Dave - Thanks! You betcha, beats any day of yard work! And the end results is always worth the wait, just as tonights wait was.
SMC - Thanks again! They have a 13 1/2 and an 18 1/2 inch Weber charcoal grate at least that I found. I used the 13 1/2" primarily because I wanted to use it with the pizza pan and seen that no one in all the threads I've read really mentioned any preference. I kept the coals the height of the coffee can (6 1/4") and then added 10 hot coals to get it started. Not sure, I could have had the coals to tight. I was also wondering using the can if when I pull the can and everything falls over it, sort of smothering it, if that would cause it to smoke so heavily. I also see where some folks just put the hot coals right on top, in the middle of their coals.
Something new I think is just to take some working with to perfect, just like the Q. Speaking of the Q, no one was disappointed, even after waiting until 9 p.m. to eat. haha...The daughter and her family came over. Think everyone is getting the hang of it and know if I'm smokin', they may want to snack before coming over! LOL
The Q was great, moist and had a flavor I'm not used to obviously using the gasser. I wasn't sure if it wasn't a little to much coal flavoring but everyone else insisted they loved the flavor of tonights butt. I did as well, but I guess seeing a lot of that ugly white smoke early on and toward the end of the smoke, I was probably convincing myself it was creosote....Everyone from the wife on down to the 13 month old lovely granddaughter loved it, so it must have been good! LOL
Enough of the words, we'll let the pictures finish this one out. After I get a chance to look at the basket to see a burn pattern in the basket, I'll probably post something on my findings. I know there were still a TON of coals left and this thing I'm sure could have burned another 12 hours! When they say these are fuel misers, they aren't kidding!
Shut UP Dean and post the pictures already!!!!!
That 3 1/2+ hour stall and not foiling until 173* definitely generated some bark which was quite tasty!
And the money shot, this little darling Carolina Girl, loved papa's Q! (she was getting a little sleepy waiting..lol)
Thanks again to everyone for your input and all along the way. Looking forward to next weekends smoke already!