An Easy Guide to Mastering the Charcoal Snake Method With Lump Charcoal

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So you want to cook low and slow with charcoal but don’t want to spend big bucks on a smoker?

Then, turn your grill into a charcoal smoker using the charcoal snake method! The snake method helps you to produce indirect heat (perfect for cuts like brisket, which need low and slow)

I have smoked like a pro pitmaster in my small Weber Kettle 22 grill using this method. My method gives your food a delicious smokey flavor without much effort (or the need to buy an expensive smoker).

So, do you want to master the snake method? Follow my 7 simple steps below (this is how I set it up when I do a brisket on the Green Egg)

What is The Charcoal Snake Method?

The charcoal snake works by building 2 – 3 rows of charcoal briquettes stacked in a semicircle in your grill. You put a few lit coals at one end of the snake, slowly igniting the next coal in line throughout the day.

Each coal’s slow but continuous lighting one at a time provides a low and steady temperature for your food to cook in. See the image below to see the charcoal snake in action.

This technique helps you avoid the initial surge of heat from fully lit coals and creates a steady and consistent low temperature.

The charcoal snake method is perfect for cooking food like brisket. Brisket requires low temperature over a long period to ensure all the connective tissue breaks into gelatin, leaving a juicy piece of meat.

I use this method in my Weber Kettle. If you set up the charcoal snake correctly (see my steps below), it can easily burn for up to 16 hours. Just two things to note: It works better in cyclical grills. I have also seen my neighbor use this method in his Big Green Egg.

Author & Weber’s chef Jamie Purviance famously said
“You don’t need to spend big money to buy a smoker, nor destroy your existing grill to get those mouthwatering smoke flavors; all you need is the charcoal snake method.” 

And he is bloody right!

How To Use The Charcoal Snake Method for Smoking (7 Easy Steps)

Below are my 7 steps to creating a charcoal snake. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

1. What You Will Need to Build A Charcoal Snake

Building your charcoal snake does not require much equipment; however, what you will need is the following:

• Weber Kettle grill with a lid (or a similar grill).
• Charcoal Briquettes.
• Aluminum pan/water pan.
• Charcoal chimney starter.
• Your favorite smoking wood chunks (your preference).

2. How to Setup the Weber Smoking Method

Follow these easy steps below to ensure you correctly set up your charcoal snake. If your confused, look at my pictures or watch the videos below.

1. Create a half circle using two rows of unlit briquettes inside the grill—one-half ring around the outside of the grates against the wall. The second row is lining the first row on the inside. Try to pack the bricks tight and neat for the best results.
   
2. Then, repeat the process by adding a second layer of briquettes on top of the first half of the snake. You should end up with a half-circle two bricks wide and two high. 
   
   
3. Pick 4 to 5 pieces of your favorite wood chunks (to flavor your meat) and place them along the top of the snake around 1 – 2 inches apart.
   
4. You want to leave about 5 inches of space at the start of the snake before placing your first chunk. If you don’t have wood chunks, wood chips will work. 
   
5. Then place your water pan in the middle of the charcoal snake. The water pan helps to add moisture to our cooking environments well as control the temperature, that is why you use a water pan. Fill the water pan no more than 3/4 full

3. How To Light Your Charcoal Snake

Lighting the snake is the fun part! There are two ways you can do this;

1. The first and easiest way is to use a charcoal chimney starter. Once you have hot coals from the chimney starter, place them in the 5-inch gap you left in the snake. 
2. The second method to lighting your snake is to make a pile of 8 – 10 briquettes at the bottom of your grill. Ensure they are as far away from the snake as possible. Then add in a few paraffin wax lighter cubes and light. Let the briquettes catch alight and burn down until you have light grey hot coals. Once they have turned light grey, place them on top of the snake section, where you left a 5-inch gap.  Congratulations, you have the base of your fire!

4. Setting Up Your Water / Drip Pan

Fill a disposable foil pan or aluminum pan three-quarters with boiling water (or your choice of liquid).

Then, place the water pan in the middle of the semicircle of your snake and close the lid.

It is important to use hot water to keep the temperature inside your grill even. 

5. Getting Ready to Cook

Place your cooking grate where the snake and disposable foil pan is set. Set your meat thermometer and close the lid. To control the temperature of your ‘smoker,’ ensure you have an ambient temperature thermometer. 

5. Adjusting The Temperature of Your Charocal Snake

To adjust the temperature, open or close your grill’s lower vents to encourage airflow. Below, I have how I control the temperature at the start of cooking.

