I may stop using lump
 

I think I am too knew and I need to use something like Kingsford until I learn more. It seems like lump requires more "work" then regular charcoal does. I am always adding lump in my 22" WSM.

You are not wrong. Sparky, freaky lump does not Minion well at all in a WSM. Jim Minion uses KB. He fills the ring and uses a weed burner to start the top coals. Then he puts his wood chunks on top. Anything else is not Minion.

There are some quality natural briquettes on the market. My Mini WSM (sjs) does not like lump at all. I used a full chimney of Kingsford Blue to cook two Oryx Fatty's last eve, had plenty of run time remaining. Tried lump twice and it was a PITA.

But I do like lump in the Akorn. Sometimes I mix lump/briquettes. Just checked and I have five different brands of charcoal. Kingsford,Royal Oak, Cowboy, Stubbs and Ozark Oak.

One of the reasons you may have difficulty in your burn may be because lump burns much cleaner and hotter.

I have seen people make a charcoal basket in a maze manner to use lump in the minion manner of controlling their burn.

Here is a picture from another post from "KotaChuk678" who used expanded metal for such a project. This is his picture from another thread, NOT MINE.

KotaChuk678's Basket for Lump Charcoal

http://i1077.photobucket.com/albums/...psc661fd6f.jpg

A maze like that is fine for a stick burner or a Backwoods, etc, but it's not needed for a WSM. As Michael said, I use briquettes in my WSMs. I've used lump with good results, but I get a longer burn with briquettes.

How long did your WSM burn before you had to add fuel, Tim? How much did you put in to start and how much lit did you add? I always fill the ring as full as it will go and then add lit charcoal in a depression in the middle. For my 18.5" WSM I add 10-12 briquettes or the equivalent amount of lump.

You might want to try a mix. I use 80/20 KB to lump and minion.

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I dont know.

I have a Master Forge vertical which is basically a cheap WSM clone equivalent to a 18" WSM I would guess

I use Wicked Good lump, a full pan lasted me 15 hours at 225f using an Auber ATC. I think the ATC really helps in fuel comsumption

Here are some pics of the first test cook I did. This was a before and after shot of the pan. The pan was not completely full like it was for the 15 hr cook. I did some country ribs then some bacon. I set it to 160f for the bacon. I did add a few more chunks of hickory along the way,

I started it by lighting 20 briqs in a chimney and pouring them on top. I snuffed out the fire after about 8 hours and this is what was left

I am very happy using this lump anyway

Tim- Tell us specifically how you load up your WSM- maybe a simple adjustment is all you need.

I almost always use briquettes in my WSMs and Minis. I just find them to be more predictable and manageable than lump. I'll use KB in a pinch, but prefer some of the all natural brands like Lazzari.

I mix KBlue & lump in my WSM with great results. I pour a double layer of KBlue briquettes first and press them down. Then, I add wood chunks and lump to cover the KBlue and leave a slight indent in the middle to pour in 15-25 lit KBlue briquettes to get the Minion burn started.

Since I started cooking most everything @ 275°, the lump helps keep my WSM at that temp easier than just using KBlue alone.

I use lump in my WSM and I think it works better than briquette. I fill the ring with lump..a few pieces of desired wood added. To start...I stick a small propane torch
thru one of the vents for about 3-5 mins. Leave all the vents wide open till dome temp reaches 150...then start closing vents to slow dpwn the rise. I would say I am up to 200 in about 30 minutes. A full basket of lump easily lasts 10 hours.



This isn't exactly my torch...but just the cheapest one at the hardware store...maybe 20 bucks. I love it!! Easy and fast

When I've used lump in my WSM I find really packing it in there and shaking the bottom to make it all settle closely together helps and have had pretty even burns with lump. It does burn faster and for longer cooks I have had to add more lump. Maybe a little more information on exactly what you are doing with the lump could help to diagnose the problem. In my egg lump is 100% the way to go as the ceramic really makes it last a long time and burn even more even because it is so much more insulated.

All that being said I use Kingsford briquettes 99% of the time in my WSM and like the results. Some use lump, some don't. Nothing wrong with using either so use what is easiest for you :grin:.

actually I should have mentioned that. I carefully layer the bottom and pack it tight with lump. I think that helps.

As you read thru the posts about lump and briquettes you'll find every opinion from A to Z. For me I think lump (name brand) has less quality control than briquettes. This could be from the increased interest in lump. We are a little behind in that area as the world has been using lump for hundreds of years. Also the backyard guy likes the convenience of briquettes. Just pour in a bag full throw on some gas and it's almost ready for the cheapest hot dogs. Briquettes are certainly more available and cost less than lump when the big box puts them on sale. So why use lump? I make my own so quality is not an issue. I like it in the Kamado for the even burn and less ash. But that's just another opinion in the loooong list.