How to Set Up a Charcoal Snake for Long, Steady Smokes
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The snake method, sometimes called the fuse or minion snake, is a clever way to turn an ordinary kettle grill into a capable low-and-slow smoker. By arranging unlit charcoal in a long line and lighting only one end, you create a slow-burning fuse that delivers steady heat for hours with almost no fiddling. It is one of the best techniques a kettle owner can learn.
The setup is simple. Around the outer edge of the charcoal grate, lay a line of unlit briquettes two wide and two high, forming a C-shape that follows the curve of the kettle and stops short of completing the circle. This line is the snake, and it will burn slowly from one end to the other, lit coals igniting their neighbors as they go.
For smoke, place chunks of your chosen wood on top of the snake at intervals along its length. As the burn progresses, it reaches each chunk in turn, releasing smoke steadily over the whole cook rather than all at once. This gives you consistent smoke flavor without having to add wood repeatedly.
Many cooks set a water pan in the center of the grate, inside the arc of the snake. The water adds thermal mass to stabilize the temperature and humidity to keep the meat surface moist. The pan also catches drippings and keeps the center of the grate cooler, which is where your food will sit for indirect cooking.
To start, light a small number of coals, around eight to a dozen, in a chimney and place them at one end of the snake. Only those coals should be lit; the rest of the line stays cold until the fire reaches it. Set your vents for low, steady airflow, put the lid on with the top vent over the food, and let the snake do its work.
Burning this way, a well-built snake can hold smoking temperatures for many hours, often enough to get through ribs or a pork shoulder without a fuel reload. Adjust the number of coals per row and your vent settings to dial in your target temperature, and you have a set-and-mostly-forget smoker made from the grill you already own.