Minion method


 

E Brunner

TVWBB Member
I have been spreading the lit coals over the unlit coals and have averaged 10-12 hrs of cooking. I have yet to try placing the lit coals in a coffee can in the middle of the unlit coals and then remove the can. I am starting to plan a large cook and was wondering if anyone has any input on which way yields longer cook time.
 
I prefer dumping the hot coals on one end, then having them spread across the stack. I believe you get a longer burn time this way (though unverified).

Main thing I don't like about the can method is that your coals will likely light in all directions, increasing both fuel usage rate and cook temperatures. I no longer have a WSM, but earlier this summer, when I still had my 22" WSM, I'd planned on inserting a coal divider (basically a sheet of solid steel or aluminum) in the middle of the coal ring, leaving a 3" gap at one end to allow the coals to burn "around" to the other side. I wanted to see how long of a burn this would yield.

I may experiment with a variation of this on my 26.75" kettle.
 
I've tried the coffee can method and didn't notice a longer charcoal burn, and I also don't like the idea of a bunch of unlit briquettes exposed at the top of the fire. The biggest issue with the '09 and newer 18.5" wsm is charcoal capacity, since there's little distance from the pan to the fire. So to get a long cook, you need to pile up the charcoal in the ring as high as you can and still have clearance for the pan. Easy to do without a fire, so obviously, you can do that best by lighting with a propane weedburning torch and not having to worry if all the lit will fit under the pan.

Also, you can swap the Weber water pan out for a Brinkman water smoker charcoal pan to add a lot more clearance since it's bottom is flat. (Don't worry. It holds almost as much water as the huge Weber pan does.) So basically, I recommend either doing that or lighting with a weedburning torch for long cooks....and it wouldn't hurt to do both since charcoal useage can go up tremendously if you have a combination of lots of meat on both racks and less than ideal weather. Add water to the pan and you'll use even more, and that's something to think about as well. There'll be plenty of moisture in the pit if there's meat on both racks to prevent your bark from getting too dry or thick, as long as you manage your fire properly. HTH.
 
I've done both, and I like to dump in the amount of unlit that I'm gonna use and just clear out the center section kinda like a bowl, then I just empty my lit coal right in the center. Seems to work pretty good. When I would spread my lit coals around the top, it seemed to me that I wouldn't get as long a burn, but I can't prove it.
My .02
 
Not sure if you're using water, but my understanding is that using water uses more fuel. Also, when you fill the charcoal ring, fill it well and tighten up the charcoal (especially lump) so you get as much fuel in the ring as possible. After that, I don't think how you light it matters. It seems like fuel use is more a factor of what temp you're running. Personally, I just light a few coals and dump them in the middle of the pile.
 
I have yet to use water for a cook,I foil a clay saucer and place it in the pan. I should probably give it a try sometime.
 
I have yet to use water for a cook,I foil a clay saucer and place it in the pan. I should probably give it a try sometime.

If you ever do, try a spare or st. Louis rib cook and don't foil, shooting for a true 250*, not vent temp. Don't add any water to the pan during the cook, either. The water level should get pretty low toward the end of the cook and let the temp come up some to help set the bark.
 

 

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