Minion Method in offset

[mattdean1003]

Does this work? Thinking of trying it with a bag of RO lump.

http://www.homebbq.com/index.php/archives/82

[DownHomeQue]

Would have to be a pretty small offset with a large firebox..

[bigabyte]

Yep. Some people like to use shaped baskets to control direction of the burn. On a COS I used to have, I would simply shove the lit coals to the side of the firebox away from the air intakes, and let it burn back towards the air flow.

[sliding_billy]

Depends on the cooker. Many times, you will not get hot enough to heat up an offset using a Minion (or using nothing but charcoal for that matter).

[Duddy55]

i use the minion method in all of my smokers pretty much (offset and my uds)... in my offset i actually built a box out of expanded metal that would fit inside my firebox... fill it up with wood chunks and briquettes then dump like 10 lit briquettes on top of it and let it do its work... before that i was just dumping a chimney full of lits in my firebox and controlling the temperature was like pulling teeth and i was literally feeding wood and charcoal to that thing all day every 30 minutes... minion method and the charcoal box made my life so much easier

[Bludawg]

They are called Stick burners for reason!
http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae164/Bludawg51/DSCF0015.jpg

[J-Rod]

Agree with Blu.

Burn wood in that thing, or build yourself a UDS for set and forget minion cooks.

[AlwaysSmokey]

"Does this work? Thinking of trying it with a bag of RO lump. "

Yes. Very, very well.
building a basket like Duddy55 and so many others will help even further.<<<as long as you can control your air and don't have to choke your smoke******

[bbqgeekess]

How well does lump minion work in a bandera? It's best with stick burning isn't it?

I am thinking about one. I blame SmithJonz and Peeps! :laugh:

Wow, I'm becoming an addict. Someone told me months ago that I would end up getting an offset smoker.
At the time I just laughed, but I think they were serious!

[peeps]

I am thinking about one. I blame SmithJonz and Peeps! :laugh:http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/images/smilies/secret.gif.pagespeed.ce.nhWpRp5CG_.gif

[Fwismoker]

The point to using offsets is having a small clean burning wood fire....the kind of fire that you can't even hardly see the exhaust. Keep "sticks" in the offset and charcoal in the verticals imo.

Now you can start it with charcoal but that's as far as i would go.

[peeps]

I had my vertical offset built with a charcoal basket with the thought that I might burn charcoal and chunks in it, or sticks. I can count with one finger the amount of times in my 10-12 or so cooks on it since October that I have cooked with charcoal in the firebox...and that was done in a ring of fire configuration with chicken thighs on the grilltop.

I came to the realization that Earl wanted to burn sticks....Earl NEEDED to burn sticks to be truly happy, even before I took possession.

I have cooked on Earl with sticks on those cooks (5-12 hours each) with about $60 worth of wood. I think you will spend MUCH more burning charcoal in an offset.

[AlwaysSmokey]

Personal views aside, the question was, does it work.
and the answer is yes.
I like sticks too,..... but the answer remains the same.:idea:

[Bludawg]

The biggest problem with going down that road is offset pits are all about the air flow if the FB is stuffed with a basket full of charcoal it won't breath well you end up fighting with it to get you temps up and keeping them there you will also have a hard time some pits are worse that others with creosote because you don't have enough air to the fire. I speak with experience. 20 lb of charcoal is 10.00 you will go through a sack & a 1/2 on the average butt cook so 15.00 a cook on average. I go through about 10 splits( I don't but my wood) cost about 3-4 dollars. It is a real PIA to get up every 45 min and pitch a split in the box oh my aching back:razz:

[104timberwolf]

I've done both on my offset and found that all wood gives a more pleasing smoke flavor than a basket full of charcoal and wood chunks. I've tried several different brands of lump charcoal and each leaves a harsher flavor than a properly burning wood fire.

[farklf]

Guys! Thanks all yall for this information. I'ma get me a COS and now I know I should burn sticks. Thanks. Knowledge is Power!!! :)

[ace27705]

aight here I go...correct me if i'm wrong...if you are using charcoal and you use a basket ..keeping the coals tight in a basket allows them to burn slower ...longer. but you may not achieve the temp you want. Try it out Fact 2 and 3 Lump charcoal burns hotter than briquettes and wood burns even hotter.I have a Huge offset smoker and a bandera. In my offset I do not use a basket well for one It's huge but if it was the size of yours and I wanted to use a basket I would start with my coals pretty hot and switch over to chunks of wood in the basket. Offsets like this one, I seem to have my best results using coals to start it and switch over to using wood not only for cheaper fuel (cause you can get your own) but its easier to regulate the temp with wood.Adding a few coals can take some time to get the temp back up to where you want. If you use wood you can get it up back quick. It takes a little practice from cooker to cooker. Just know whatever fuel you use keeping it tight in a basket will allow it to burn slower and normally less hotter.

[chunkylatinlover]

I have a cheap Smoke Hollow offset that I've used with nothing but charcoal and wood chunks. I have never had a problem keeping stable temps at 225 using the minion method in it. I lay down a chimney full of unlit coal and 3 or 4 wood chunks, light one end of it with about 10-15 coals. This first initial light will last me anywhere between 3-5 hours depending on how much meat I have inside of it. After that its just a handful of charcoal every hour and I never have to mess with the intake.