Lighting charcoal for a long slow cook


 
D

Dave Russell

TVWBB Honor Circle
I lit my Stubbs briquettes last night in three spots with my weedburner torch, as I've done before. On other occasions, I've tried to light the whole layer with the torch, and some times I just top off my unlit with a layer of chimney lit briquettes.

This time though, I had my upwind vent shut entirely, and that side ended up choked out, while the coals on the other side were glowing. Thankfully, the pork butt on the lower grate by that vent didn't turn black, as it was definately a hot spot.

What's your favorite way to light your charcoal for a long cook? I noticed that the Southern Living Big Book of BBQ editors are proponents of the bottomless coffee can method. I've never tried that, but might if I'm convinced of the merits.

Thanks for any tips! Dave
 
I just pour about 15-20 lit coals into an indention in the center of the unlit. Also, I open or close all 3 vents equally (another whole debate). If there is a strong wind, I put up some plywood for a wind break. Never had any problems.
 
Dave,with the MM,you can't go wrong. Light 15-20 briquettes in your chimney. When they get lit,dump over a full chamber of charcoal. It won't get super hot because you don't start with that many lit. Then after you get up to temp,close your vents to maintain the low temps. Easy peasy! HTH
 
The coffee can idea was the first method I tried. Then just spreading 15~20 briqs over the top. meh, no discernable difference in burn or results.
 
Originally posted by Lew:
I just pour about 15-20 lit coals into an indention in the center of the unlit. Also, I open or close all 3 vents equally (another whole debate). If there is a strong wind, I put up some plywood for a wind break. Never had any problems.
Click to expand...

Lew, there was only a slight breeze, not enough to warrant a windbreak. You would think that equal vent settings would eliminate hotspots to a good degree, but the tradeoff is all the unwanted air circulation in your cooker robbing it of moisture and BTU's. IOW, you would think that the fanning of the coals from the upwind vent would raise temps, but it doesn't seem to be a good tradeoff. Like you said, though, it's entirely another issue, but like you, I always use a windbreak if there's any discernible breeze..... unless it's really hot and the breeze is really light like last night.

....so you make a little depression in the middle and pile the lit coals there...never tried that...just a single layer of chimney lit unless I use the torch.
 
Originally posted by TravisH:
The coffee can idea was the first method I tried. Then just spreading 15~20 briqs over the top. meh, no discernable difference in burn or results.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input, Travis. I might try the can for kicks...lol.
 
Originally posted by Phil Perrin:
Dave,with the MM,you can't go wrong. Light 15-20 briquettes in your chimney. When they get lit,dump over a full chamber of charcoal. It won't get super hot because you don't start with that many lit. Then after you get up to temp,close your vents to maintain the low temps. Easy peasy! HTH
Click to expand...

I don't know where to find Duraflame charcoal around here.
 
Dave,I'm confused by your response. I'm an original K sort of guy!
icon_smile.gif
 
Originally posted by Dave Russell:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TravisH:
The coffee can idea was the first method I tried. Then just spreading 15~20 briqs over the top. meh, no discernable difference in burn or results.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input, Travis. I might try the can for kicks...lol. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Surely, experimentation is half the fun.
icon_wink.gif
 
Originally posted by Phil Perrin:
Dave,I'm confused by your response. I'm an original K sort of guy!
icon_smile.gif
Click to expand...

Jim Minion used Duraflame when he came up with his method, if not mistaken....but actually, I'm kind of kidding.

The point is that what makes Minion's method unique is not how you light the top of your charcoal, but that you light the top of your charcoal... What makes it "Minion" is that all that unlit charcoal is already in place in the chamber, vs. the instructions that have came with every wsm since day one.

You can use a torch, a chimney, or whatever. I guess the coffee can method is pretty much the same, with the difference being that the fire burns out, not down. Know what I mean? Check out the popularity of the UDS, or upright drum smokers. I've made a couple....no fun pouring lit coals down into a drum from a chimney! The torch is the ticket, there, for sure.

Still, I more often than not use the chimney with my wsm...so yeah, it's the MM for me, as well.
icon_smile.gif
 
Thanks. I was just wondering what the %$@& ! Now it's been cleared up.
Yeah,I can see where emptying a chimney down into a BDS could be a hazard. But that's why I love my WSM. It's a no-brainer for operating! Ron Popeil ain't got nothing on "set it and forget it" like the WSM!
 
My little variation to the classic MM is to place the lit in a depression on one side of the cold.I normally close 1 bottom vent 100% for low and slow. Leave the 2 open vents closest to the lit. No apparent hot spots in my experience. Still gotta close down the vents before getting to target temps.
 
Fill ring.
Spread ~15-20 lit on top.
Add wood and meat
At about 200, if you are looking for about 250-260, close bottom vents to 50%. At about 225, adjust to ~20% open. Adjust one or two vents thereafter as needed. JMO, works for me. I don't care for placing all the lit in one spot, because that side of the cooker will be hotter than the rest and might make for uneven cooking
 
Kingsford's cheap, and the weather's been just about the same way every day lately (hot and humid), so I might waste some charcoal for the heck of it. I'll compare the coffee can method, the even lit layer, and the little lit pile in the middle.

