Fire control on Bandera

[Smoker]

Do you guys put the coals near the smoker opening or closer to the fire door opening?

Also, I noticed that if I put unlit charcoal on top of the lit coals the temps went down since I guess I covered the heat source. What is the best way to add coals to get the temp up quickly? How do u guys lay out the coals for the minion method on this thing?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

 

[Brauma]

Yeah, dont toss in unlit charcoal. Light it first in a chimney starter to burn off the nasty chemical binders. I use the Minion method and then go to wood.

I dont have a custom fire box mod (yet). I make a ring with unlit charcoal all the way around the inside of my firebox on the grate with a heavier bank of coals nearest to the smoke hole. I then start a full load of charcoal in my chimney starter. When I dump in this first lit batch, the ring will hold it in the center. This isnt exactly the Minion method but a variation on the theme. When the unlit charcoal comes up to speed, I'm usually at 200*. I'll do one more batch in the chiney starter and by this time I'll have some good coals and then I switch over to wood.

 

[BBQchef33]

location of the fire in the firebox is one of the ways you control temps. Closer to raise and farter to lower. In the bandera I started against the smoke cham,ber wall so the heat went straight into the smoke chamber. Once things have heated up, i use the center or inisde wall. Rarely evewr went to the other side by the door.


if your using kingsford, light it before butting it into the firebox. But if your using lump, its ok to add that unlit to a hot fire. Put it next to the fire with some hot coals underneath... and it will ignite. You dont want it right on top becase it will smolder heavily and lower your temps as you have seen.