Running a Shirley 24X36 with charcoal and wood chunks instead of wood splits?

[HogJaw&PossumGrits]

I am looking for something a little easier to run than my stickburner. I was going to get a gravity fed Assassin 17, but then I went down the rabbit hole of reding about cabinet smokers, direct flow, reverse flow.....blah blah blah.....lol Anywho, I ran across the Shirley 24X36 and REALLY REALLY like the looks of it. It does appear that most people are running splits and nothing else but I was wondering if anyone has one and has ran charcoal with wood chunks? And if so, is it a descent option to not have to monitor quite as much as the straight wood split method? Just wondering what all the options are for the Shirley 24x36 reverse smoker? Thanks

 

[Chasdev]

I can't help with your question but at that price level you have a lot of options in the stickburning universe.

 

[jcam222]

Isn't that Shirley a stick burner? I love my 270 Cabinet but they are hard to find and aren't being built anymore. I can run an 8-12 hour smoke on a basket of charcoal and some wood chunks. Once temp settles in I don't have to touch it.

 

[JckDanls 07]

I'm thinking you would use a heluvalot of charcoal to keep it up to temp.... I could be wrong as I have never tried using just charcoal in my reverse flow stick burner ...

 

[Chasdev]

Ask a blacksmith how hot charcoal can get.
All it needs is 02, with enough it will melt steel.
But burning wood makes the meat taste better.