1. Start with your vents open.
   
2. Then you want to monitor the thermometer and wait until it hit 210°F, you can close the bottom vent to reduce the amount of oxygen.
   
3. Then, slowly close the vents to reach your desired cooking temperature. I like to get an internal grill temperature of between 220°F – 260°F

5. Add Your Meat to the Grill

Place your meat in the center of the cooking grate, but do not place it over the snake. You want to cook it with the indirect heat from the briquettes the snake is burning.

If you place your meat over it, the snake will cook the outside of the meat too fast, leaving you with a piece of meat that is burnt outside and raw on the inside.

6. Maintaining Your Grill Temperature

You should check the temperature for 20 minutes, ensuring it is between 220 and 260 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is too low, open the vents to increase the oxygen flow; this will help raise the temperature.

Note: I always use multiple probe thermometers, to ensure I am cooking at the right temperature and allows me to know my exact cooking time, no guessing games for me.

7. The Finished Product

Different cuts of meat have different optimal internal temperatures. For example, I like to get my brisket to an internal temperature of 203°F, whereas pork must be cooked at 145°F to be safe.

Make sure you consult my meat temperature guide.

After smoking meat, it is essential to let your meat rest. If you are cooking a brisket or a pork butt, you want to rest wrapped in aluminum foil for at least 25 minutes. 

Which Coal Type Works Best?

There are a few different types of coal you could use. However, I think that charcoal briquettes are the best option; this is why;

1. They burn low and slow, whereas lump charcoal burns fast and hot, defeating this method’s purpose.
2. Unlike lump, charcoal briquettes are uniform. This makes stacking the briquettes easier to stack.
3. They burn evenly, because they are a uniform size, they also burn evenly, unlike lump charcoal. 

You can use the snake method with lump charcoal, but keep these points in mind.

Will It Alter The Flavor of Your Cook?

The guys over at Virtual Weber Bullential Board all concluded that unless you have an extremely sensitive palate. The uncooked charcoal won’t affect your food.

One gentleman suggested Ietting the charcoal snake burn for at least an hour before adding any food; this can help reduce the charcoal’s unpleasant taste or odors.

FAQ

How many charcoal briquettes can you use for 250 degrees?

It is tough to give a definitive answer when it comes to temperature control. Many different variables come into play when maintaining a temperature with charcoal briquettes. The variables can change dramatically between grills, weather conditions, and even the quality of the material your smoker is made from.

Let’s have a look into each of these different variables:

1. Smoker Material Quality:
   The quality of the metal, the thickness of the grill walls, and the quality of the grill’s construction will also play a significant role in how you maintain the temperature of your grill. You will find it harder to maintain a decent fire if a smoker is made from second-grade materials and constructed with lousy craftsmanship. The better the metal used, the more heat will be absorbed rather than deflected, thus creating a better, hot environment and using fewer briquettes for your desired temperature. 
   
2. Altitude:
   Surprisingly, your attitude plays a big part in how your smoker will act. Because the higher up you are, the less oxygen is in the air, making it harder for a fire to maintain.
    
3. Ground Conditions:
   The condition of the ground also plays a big role. For example, if the environment is very moist or damp, it will absorb more heat from your grill, requiring you to add more briquettes to your smoker more often. When you have hard, dry ground, it will not absorb as much heat, so you won’t need to tend to your smoker as often to maintain your heat. 
   
4. Weather:
   There are many different ways weather can affect how your lit briquettes burn when outdoor cooking. When it is windy, your briquettes will burn much faster than when it is calm, resulting in using more briquettes throughout your cook to maintain temperature. 
   
5. Humidity:
   The more humid the environment, the harder it is for a fire to sustain itself. So, if you live somewhere very humid, you must use more briquettes more often to maintain the desired temperature.

Why Use The Charcoal Snake Method?

The charcoal snake method is the perfect way to smoke meat low and slow. It is also a great way to use your Weber Kettle-style charcoal grill rather than an expensive smoker to smoke your food. 

I find it perfect for fish, pulled pork, brisket, whole chicken, wings, pork butt, whole turkey, or pork ribs.

Wrapping it Up

The charcoal snake method helps me deliver those classic charcoal flavors. It is similar to the minion method of cooking.

So if you are looking to get those delicious smoky flavors we all lust for into your pulled pork, pork ribs, or pork butt but only have a basic grill.

The charcoal snake method is the method for you! 

Charlie

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