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Does the Minion Method Add an Upleasant Flavor?


 
S

Steve Williams

New member
I thought the point of burning charcoal until it was white-ashen all over, was to burn away some of the undesirable flavors in unburnt charcoal. If not, what is the point in waiting until charcoal is white, ask-covered, if the minion method tastes just as good?

Also, does it add more carcinogens to the meat?

Thanks.
 
Here's my take on this subject. You fire up some coals and they ash over/whiten but they are still black and unburned in the middle, so... If you were to wait till they were all glowing red and fully lit, you need a heck of a lot of charcoal to do a long cook.
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Some charcoals add some undesireables, while others do not. I don't use charcoal that starts with the letter K for reasons just mentioned.
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As far as adding more carcinogens, I have no idea.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Williams:
Bryan,

That's why I don't use that charcoal, either. I use hardwood charcoal. I've never understood why some folks prefer the former. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Fellow Lump user Dude!
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No worries. You won't get off flavors or smells
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from using the MM and lump.
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i was going to answere exactly the same when I opened the chat, minus the K part but I know what everyone means when they say that. I don't have many good options for charcoal around here, natural wood or not so im up a creek till I can talk someone into mailing me some, or ordering, and at that I just end up with lump, which is very good.
 
Actually, I wasn't talking about lump, although I do use that, too. I'm talking about various brands of charcoal briquettes that are from 100% hardwood and no petroleum products.

The lump burns a lot faster in my WSM than briquettes, so I use the briquettes for long cooks. I do like the smell of lump burning better, though.

I have a lot of some stuff called "Wildfire Gourmet Hickory Charcoal". It has little pieces of hickory in it. I'm not especially wild about it, because it burns fast and makes a lot of ash. I also have a ton of some stuff called "Brinkmann's Griller" (?), which is also hardwood charcoal. I haven't used it in a while, though.

I'm going to have to stock up on some more lump. Real lump. I tried a few bags of the Big Green Egg stuff, but was very disappointed to find it was construction scraps. Nothing like wondering what kinds of pressure-treat arsenic, paint, paint thinners and other chemicals might be in your charcoal.

Why is everyone referring to Kingsford as "K"? Are they a sponsor here, or something?

Thanks again.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Williams:
Why is everyone referring to Kingsford as "K"? Are they a sponsor here, or something?
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
No sponser. It's just easier to put the K intead of typing the whole thing out. Everybody knows what brand you mean with just using the K.
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the ashing over thing is more for grilling to me. as to the minion method, i think the coals light up and burn slowly enough that there is little of the "bad" stuff left to affect the meat. but i don't use the k stuff either. i use stuff that smells good so figure its ok. i havn't had something taste bad so thats all i really care about. lump is ideal but then again its not for everyone.
 
To the thread question, pretty sure the Minion method creator here or perhaps on another forum stated he 'only noticed the smell if there was a flame under K'.

With the lid on and vents open there isn't enough airflow for a flame to be maintained. No smell, no off taste.

I've thought perhaps a micro MM cook might not be a good idea because of this reason, but I've not noticed an off flavor on cold smokes (using Royal Oak Plus red bag briqs).

A few people might say they can taste a Minion method cook, I think the vast majority could not in a blind taste test, I sure can't.
 
Since I currently have both, I usually get the chimney starter about 1/2 to 3/4 full of briquettes, depending on the cook, then once they're ready, they go on top of a fat mound o' lump.



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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tom Chips:
Since I currently have both, I usually get the chimney starter about 1/2 to 3/4 full of briquettes, depending on the cook, then once they're ready, they go on top of a fat mound o' lump.

This is what I have done as well with great results.

If I was going to use briquettes for a MM smoke I would look for the ones labelled "all natural". I have used Maple Leaf briquettes, the binding agent is just wheat starch, with no added nasties...

Burt
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Burtess:
I have used Maple Leaf briquettes, the binding agent is just wheat starch, with no added nasties... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Burt, Not only was maple Leaf Lump, my favorite lump ever, their briqs were my favorite briq ever also. But they are just faded memories of days gone past.
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If you ever run into anybody with some pull up there, put in a word that us Southerners, would love it if they would start importing their lump down here again.
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I often start my lump with RO briqs.
 
I'd love to be able to try some Maple Leaf. The smoke from lump can and often does complement the smoke wood and overall flavor IMO.

I have used Humphrey's 100% Lump CB's to light my Humphrey Lump. Thing is the distributor I use doesn't always have the Briquettes. Other than that I just use all lump. I actually prefer that anyway (100% lump cooks) on the grill or WSM. But I'm not paying $20 for a 20lb bag either. I'm buying lump from a distributor at about half that.
 
Coming back to the original question in the post title...

Steve, you need to try MM using briquettes and lump and decide for yourself. Some people say they can taste the difference, but I have never been able to. In the opinion of my tastebuds, by the time you apply a generous amount of rub, smoke wood, and some sauce at the end, I just can't tell a difference. All that matters are your tastebuds.

I'm also a guy who can't tell the difference between a $6 bottle of wine and a $60 bottle, so maybe that explains it.
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Regards,
Chris
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chris Allingham:

I'm also a guy who can't tell the difference between a $6 bottle of wine and a $60 bottle, so maybe that explains it.
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Regards,
Chris </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Nicely put, I am the same. I do think I have a slightly more distinguished pallete then people who dont enjoy cooking, but as far as I can tell, even using K, I couldent tell a difference. I do very much enjoy the aroma of lump burning though, and would encourage the use of it for this reason alone. Just my opinion of course...

Brandon
 
I haven't yet. Did just a 6 hour cook on a full chamber of K, because it was C(heap) and F(ree). I used MM cause I didn't know how long it would take.

No taste and I had left over unburned K. Tasted fine to me.

And Kingsford is the best charcoal in the world when you didn't pay for it! I think it's pretty good when I DO pay for it! Not into lunmp yet. Cause I am not out of K yet! But it tastes D!!(licious!)
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Williams:
I tried a few bags of the Big Green Egg stuff, but was very disappointed to find it was construction scraps.

Thanks again. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are you sure it was BGE charcoal? Check out this This is some pretty good stuff!

Steve
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Z:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Williams:
I tried a few bags of the Big Green Egg stuff, but was very disappointed to find it was construction scraps.

Thanks again. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are you sure it was BGE charcoal? Check out this This is some pretty good stuff!

Steve </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Steve,

Thanks for the link. I have seen that review. Maybe my experience was a fluke, but I tried about three bags of it about 5 years ago (still have 3/4 of one of the bags in the garage). It had pieces of trim molding mixed in and you could even see the occasional dovetails on the end of some of it. I've never bought another brand of lump, so am confident it was BGE brand. I had bought 10 bags of it and gave 6 or 7 of the bags to my father for his BGE. I never saw what his bags looked like.

I'll try another bag and see. I hope it was just a fluke/bad batch. Does anyone know who carries the Royal Oak brand of lump? If it's cheaper and the same stuff, I would rather buy that.

Thanks again.

Steve
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I'll try another bag and </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I would highly recommend giving it another try. Also, look for Wicked Good lump, it's really good, too!

Steve
 
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