For a beginner, best coal- start method?

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Hello, all this is my first real post, and I love to Grill!! However, I want to master the art of barbequeing, too. I purchased a WSM last year but with my first few smokes, I had a LOT of trouble keeping the temperature below 300. I would put about two chimneys of unlit coals in the bottom, and then mix in about 8-10 lit coals. Once all of the coals were lit, I would close the vents, put the 8# pork butt on, and then watch the temp soar!!

Would another method work better, say the Minion Method?
 
You can't go wrong with the Minion Method. I usually start with 10-20 lit briquettes on a full ring of charcoal and then start shutting down the vents once my lid temp hits about 200 degrees.
 
Tom,
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Once all of the coals were lit, I would close the vents... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I think you are letting the fire get away from you before you start cooking. I don't wait for all the coals to get started. I put the lit coals on top of the unlit, assemble the WSM, and set the lower vents at 1/4 or 1/2. The temperature will come up to cooking range and the vents are tweaked to hold it.

Once that ring full of fuel gets started, you'll have a hard time keeping the temperature in range.

Jim
 
You are basically starting the WSM with two full chimneys of hot coals, which is going to be way too much. If you’re doing pork butt is much easier to use the minion method. Go to http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/fireup1.html for the various starting methods. The advantage with the minion method is you can ramp up to the desired temperature. If you start with too many hot coals you have to ramp down to the desired temperature, which takes more time and tweaking of the vents. It’s also better to wait for the temps to stabilize before you put the meat on. I usually start the charcoal about an hour before I need to start cooking; 20 minutes to start 15 – 20 briquettes in the chimney, put them on the un-lit briquettes in the charcoal ring, and then about 40 minutes to adjust the vents to reach the desired temps.
 
Just a note of caution; if you are using the Minion Method, be careful not to open the door or remove the top section for very long. If you do this allows a lot more air into the WSM and will cause the temps to ramp up quickly.

Ken
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Once all of the coals were lit, I would close the vents, put the 8# pork butt on, and then watch the temp soar!! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Did you fill the ring, put some lit coals and then wait until the all coals were lit before putting on the middle of the WSM?

That would basically be the standard method.
You fill the ring, put some hot coals on, put the WSM together, put the meat on and start watching your temp. I leave the vents 100% open for a while until I get a sense that the temp is rising. Then I close off the vents as the temp comes up to target.

Try that!
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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 Ken Keating:
You are basically starting the WSM with two full chimneys of hot coals, which is going to be way too much. If you’re doing pork butt is much easier to use the minion method. Go to http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/fireup1.html for the various starting methods. The advantage with the minion method is you can ramp up to the desired temperature. If you start with too many hot coals you have to ramp down to the desired temperature, which takes more time and tweaking of the vents. It’s also better to wait for the temps to stabilize before you put the meat on. I usually start the charcoal about an hour before I need to start cooking; 20 minutes to start 15 – 20 briquettes in the chimney, put them on the un-lit briquettes in the charcoal ring, and then about 40 minutes to adjust the vents to reach the desired temps. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I put the meat on when I assemble the cooker.

When I dump the lit chimney onto the bed of unlit lump, I assemble the cooker, put the meat on, and regulate temps on the way up.

Especially with large cuts of meat.
 
Craig:

Good point; you can also start cooking immediately once you put the briquettes on. I usually wait to put the meat on because I always throw about three chunks on wood on top of the chimney. When the briquettes are ready the wood in the chimney is burning pretty good, however, when I dump the chimney into the charcoal chamber and assemble the WSM, the wood and unlit briquettes begin to smolder with the thick sooty type smoke. After about 40 minutes this type of smoke disappears and it becomes more of the clear/light smoke. There’s something about the sooty type smoke I just don’t like. Are there any issues with this type of smoke for short periods of time?

Ken
 
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