Advice on snake method Proq Excel 20

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Mullsey
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2017 8:05 am

Advice on snake method Proq Excel 20

Post by Mullsey »

Hi all,

I tried the snake method yesterday to smoke some ribs on my Proq 20 Excel. I struggled to hit 250/120 centigrade. I ended up taking the second stacker out, even then it took for ever to get to 120. Ribs turned out good though.

My question is, how thick should I have made the snake and how many briquettes should I start with in my chimney?
Bronson
Posts: 71
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 11:17 am

Re: Advice on snake method Proq Excel 20

Post by Bronson »

Hey Mullsey

I have the pro q frontier, and I tried doing a snake in it and like you had the exact same result, could not get it to any real temp with both stackers and dropped it to one and got there in the end.
What I now do and get 10hr cooks without problems is I use 2 clay pavers, I have cut a bit of them as my proq is not as wide but yours should be able to take them at full size. I will get a photo of them in place, I use heat beads for my long cooks and with the pavers in place it is a cross between the minion and snake methods and works great.
Mullsey
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2017 8:05 am

Re: Advice on snake method Proq Excel 20

Post by Mullsey »

Hi Bronson,

Thanks for the reply. I have seen the picture as you posted it in a reply to another post of mine.

To get the 10 hour cooks, do you completely fill the remainder of the basket? Also, how many briquettes do you start with? Also, do you now get the temp with both stackers?
Bronson
Posts: 71
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 11:17 am

Re: Advice on snake method Proq Excel 20

Post by Bronson »

Hi mullsey,
I mostly use the top stacker when cooking as it is just for one or two people, but if you use the lower stacker the cooking temp on that grill will be less then the top grill OK, I only worry about the temps on the top grill and I use a remote temp probe on the grill and another in the food.
If I want to do a 10 hr cook I filled the fire basket with heat beads and even stack some up onto the sides of the pavers or in bag terms approx 1 x 4kg bag.
I then remove approx 10 beads and place them in my chimney to start it off, I cook at 230f most of the time and I fill my water bowl too to just below the top edge..
Mate feel free to ask anything your not sure of as I have tried most things on my frontier and in my neighbours outset smoker as well.
Today I am braising some pork ribs found a good looking recipe on here in the pork section
http://www.keepingupwiththeholsbys.com/ ... pork-ribs/

And the photo below is the frontier setup for indirect cooking with out the water bowl in.
indirect.jpg
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Angryman65
Posts: 397
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2013 3:47 pm
Location: Batemans Bay

Re: Advice on snake method Proq Excel 20

Post by Angryman65 »

Snake method will always struggle to get a ProQ up to temp because the thermal mass isn't there for such a large amount of space to heat up. I have found that out myslef the hard way and now only ever use the Minion method when doing a low and slow in mine.

The vents will control the air flow therefore the temp, therefore the burn time and I can usually get 9 - 10 hours out of a basket full of charcoal depending onthe species of timber it was made from and a bit longer out of beads.
Vegetarian is an old Indian word for bad hunter.
Cobblerdave
Posts: 104
Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2014 4:17 pm

Re: Advice on snake method Proq Excel 20

Post by Cobblerdave »

Gday
I've got a home built mini bullet smoker.
Long smokes I use a doz or so fully lite beads on the top of my load of beads the minion method. Dont do that many long ones so I use the coffee can minion on the smaller ones.
Larger can top and bottom cut out. Stack your beads to the sides of the tin. Load you favoured fire lighter in the can lite. Follow it up with 12 or so heat beads. When they are ashed over using a pr of side plyers remove can.
Set up in pics is for some chicken wings..a pretty fast cook
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