Best way to minimize charcoal taste when using Minion Method?

Gator BBQ

Gator BBQ

Got Wood.
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A few weeks ago I made some great spare ribs with pecan and oak. They had a beautiful smoke ring. Great texture (not quite falling off the bone, but really tender). The only thing wrong with them was the hint of charcoal (I am guessing from using the Minion Method). Do any of you farkers have any good tips to keep that flavor from the meat or is that just the nature of the beast when using the method?
 
Thanks for asking this question Gator. Cant wait to see some of the replys. I dont use the minion method because of this. Add lit charcoal as needed.(about every 1 1/2 hour) Is a pain but I feel like you get a much cleaner burn. would like to try minion if I could find a lump charcoal that was more uniform in size
 
Did you supplement the charcoal with other hardwood? If so you might have got some heavy smoke flavor from that. I use the minion method on virtually all of my cooks and add wood for flavor, but I make sure that the wood is already burning before I put the food on. Otherwise you will get the heavy white smoke which will make your food taste like you are describing

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never had this problem and i use the minion method on every cook. just do what stoney said and add the wood when you add your first lit coals and dont put the food on until you have thin blue smoke
 
This is a great question. Not sure if there is a way to minimize charcoal flavor when using minion method. However, I had been scoring poorly in ribs in competitions until I bought a WSM and then took 4th place at a KCBS event using the minion method. I guess a little charcoal flavor might not be a bad thing....
 
Generally I always put the wood on with the burnt down coals and wait for the temperature to stabilize (takes 30 min to an hour).

Now that I think about it I put the wood on 5 minutes before I put the meat for on this cook. I wanted to try it this way because it is what the seasoned veterans generally tell the beginners to do.

I guess I will go back to throwing the wood in when I dump the hot coals in.
 
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Try Stubbs charcoal or Kingsford comp, there both really good I've been using K comp lately and really like it and the price is right.

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Gator BBQ said:
Generally I always put the wood on with the burnt down coals and wait for the temperature to stabilize (takes 30 min to an hour).

Now that I think about it I put the wood on 5 minutes before I put the meat for on this cook. I wanted to try it this way because it is what the season veterans generally tell the beginners to do.

I guess I will go back to throwing the wood in when I dump the hot coals in.
Click to expand...


I would quit listening to your season veterans. :thumb:
 
The only thing wrong with them was the hint of charcoal (I am guessing from using the Minion Method). Do any of you farkers have any good tips to keep that flavor from the meat or is that just the nature of the beast when using the method
Click to expand...

My best guess is you're not getting a clean burn for whatever reason, and your smoker isn't putting out TBS (thin blue smoke). Poofy white smoke is bad, thin blue to invisible is good. :confused:
 
Crazy as it may seem but I cant taste an off charcoal flavor when using the minion method. I use Kingsford blue mostly and sometimes lump. Did not even know what the "minion method" was before coming to this site some 3-4 years ago. I too thought the food would pick up a nasty chemical taste but it never has.
 
we use a can never have used the minion method we make our own chimneys they hold 6lbs of kingsford 1 piece of wood in the bottom of the fire basket.dump fully lit chimney and 1 more chunk of wood on top use vents to control temp stabilize at 315-350 depends on what where cooking. temps hold 3-5 hours depends on outside temps.
 
I've never had a charcoal taste.

But, now I'm using a Ique and you bring the smoker up to temp before putting the meat on. By doing that you can clearly see a difference in the smoke from the charcoal, from when you dump the coals in and then 30 minutes later when everything is lit. You could try that.
 
I don't care for that taste charcoal briquetts gives off, but I have been cooking over real wood for year
 
The unnatural additives in Kingsford may be what you are tasting. Mineral coal,limestone and borax among other things are added to Kingsford. Maybe try using an all natural briquette like Trader Joes brand or Lazzari.
 
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