WSM coal methods!

[Trunks]

just wondering what everyone who has a WSM uses as far as a caol method?

do you add hot coals as needed? sneak methond, minion method?

i have 22.5 and either go with minion method or add hot coals as needed if i am hanging around having beers and relaxing near the smoker all day/ which i like.... i prefer to hang around and watch the process ha as apposed to putting on going to bed and waking up to it nearing the end


anyways let see what every 1 does on here

[smoke ninja]

Minion

[Harbormaster]

I always cook with the Minion Method.

What I am cooking and how long I anticipate it to take determine how much unlit I add to the ring and how much lit I dump on top.

Usually that means a full load of briqs and chunks in the ring, low in the middle, with a nearly full chimney (before lighting) of lit dumped on top. My WSMs are older, and use the smaller water pan so there are no clearance issues.

[Chezmatt]

Minion method. I usually fill the ring with unlit briquettes (preferably Stubbs) and then dump half to a full chimney of lit briqs on top. I then spread the lit briqs around using welding gloves. I'll put 3-4 chunks of wood in there too. Usually hickory, sometimes cherry.

[lantern]

I use a thin layer of Stubbs briquettes and then the rest is royal oak lump and chunks of flavor wood scattered amongst the lump.

(no water in a char diamond lined and foiled pan)
If I'm cooking under 275 I light less than half a chimney of Stubbs and place on the center top of the unlit lump. Assemble the wsm with all vents wide open and place the lid on after about a minute. Once the temp gets to within 25 degrees of where I wanna be I start shutting vents down(never the lid vent) and ease into the temperature I want to cook at. WAIT for thin blue smoke before placing the meat on...no matter how long it takes. Your nose will tell you even more than your eyes. If you can't stand to be around your WSM's exhaust....you won't be able to stand the food that comes out of it.

If I'm cooking over 275 I light just under 3/4 of a chimney and repeat all the previous steps.


If for some reason it looks like I'm going to run out of fuel(cook takes more than 10-12 hours) I simply bite the bullet and finish in the preheated oven. I hate adding fuel to the wsm and consider the oven my penance for piss poor planning on my part.

[thunter]

I use the Minion method for long cooks, but when doing chicken and other meats I want done quickly for home cooks, I use the traditional method of just adding lit coals.

[Smoking Westy]

Minion here as well. Depending on the length of the cook I'll add more or less coal to start with.

[Bob S]

I always use the Minion method and a clay pot base instead of water. Temps are easy to control, burn time is excellent and cleanup is easy.

[Ron_L]

Originally Posted by Harbormaster

I always cook with the minion method.

What I am cooking and how long I anticipate it to take determine how much unlit I add to the ring and how much lit I dump on top.

Usually that means a full load of briqs and chunks in the ring, low in the middle, with a nearly full chimney (before lighting) of lit dumped on top. My WSMs are older, and use the smaller water pan so there are no clearance issues.

This ^^^^^

[THoey1963]

I shake out my fire basket, dump the ash, push the older charcoal to the outside of the basket, and top off with new charcoal. I get out the flame thrower and light either the center briquettes (no ATM) or the briquettes in front of the ATM vent.

I have never cooked anything that took longer than a full fire basket holds. Yet.

[jcpetro97]

For those who use the minion method. Do you have issues with temp spikes when the smoke wood catches? I have had that issue lately, where the smoke wood catches, and the temp spikes as high as 270. I usually cook right between 225-235

[Fwismoker]

Originally Posted by smoke ninja

Minion

Originally Posted by Harbormaster

I always cook with the minion method.

What I am cooking and how long I anticipate it to take determine how much unlit I add to the ring and how much lit I dump on top.

Usually that means a full load of briqs and chunks in the ring, low in the middle, with a nearly full chimney (before lighting) of lit dumped on top.

OK minion isn't just dumping coals on top. I prefer just lighting the side of the basket no matter what smoker it is and letting the coals burn across. There's multiple benefits to this.

Here is one of my baskets after a cook, there's partial burnt and non burned.



I shake out the ash and stack the new basket most burnt to least or unburnt



Add new next to that



Lastly light the partial burn on the next cook



The partial lights easier and gives good smoke right way, you keep good even heat because there's not old mixed together with new, and there's never any waste. Minion only means lit coals lighting unlit but how you burn your basket matters also.

[THoey1963]

I usually cook around 270*. Never really pay any attention to the temps unless my Maverick screams at me. I usually have it set for a 250* - 310* range. As long as it is in that window, the food is fine...

[Harbormaster]

Originally Posted by jcpetro97

For those who use the minion method. Do you have issues with temp spikes when the smoke wood catches?

I don't watch temps close enough to worry. Once I get the WSMs settled in at 250-275, I ignore them until it's time to start thinking about meat 'doneness'. A spike of a few degrees won't matter.

Originally Posted by Fwismoker

OK minion isn't just dumping coals on top.

Yup. There are different ways to do Minion.
Some use a coffee can open on both ends in the middle or on one side.
Some use a weed burner to start one side.
I create a depression in the middle of my unlit and dump the lit coals into the depression. I have always gotten consistent results this way.

[thesemicullen]

Minion as well. I always use a full ring of charcoal. I pick up the charcoal grate and shake the ash off the old coals, dump the ash out of the bottom, and refill the ring with new coals. I put 3-4 chunks in with the coals. How hot a fire I want determines how much lit I pour on top, but it's usually around half a chimney.

I use water in my pan because I don't care mind the cleanup and I never have an issue with temp spikes when I do.