Minion Method and Lump charcoal

jorrflv · 02-17-2013, 03:45 PM

Does the minion method work with lump charcoal? I am planning on doing a pork butt tomorrow and my wife picked up lump instead of brick. It has been a while since I have used lump, but will it work the same in the UDS or will I have to futz with the temp more? Any advise from those who use Lump in their UDS's?

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · 02-17-2013, 03:46 PM

I only use lump and do minion most of the time. Works great.

Lump burns a little hotter.

landarc · 02-17-2013, 03:47 PM

I have used lump and it works fine. In my UDS, I need to be a little careful and not just dump the lump in, I need to pack it a little bit more.

gtr · 02-17-2013, 03:56 PM

Lump works fine, but you gotta be a little more careful when loading the basket than you do with briqs since the pieces aren't nearly as uniform. It burns hotter and faster, so it's good to keep an eye on your pit temps if you don't normally use lump, but yeah, it works fine and leaves a lot less ash too.

BobM · 02-17-2013, 03:57 PM

Lump will work fine, you might have to tweak the settings you are used to a bit.

Sent from my Android phone.

Hoss · 02-17-2013, 03:57 PM

My small WSM is chugging away now on a load of lump lit on top with a weed burner.I started it at 10 am it is 4 pm here now.been holding a steady 300 temp and still have at least 1/2 of the original load of lump remaining.

jorrflv · 02-17-2013, 04:01 PM

Thank you all for your advice. You confirmed my thoughts, but since we are having people over I wanted to make sure. So I will

1. Pack the coals in tighter to avoid large air pockets.
2. Start with a few less coals in the can than I usually do since it burns hotter.
3. Watch the temps a litter closer and will probably need to close my ball valve a little more than usual.

Anything I missed?

ButtBurner · 02-17-2013, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorrflv

Does the minion method work with lump charcoal? I am planning on doing a pork butt tomorrow and my wife picked up lump instead of brick. It has been a while since I have used lump, but will it work the same in the UDS or will I have to futz with the temp more? Any advise from those who use Lump in their UDS's?

all lump is not created equal.

What brand of lump is it? Have you opened the bag and looked at it yet?

jorrflv · 02-17-2013, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ButtBurner

all lump is not created equal.

What brand of lump is it? Have you opened the bag and looked at it yet?

It was Royal Oak Lump.

What should I be looking for?

ButtBurner · 02-17-2013, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorrflv

It was Royal Oak Lump.

What should I be looking for?

thats a pretty solid brand

things to look for are foreign materials in it and the size of the pieces.

I bought a bag of Best of the West and it was 1/4 dust, most of it was very small pieces that burned up very quickly

It was not the Best of the West thats for sure!!!

Just a heads up, you want a nice selection of large, medium and some smaller pieces.

Bludawg · 02-17-2013, 04:56 PM

I pack the basket with lump in 4 layers: 1st layer lump, 2nd layer lump & 2 chunks, 3rd layer Lump & 2 chunks 90 deg out from the previous, top layer lump and 2 chunks, I use 10-15 briquettes to fire it up. I find that using the briquettes gives me a slight advantage in consistency to dial it in to my cook temp.

02-17-2013, 03:45 PM	#1
jorrflv Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 11-14-12 Location: North Las Vegas, NV	Minion Method and Lump charcoal Does the minion method work with lump charcoal? I am planning on doing a pork butt tomorrow and my wife picked up lump instead of brick. It has been a while since I have used lump, but will it work the same in the UDS or will I have to futz with the temp more? Any advise from those who use Lump in their UDS's? __________________ UDS, COS, iGrill, Love to BBQ

02-17-2013, 03:46 PM	#2
HeSmellsLikeSmoke somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-02-07 Location: Warren, Vermont	I only use lump and do minion most of the time. Works great. Lump burns a little hotter. __________________ Jim - Another transplanted Texan Former KCBS CBJ Large and Medium Big Green Eggs , Black 18.5" WSM, Blue Weber Performer - Stainless, Green Weber OTG Kettle , Brinkmann SnP Pro, and a Stainless UDS. One retired Portable Kitchen grill. Red Thermapen, Maverick ET-732, EdgePro Apex Sharpener. Avatar is the original 1951 Weber Kettle

