Tips & Tricks: Snake method
I still see this question very often: what is the snake method and how does it work?
I will explain this method in these tips & tricks.
The snake method lends its name to its shape and is ideal for longer sessions. Personally, this is my favorite method for longer sessions such as ribs or pulled pork.
THE SET-UP
Use briquettes to make a beautiful half moon of 2 rows thick around the edge of the BBQ. Put another row on top and spread some chunck's smokewood over the first part of the snake. Place a container with water in the middle of the BBQ. The water you use is also important: never use cold water, this will require more energy from your BBQ because it has to heat up the water first. Prefer to use lukewarm water, this is already warm and ensures a more stable temperature.
If you use a weber premium, you will have a handy diffuser plate. This rests on a round ring, which you can use as a guide to build your snake.
FIRE IT UP
Fill a coal starter with 5 briquettes and light it. When the briquettes are white hot, place them carefully at the beginning of the snake. Close your BBQ and give it the chance to light the snake.
TO WORK
You now have a nice way to keep your BBQ at a low temperature for a long time with an indirect zone in the middle. You can put your meat on it to let it smoke for as long as you want. If you notice that your snake is almost at its end and you still have a long way to go, you can put some briquettes at the end of the snake. Make sure you turn your grid a little so that your meat always lies nicely on the indirect part.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
To keep your temperature stable, open the bottom slide a little bit, so there is air supply, and you start playing with the daisy wheel. Via this disc you can further open and close the air outlet depending on the temperature you need.