The snake method is your best bet

Yes, but only if you set up the fire right from the start.

Long charcoal cooks are all about controlling airflow and fuel arrangement. The “snake method” (laying unlit briquettes in a ring around the edge, with a few lit ones at one end) gives you hours of steady heat because the fire crawls along the line slowly. The Minion method (piling unlit charcoal in a chimney starter, then dumping lit coals on top) works great for kamado-style grills or Weber kettles with a charcoal basket.

The real secret is your vents. Bottom vent controls oxygen intake, top vent controls exhaust. For 225°F–275°F, start with the bottom vent open about a quarter inch and the top vent fully open. Adjust the bottom vent by tiny increments—like 1/8 turn—and wait 10 minutes before touching it again. Chasing temps with big adjustments is the fastest way to overshoot.

Also: Don’t open the lid unless you have to. Every time you lift it, you dump in a rush of oxygen that spikes the fire. If you need to check food, do it quickly and close it.

And yeah, use a good thermometer at grate level, not the one built into the lid. Those are usually off by 50 degrees.

Set up right, you’ll get 8–10 hours without touching it.