How many lit coals?


 
I

I. Nelson

New member
Hi all -
Second question of the day from a newbie.
For the minion method in an 18.5 wsm, how many lit coals do you recommend? I've seen a wide range in what I've read - from 15 coals all the way up to a full chimney. I want a 225-250 temp for pulled pork. I'm leaning towards 15-20 coals but I have no idea if that's the way to go.
Any recommendations?
Thanks!
 
Did a couple of racks the other day: 20 lit in the coffee can centre surrounded by 1/2 ring of unlit (R.O.) in an 18" WSM gave me 4 1/2 hours at 250o.
 
I'm still a puppy at this myself but I've had good luck using 20 lit coals in a chimney. Typically I spread them around and leave all three bottom vents open until the temp reaches at least 200F. Good Luck!
 
15-20 for me. I want it to come up slow since I run with a naked pan. Closer to 20 if I am loading it full with meat.
 
I light my charcoal pile in 2 places with a high output propane torch. I probably hit about 10 coals altogether. I used to use a chimney, this is much easier.

Bob
 
It's like the popular adult diaper brand....
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Originally posted by Dave Russell:
It's like the popular adult diaper brand....
icon_biggrin.gif
Click to expand...

Sorry. I know that's old as....(there I go again!)

You'll get lots of opinions, but it depends on amount of meat, type of charcoal/lump, weather, what's in the pan, and obviously, the desired cooking temp.

Try a weed-burning torch and you won't care anymore.
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I usually use 20 - but I live in the Los Angeles area where its springtime weather pretty much all year around. In colder weather you might want to go with a little more - maybe 30. Or you could do like these other guys and do the weed-burner thing. That's what I love about BBQ - there really is no right or wrong (unless you boil your ribs...that's just WRONG!!!) it's all about what works best for you and your food - and of course the people eating it. Good luck.
 
As with all things barbeque, you need to do some trial and error to find what works best for you at the location where you are cooking.

I recommend that you start with about 10-15 fully lit and ashed over coals as a starting point and go from there. If that amount tends to overshoot your desired cooking temperature, reduce the number and if it takes too long to reach the temperature you desire, start with a few more the next time around.

I also recommend that you allow the briquettes around the added lit fuel to become engaged before you add meat to the cooker. I am not an advocate of adding meat to the cooker as the temperature is rising as I think the more acrid smoke from the still engaging briquettes adds an unpleasant taste to the meat. This is my personal opinion and I know that others feel differently about this. I have found, especially with large cuts like pork butt and brisket, that the large cold mass added to the cooker will bring the cooker temperature down because it acts like a heat sink and adding it prior to the cooker reaching the desired cooking temperature only adds to the delay in reaching that temperature in the first place.

So, in summary, light your starter fuel, add it to the cooker, allow the surrounding material to engage and the cooker to come up to temperature, add your meat and smoke wood, monitor the cooker until the desired temperature is reached again. That's what I do and it has served my competition team very well.

Best of luck!
 
Thanks so much to everyone for these great
Tips. I'll be giving it a go tomorrow morning. Think I'll try 20 obso coals and full ring of unlit. Happy smoking!
 
Originally posted by Vincent Carrocci:
...I also recommend that you allow the briquettes around the added lit fuel to become engaged before you add meat to the cooker. I am not an advocate of adding meat to the cooker as the temperature is rising as I think the more acrid smoke from the still engaging briquettes adds an unpleasant taste to the meat. This is my personal opinion and I know that others feel differently about this. I have found, especially with large cuts like pork butt and brisket, that the large cold mass added to the cooker will bring the cooker temperature down because it acts like a heat sink and adding it prior to the cooker reaching the desired cooking temperature only adds to the delay in reaching that temperature in the first place.

So, in summary, light your starter fuel, add it to the cooker, allow the surrounding material to engage and the cooker to come up to temperature, add your meat and smoke wood, monitor the cooker until the desired temperature is reached again.
Click to expand...

Call that a "modified Minion method" or whatever. I finally learned today that Vincent is spot on about briquettes smoking before engaged. It takes some patience, but most or all of the top layer should be ashed over to get a clean burn going. So if you do wait for the top layer of briqs to start burning clean, the cooker should be up to temp when putting meat on so that you're not fighting it in terms of temps/times.
 
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