Minion Method


 
M

Matt Mills

TVWBB Member
When using the minion method, does it take a long time to get the WSM up to cooking temp? I'd like to try it out soon but the cold weather of the far north makes getting preferred cooking temp tough to achieve.
 
No not really. Load up the charcoal ring with un-lit and start with a little more lit then necessary and you should be up to temps in an hour.
I load the meat on right away when I'm assembling the WSM, waiting for an empty WSM to come up to temp in frigid conditions then opening the lid and adding meat is counterproductive.:wsm:

On edit: I should add I only use an empty foiled pan ( no water ) and I shoot for 275ish.
Tim
 
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Thanks for the advice. I normally cook ribs at 225 which normally 5.5-6 hours. I normally use water but I will have to no water next time I try a cold weather cook. Been meaning to try it to see what difference it makes to the cook.
 
What timothy says.
Make sure the charcoal ring is jammed packed. I also put the meat on straight away & bring it all up to temp together. No need to lift the lid until it's done!
Edit: I don't use water or the water pan. I use a foiled terracotta pizza serving plate that sits on the same tabs as the waterpan.
 
I usually wait until the lit coals start lighting the unlit (usually about 5-10 minutes) before assembling the WSM when it's cold. Like TonyUK, I put the meat on immediately. Temp comes up pretty quickly.
 
Jim Minion used to participate here many years ago. I wonder if he ever sneaks a peak anymore.
 
You didn't mention it, but are your bottom vents all the way open when you light the smoker? If not, do so. When it gets close to the start temp you can start tweaking the vents to stabilize the temps.

When it's windy or cold I use a welding blanket and a wind barrier (plywood wall) to keep the wind form blowing the heat away.
 
I started a cook a few weeks ago at 20*F using the minion/Soo's donut method and I was able to hit a grate temp of 245* in about 25-30 minutes. That was using a full ring of charcoal, lit with a half a (small) chimney of lit briquettes, a full water pan of near boiling water, and all the vents wide open. In my experience, I haven't had any issues getting the WSM back up to temp once I put the meat on in cold temps. I've also found out it's a good idea to have extra fuel on hand for long cooks or using water in the pan when smoking in cold temps without an insulator.
 
I keep a temp log for my cooks on the 18"WSM.

When I started using the WSM and the minion method I'd wait to put meat on after pouring 20 lit briquettes in the middle.

With no meat on, and no water in the pan, temps would come up to 275-300F (using the dome thermometer) in 10-12 minutes (bottom vents wide full open as well as the top).

One time I got lazy and just put the meat on right after pouring the coals - the temp comes up slower cuz the cool meat is a heat sink (esp a pork butt or brisket), but I haven't been able to tell any difference in the taste. So I just go with that.

ymmv...
 
Bob H. said:
Jim Minion used to participate here many years ago. I wonder if he ever sneaks a peak anymore.
Click to expand...
He hasn't visited the forum for a couple of years. We had a brief email correspondence in 2015 and he said he was playing a lot of golf and cooking que for family parties. Good to know he's still kicking around up there in Washington state! :wsm:
 
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