sand ??????

[ravenclan]

my snp has some mods but i would like to regulate my temp better and also would like to use less charcoal. right now i have sheet metal in the bottom with holes all the way across the bottom. I have seen were others have used sand and water i dont need the water but i want to use the sand , but not sure how .........i thought about putting it in a alumnum pan covered with foil so i can keep it clean and reuse it but what type of sand? i have seen the play sand at HomeDepot and Lowes , do i need to "wash" the sand before i use it ???? is there a sand i should not use "like from the river

" .........just a thought?!

 

[fire it up]

I use a water pan in my sNp but when I tried out sand in my brinkman gourmet I used regular old play sand you would buy at Lowe's or Home Depot, no need to wash or anything but placing a piece of foil over top of the sand will keep you from having to skim off the smoked sand and keep it clean and fresh.
What mods have you done so far and how much of a temperature difference are you having?

 

[ravenclan]

mods to my snp include the bottom piece of sheet metal the entire lenght with the holes in it to disperse the smoke and heat and the defelector in the firebox to direct the heat and i put a seal all the way around it too seal the lid and i also extended the chimney down in to the box farther to help keep smoke and heat longer........... from one end to the other i have about a 50 degree difference but it seems like i use a lot of charcoal to keep the heat in range. i use two and one half bags for a six hour smoke. this being my first charcoal smoker i am not sure if this is too much or ????