieces of charcoal. I made sure to crack open the bottom edge of the lip closest to the snake to let air in. For the purpose of this article though I ran the temperature gauge in the weber after setting it up so that we can see exactly what goes on in there. How to set vents for Snake Method on a Kettle I'm going to do a test run on a small pork shoulder roast in my 22.5 OTG this Sunday to test out the snake method. Since the snake goes around a significant distance around the outside edge of the grill, you have somewhat limited cooking surface. place unlit charcoal two pieces wide by two pieces deep right along the outside wall of When I went to pull it, the bone came right out cleanly and I was able to shred it with my hands. running a long ring of unlit charcoal briquettes around the outside of your Put the snake method to use for the first time in my 22" weber. A finished pork shoulder that was cooked in the Weber kettle grill using the snake method. Place an aluminum foil pan in the bottom of the kettle in the … The inside was perfect but the bottom was a little crispy/dry even with a water pan under it. 225f (107c) will cook you barbecue, but so will 250, 275 or even 300 and 315f (157c) . The amount of coals pictured above lasted about 4 hours cooking at this temperature. The Low and Slow Cooking Method. Wrapping the pork in foil traps the heat, braising the pork, and speeding the cooking time. This pork shoulder was on the smoker for 7.5 hours before it reached 195 degrees. This is so much easier than using the Weber side baskets. 448. First slather with yellow mustard, so that the spices adhere to the pork butt. Place the lid on your grill with the vents on the opposite side from the snake. Holy yum! Now run a single row of heatbeads on top of your existing snake. Pork Shoulder #BurntEnds Recipe For The Win! Should I spritz my pork with apple juice while it’s smoking? First time ever smoking, pork shoulder in a Weber Kettle. It seemed to make a lot of sense to me. Set your kettle up for indirect smoking using the snake method. As long as there is enough oxygen and airflow in your pit you shouldn’t notice any strange flavours. Vents fully open to begin, adjust if required. Place chunks of you favorite type of smoking wood on top to slowly burn as the fire moves along the snake. So really that’s about it – I hope that adequately explains how to set up a snake in your weber to achieve great low and slow barbecue. Judging by many of the comments on the video, people don’t have much faith in this method. If you have any questions on the snake method or there are any other guides you would like me to put together let me know in the comments! Start with a pork shoulder in the seven-to-eight-pound range. I pulled it at that point and wrapped it in foil to let it rest for an hour. Start with the top vent to slow down the draw of oxygen through your pit – however be aware you still want smoke to have a means of escape (otherwise you may end up with a creosote flavour on your meat) so I would advise not closing your top vent more than one third. If that doesn’t work you can adopt the same approach with your bottom vent to slow down the amount of oxygen entering your pit. When placing your lid on the weber it is important to consider the top vent position. My snake was two briquettes wide by 3 briquette high. (I’m shooting for 205°F in this recipe.) How much wood you use is really up to you – want a lot of smoke? Firstly, that’s Mr Grillah to you, and secondly – no. It doesn’t matter which way you run your snake, however it is important you start it so that it runs in the same direction the briquettes are leaning. Start a half dozen or so coals in your chimney starter. Place the top grate onto the grill and put your meat above the foil pan. 5kg Heatbeads – I like the heatbeads brand briquettes, they’re a uniform shape and have a long burn which is what the snake requires. If you find that the side of your meat facing the snake is getting cooked too fast, you can place a folded piece of aluminum foil under that side to act as a heat shield. Once you learn the correct method for each type of cook, you unlock the versatility of the kettle. Beware of the Stall The pork shoulder will reach an internal temperature of 70°C and will not rise in temperature for around an hour. This is quite a bit larger than a standard Weber kettle. The snake pictured above ran for a total of 14 hours and sat around 280-290f (137-143c) the entire time. Good morning, everyone! For short low and slow cooks, (2 hours or less), simply use 10-12 lit briquettes in one char-basket™. I don’t have any bottom vents so there is already limited air flow into the smoker. I’ve seen this done going 3 wide and 3 deep, but 2 by 2 created plenty of heat for me on this over-sized grill. It looks just like lighting a fuse and letting it slowly burn. However it’s much less steam than say a typical set up on a vertical smoker where the heat source is directly below the water pan. The smoker hung out at 275 most of the time. Time to add in the smoking wood of your choice and a water pan. Trim off the excess “fat cap,” but leave a 1/8-inch-thick layer of fat to keep the meat moist during the long cooking process. This helped me keep the lid cracked to let air in. Start from the same end as last time, in this case again from the right hand side running anti-clockwise. A slow burn is the goal. The snake method works by building a half-circle ring of charcoal around the inside edge of your circular charcoal grill. When I realized the snake wasn’t going to last long enough, I pulled the top grate off and made the snake longer. 10 lit heatbeads on the end of the snake. Temp got to 225 and I adjusted the bottom vents to lock the temp. I had the privilege of cooking some pulled pork for a Relay for Life team last week. OK so you’ve set up your snake – what now? You could also use a paraffin starter cube right at the beginning on the snake. This article is the first in a series of how-tos across a variety of BBQ techniques – if you have any specific techniques leave a comment and I’m happy to help! Now, pork shoulder … Set … I had more meat too cook than I had room in my vertical smoker, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to try out a method I recently learned about from Aussie Griller on YouTube — the BBQ Snake Method. At this point I also usually add one more chunk of smoking wood directly on the lit coals to get this party started. Quick video on using the Snake Method to smoke a pork shoulder then finish in the oven why you sleep.\r \r Buy the Grill Here: Report. I absolutely love pulled pork and this just makes my mouth water! With this method, you can smoke for longer hours but have less worry over controlling the … This method produced more consistent heat than my vertical propane smoker generally does. When the coals are ashed over, pour them at the beginning of the snake. Simple Smoking Method on a Kettle Grill We’ve already covered how to turn your grill into a smoker, but if you want to step up your game try the Snake Method to smoke your next feast. Jul 3, 2013 - Pulled Pork on a Weber Kettle Grill: The best meal that takes a day to make and a few minutes to eat: pulled pork. Place them carefully so that you don’t start too much of the snake too quickly. You’ll need around 10 for the snake but heat up a few more to have some spare. Because the little things in life ARE the big things! That’s is very impressive to me. As that water heats up and begins to steam this will also add moisture into the cook chamber. I like newspaper leaves to much soot in the BBQ. Thanks for the help! I just did a six hour smoke, and the snake only went half way around my Weber Kettle. The snake charcoal method is a popular way to fire a Weber kettle for low & slow barbecue, using rows of layered briquets and smoke wood arranged in a circle around the perimeter of the charcoal bowl. This guide illustrates how to set up the snake method in a Weber kettle, however once you understand the theory you can apply it to other BBQs too!