02-17-2013, 03:47 PM	#3
landarc somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-26-09 Location: sAn leAnDRo, CA	I have used lump and it works fine. In my UDS, I need to be a little careful and not just dump the lump in, I need to pack it a little bit more. __________________ [COLOR=DarkGreen][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]me: I don't drink anymore Yelonutz: me either, but, then again, I don't drink any less [/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed] [COLOR=Pink]SSS[/COLOR] [/COLOR][/SIZE]

02-17-2013, 03:56 PM	#4
gtr somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-16-10 Location: Culver City, CA	Lump works fine, but you gotta be a little more careful when loading the basket than you do with briqs since the pieces aren't nearly as uniform. It burns hotter and faster, so it's good to keep an eye on your pit temps if you don't normally use lump, but yeah, it works fine and leaves a lot less ash too. __________________ 50" Klose BYC, Spitjack XB85, 22.5 WSM, Backwoods Chubby, UDS, WRK, 26" & 22.5" Weber Kettles, Jumbo Joe, WGA, WSJ/MUDS, Kanka Grill, a piece of expanded metal I throw over the fire pit sometimes, Stealthy Black & Vol Orange Thermapens Displaced East Tennesseean Proud recipient of a Tick Former outlaw MOINK baller, now IMBAS Certified, but still lookin' over my shoulder. "Relax, it's only BBQ." - Bigmista, 2013 "Don't worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one." - Miles Davis Avatar by my son! WTFWGALD?

02-17-2013, 03:57 PM	#5
BobM Babbling Farker Join Date: 02-16-12 Location: Long Island, NY	Lump will work fine, you might have to tweak the settings you are used to a bit. Sent from my Android phone. __________________ "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin \| [COLOR=RoyalBlue][COLOR=Red]Weber[/COLOR] 18 1/2" & 22 1/2" WSM[/COLOR], [COLOR=SeaGreen]22 1/2" & 26 3/4" OTG[/COLOR][COLOR=DimGray][COLOR=Black],[/COLOR] [COLOR=DeepSkyBlue]Genesis S-330[/COLOR][/COLOR] \|[COLOR=DarkRed] [COLOR=Black]\|[/COLOR] BBQ Guru CyberQ WiFi [/COLOR]\| [COLOR=DarkOrange]Maverick ET-732[/COLOR] \| [COLOR=Gray]Gray Thermapen[/COLOR] \|

02-17-2013, 03:57 PM	#6
Hoss Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 12-31-09 Location: Hernando,MS	My small WSM is chugging away now on a load of lump lit on top with a weed burner.I started it at 10 am it is 4 pm here now.been holding a steady 300 temp and still have at least 1/2 of the original load of lump remaining.

02-17-2013, 04:01 PM	#7
jorrflv Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 11-14-12 Location: North Las Vegas, NV	Thank you all for your advice. You confirmed my thoughts, but since we are having people over I wanted to make sure. So I will 1. Pack the coals in tighter to avoid large air pockets. 2. Start with a few less coals in the can than I usually do since it burns hotter. 3. Watch the temps a litter closer and will probably need to close my ball valve a little more than usual. Anything I missed? __________________ UDS, COS, iGrill, Love to BBQ

02-17-2013, 04:56 PM	#11
Bludawg somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 07-04-09 Location: Jonesboro,Tx	I pack the basket with lump in 4 layers: 1st layer lump, 2nd layer lump & 2 chunks, 3rd layer Lump & 2 chunks 90 deg out from the previous, top layer lump and 2 chunks, I use 10-15 briquettes to fire it up. I find that using the briquettes gives me a slight advantage in consistency to dial it in to my cook temp. __________________ I'm a Proxy Vegetarian> Cows eat grass & I eat cows.