"Little Minion"


 
B

Bob Haskins

TVWBB Member
Does anyone use the Minion Method for shorter cooks? Same method, just add less charcoal to the pit before adding small amount of lit coals. What's the difference if it's 240 for a 6 hour cook or 20 hour cook? Been great for me. Don't like the standard method and the MM is easier to control. Just curious.
 
Bob, I am glad you asked this question. I was pondering this earlier today. For a six hour rib cook, I am guessing that I would put about 2 chimneys of Kingsford in the in the ring and light 15-18 briquettes?? This seems like a better plan to me than waiting for two chimneys to ash over and then for the grate temp to drop.

Please let me know if there is something wrong with this plan.
 
I'll share my experience if you like...You don't need two chimneys to do ribs a la Minion. 1.25 will probably do just fine. Same 20 - 30 coals as well.
 
I have alot of training as a cook but not alot as a Q'er. On this board I will probably be considered a heretic because I don't measure anything I cook. Most is common sense and a good feel. As far as coals I don't measure those either but the 1 1/2 sounds about right and the 25 or so lit also sounds good.
 
Bob, 25 lit seems like an awful lot. Kevin K just replied to a similar question on a similar thread and it makes sense. The more lit you put on the more coals ignite,the hotter the burn and quicker the burn
 
I use MM for rib cooks. Like Keri, I light the world for yardbird and turkey; never put fish in the smoker, YET. I fill the ring up to about 1 briquet thickness shy of level full and use 15-20 lit to start it. Like Bob, after the first time or two, I tend to estimate rather than measure.
 
I use the lazy way......
Fill the ring to the top with lump.....
put the chimney full with the electric lighter in it on top the full ring..........
dump it on top when going good about 10 minutes....

when the cook is done close the vents .. fire goes out.

next time shake the few ashes from the good lump....

fill up the ring and go again....

seems to hit the temp fast and never runs out during a cook....

P.S never worked when I was using briquettes
to much ash and relit coals never burned well.
 
I bury 3 large chunks of peach wood and 1 large chunk of cherry in half a ring of Kingsford. I add 25-30 lit briquets and a lit chunk of peach.
I than add hot tap water to water pan, put on meat, and than leave the top of the wsm open a crack. This drives the temp up very fast. When it gets to where i want it (like 275 for ribs) I close it up and adjust the vents.

I use this method all year long. In the winter I put less water in the pan.

btw, a half a ring of charcoal seems to last about 8-9 hours. But most of my cooks are about 6 or 7, so I'm only guessing.
 
I use the Minion method for everything, long or short, except when I want the high heat. I just vary the amount of unlit I start with.
 
"Little Minion"? Sounds to me like it should be called "Mini Minion".

Bad pun - but I could not resist it! Ha!

Ray
 
Never even thought about a little minion. I use a full ring no matter how long I think the cook will take. I don't understand why you'd want to risk running short during the cook and having to add more charcoal.
 
Jerry, I think that folks like to plan their cooks so that they don't have too many leftover coals because those partially-spent coals don't burn as well or as long as new coals for the next cook. It's a matter of being economical. Others might have more opinions on that, though.
 
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