Thanks for the ideas!
 
Originally posted by Dave/G:
Fill ring.
Spread ~15-20 lit on top.
Add wood and meat
At about 200, if you are looking for about 250-260, close bottom vents to 50%. At about 225, adjust to ~20% open. Adjust one or two vents thereafter as needed. JMO, works for me. I don't care for placing all the lit in one spot, because that side of the cooker will be hotter than the rest and might make for uneven cooking
Click to expand...

Yeah Dave. I'm kind of thinking that your conventional wisdom here might prevail.
 
I use the MM have since day 1 and I lite my K with a torch only because I already had one here and it works great. Duno if I would run out and buy a torch just to fire up coal but it is nice to have . I always use K tried lump family didn't llike the taste and personaly found K to burn longer and more consistent ymmv of course . I also add my meat the second the cooker is put together don't wana waste good smoke and persnaly we have found NO off taste
wsmsmile8gm.gif
 
Originally posted by Guy Wallace:
I use the MM have since day 1 and I lite my K with a torch only because I already had one here and it works great. Duno if I would run out and buy a torch just to fire up coal but it is nice to have . I always use K tried lump family didn't llike the taste and personaly found K to burn longer and more consistent ymmv of course . I also add my meat the second the cooker is put together don't wana waste good smoke and persnaly we have found NO off taste
wsmsmile8gm.gif
Click to expand...

Guy, do you try to light the entire ring, just the middle, or what?
 
Originally posted by Dave Russell:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Guy Wallace:
I use the MM have since day 1 and I lite my K with a torch only because I already had one here and it works great. Duno if I would run out and buy a torch just to fire up coal but it is nice to have . I always use K tried lump family didn't llike the taste and personaly found K to burn longer and more consistent ymmv of course . I also add my meat the second the cooker is put together don't wana waste good smoke and persnaly we have found NO off taste
wsmsmile8gm.gif
Click to expand...

Guy, do you try to light the entire ring, just the middle, or what? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I lite off about 15 briquets in my chimney starter then place them all around the top of a full load a unlit K with a pair tongs ! That seems to get a nice even burn off thru the whole cook with no hot spots !

When Iam done say on a shorter cook for like ribs I just shut the vents and save what I didn't use for the next cook . right now I have a half full ring that didn't burn from a 5 hr rib cook the other day ! So Iam gona do butts this weekend so I will just shake the ring a little to get rid of any ash left and dump what I need to fill the ring and Minion the new fire same as always .

But I personaly like to start with a full ring on every cook .Iam sure no expert I learned from these guys here and then applied it to what works for me that and a few adult beverages on hand and all cooks go stress free . And remeber you can eat your mistakes
wsmsmile8gm.gif


One more thing when I use water I let the temp climb close to my targer befor shuting down the vents some what BUT with a saucer I start shuting down the vents befor it gets to my target temp UNLESS Iam shooting for hi heat . Low and slow with the saucer you gotta catch the heat temp on the way up or it a spike ! With water its a better buffer and gives you more room for control IMO so I shut them down on the way up but closer to my taget temp because it takes longer to get the temp up with water even starting with hot or warm water again IMHO . Iam a low and slow kina cooker person anyway so I like using water .
 
Originally posted by Guy Wallace:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Guy Wallace:
I use the MM have since day 1 and I lite my K with a torch only because I already had one here and it works great. Duno if I would run out and buy a torch just to fire up coal but it is nice to have . I always use K tried lump family didn't llike the taste and personaly found K to burn longer and more consistent ymmv of course . I also add my meat the second the cooker is put together don't wana waste good smoke and persnaly we have found NO off taste
wsmsmile8gm.gif
Click to expand...

Guy, do you try to light the entire ring, just the middle, or what? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I lite off about 15 briquets in my chimney starter then place them all around the top of a full load a unlit K with a pair tongs ! That seems to get a nice even burn off thru the whole cook with no hot spots !

When Iam done say on a shorter cook for like ribs I just shut the vents and save what I didn't use for the next cook . right now I have a half full ring that didn't burn from a 5 hr rib cook the other day ! So Iam gona do butts this weekend so I will just shake the ring a little to get rid of any ash left and dump what I need to fill the ring and Minion the new fire same as always .

But I personaly like to start with a full ring on every cook . </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Guy, thanks for the tips. When you said torch, I thought you meant skipping the chimney altogether. That's cool though. I usually try to have an even lit layer on the top to start with as well. On another note, don't get G. Wiviott's book (he's interviewed here). You might not believe a word he says, especially about charcoal. He says to always use lump, never charcoal like K, and to never reuse what's left since charcoal absorbs odors. He's got money to burn, man! lol...
 
Iam to cheap to toss perfectly good coal
icon_biggrin.gif
and I have never detected a foul taste . Iam also picky about taste so is my wife and if we tasted anything at all bad I would toss the old everytime but we never have so I use it . I don't have money to burn
wsmsmile8gm.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top