When to add the meat


 
N

Neil Guest

New member
I know it sounds a daft question but after I have used the minion method to start the charcoal, how long do I wait before adding my meat?
 
You will get a million answers on this, but i wait until the smoke clears then I add my wood and my meat at the same time. It usually takes about an hour from the time you initially light your coals to adding meat and wood.
 
I add my meat when I get a nice thin blue smoke. Usually about 35 min after I start my fire.
 
I'll buck the trend here Neil. When doing the minion, as soon as I put the lit coals on the unlit, (tin-can method), I stick on a lump of wood, assemble the cooker & put the meat on straight away. It takes a little longer for the temps to come up as you're heating the meat on the way up. I've found that if I wait I get a temp drop when the meat goes on. In my experience, billowing smoke or thin blue smoke has not had any adverse effect on the finished product. And that initial chunk of wood burns off pretty quick anyway. You don't have to put a chunk of wood directly on the lit coals straight away. You can wait until the buried chunks start to catch & smoulder. I also find that it's easier to catch the temp on the way up, with everything assembled and the meat on.

As Franks says, you'll get a gazillion different answers on this. None are right or wrong. Just people's preferences.
 
I put large cuts on as soon as possible.... I don't wait for the temp to get where I want to cook. The white smoke has little effect on the final product. Chicken I'll wait.
 
Generally I add the lit coals to the bed of unlit, fill the water pan with hot water, go upstairs to add to rub the meat, then back down to smoker and put it on. Sometimes this is 5 mins sometimes closer to 30.
 
Frank L said:
You will get a million answers on this, but i wait until the smoke clears then I add my wood and my meat at the same time. It usually takes about an hour from the time you initially light your coals to adding meat and wood.
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I do the same. This way I know the smoke I see is coming from the wood.
 
L
TonyUK said:
I'll buck the trend here Neil. When doing the minion, as soon as I put the lit coals on the unlit, (tin-can method), I stick on a lump of wood, assemble the cooker & put the meat on straight away. It takes a little longer for the temps to come up as you're heating the meat on the way up. I've found that if I wait I get a temp drop when the meat goes on. In my experience, billowing smoke or thin blue smoke has not had any adverse effect on the finished product. And that initial chunk of wood burns off pretty quick anyway. You don't have to put a chunk of wood directly on the lit coals straight away. You can wait until the buried chunks start to catch & smoulder. I also find that it's easier to catch the temp on the way up, with everything assembled and the meat on.

As Franks says, you'll get a gazillion different answers on this. None are right or wrong. Just people's preferences.
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I do the same. I don't want to waste an hour worth of fuel or cook time. Also once you hit your temp, it will fluctuate again once you open the lid and put the meat on so you have to mess with the vents again. JMHO. :)
 
You'll also get a better smoke ring if you put the meat on early. I do that and like to put it on cold and wet.
 
I bury the chucks of wood and wait until the white smoke clears. Usually I try and dial the temp in at 25° higher so when I add the meat I'm right where I want to be temp wise...
 
I am in the "add the lit, add the wood and put the meat on" camp. Never had an issue with off taste from the few minutes of white smoke.
 
Frank L said:
You will get a million answers on this, but i wait until the smoke clears then I add my wood and my meat at the same time. It usually takes about an hour from the time you initially light your coals to adding meat and wood.
Click to expand...
JRAiona said:
I do the same. This way I know the smoke I see is coming from the wood.
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Do you guys get smoke when you first put the hot coals in? (Assuming there is no wood). I don't get any smoke unless there is buried wood or a piece on top.

Could this be because of the type of fuel being used? IME Weber 240's & Aussie Heat Beads don't give off smoke when being used minion style without wood. I would have thought that if the lump/briqs give off smoke during the cook the food would taste awful………I think. :confused:

I'm interested to hear others experience / opinions. Thanks. :)
 
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TonyUK said:
Do you guys get smoke when you first put the hot coals in? (Assuming there is no wood). I don't get any smoke unless there is buried wood or a piece on top.

Could this be because of the type of fuel being used? IME Weber 240's & Aussie Heat Beads don't give off smoke when being used minion style without wood. I would have thought that if the lump/briqs give off smoke during the cook the food would taste awful………I think. :confused:

I'm interested to hear others experience / opinions. Thanks. :)
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It's probably because most here in the US use Kingsford Blue Bag. It smokes like a cheap cigar. Hardwood Lump does not smoke as much and therefore gets you cookin sooner (IMHO).

Personally, I wait until no visible smoke then add the food and smoke wood. Like others before me have said - that way I know the smoke I see is from the wood I added.
 
Thanks Dwain, that was my initial thoughts.

The only un-wanted smoke I get is when I'm firing up the 10 / 12 briqs to put in the tin-can. Black & acrid like a 20¢ stogie.

Once they're ashed over I get no smoke at all when I put them in the middle of the unlit.
 
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..agree w/ around 200. I've always done it like that, I think it's kind of a personal preference thing.
 
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I will add that if the smoke looks ugly that you better open the door for a few minutes. The other day it started pouring rain so I just ran inside... It definitely burned dirty for too long bc there was a hint of bitter smoke. Probably only the second time I wasn't a happy with the flavor. I've been doing this awhile. A little white smoke has never affected the final product from my experience.
 
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