BriGreentea
Knows what a fatty is.
I usually smoke a brisket once a month, every so often a pork shoulder then the rest of the cooks are chicken various types and sometimes a chuck roast.
I've noticed several cooks using the minion method the temps kept falling and if I'm doing a cook overnight last thing I want to wake up to at 4 am to check it is showing temps well below 200. This used to be easy, quarter to a half lit chimney of kingsford blue on top of the unlit charcoal. Leave all the intakes open until over 225 then have all three slightly cracked open. Would have some wood chunks or a small split on top. It was taking forever to get hot and even then seemed was struggling to stay at 250 unless I left all the intake wide open and still struggled to get to 225. It's almost like all the sudden the wsm is having difficulties getting oxygen to the top of the lit coals. I've owed this about a year. I always cook it with no water as it was burning too much fuel quickly when I tried it with water.
I was watching a video on a gravity feeder and uses wood in the ash pan or a grate right above it, lighted charcoal down the chute then puts unlit charcoal afterwards. I tried this method on my wsm for a 12 hour cook. Whether placing the small split below the grate does anything I don't know but seemed like I was getting the hickory smell all night...perhaps to the ash slowly coming down on it? I then put the unlit charcoal on top of it. I held at 225-250 for at least 9 hours. I only put in a little more charcoal the next morning and after the whole 12 cook was done may have not been necessary. I also did this on 2 separate chicken cooks. I got quicker temps and managed it and both about 3 hour cooks on those using less fuel.
I was told when I had a UDS this was a bad idea but I also had problems when I owned that. Is there anything wrong with this method?
I've noticed several cooks using the minion method the temps kept falling and if I'm doing a cook overnight last thing I want to wake up to at 4 am to check it is showing temps well below 200. This used to be easy, quarter to a half lit chimney of kingsford blue on top of the unlit charcoal. Leave all the intakes open until over 225 then have all three slightly cracked open. Would have some wood chunks or a small split on top. It was taking forever to get hot and even then seemed was struggling to stay at 250 unless I left all the intake wide open and still struggled to get to 225. It's almost like all the sudden the wsm is having difficulties getting oxygen to the top of the lit coals. I've owed this about a year. I always cook it with no water as it was burning too much fuel quickly when I tried it with water.
I was watching a video on a gravity feeder and uses wood in the ash pan or a grate right above it, lighted charcoal down the chute then puts unlit charcoal afterwards. I tried this method on my wsm for a 12 hour cook. Whether placing the small split below the grate does anything I don't know but seemed like I was getting the hickory smell all night...perhaps to the ash slowly coming down on it? I then put the unlit charcoal on top of it. I held at 225-250 for at least 9 hours. I only put in a little more charcoal the next morning and after the whole 12 cook was done may have not been necessary. I also did this on 2 separate chicken cooks. I got quicker temps and managed it and both about 3 hour cooks on those using less fuel.
I was told when I had a UDS this was a bad idea but I also had problems when I owned that. Is there anything wrong with this method?
