Longer cooks... How to reload charcoal


 
K

KrisDecker

TVWBB Member
Hi all!

So, I am thinking about attempting my first pork butt on my 18.5" WSM. I seem to get 5-6 hours out of a load of coal (all this time, I have been thinking I have doing the minion method... apparently, I've been doing something that Meathead (amazing ribs site) calls 'Soo's Donut'--maybe a straight Minion Method setup will yield longer cook times?)...

So, my question is: how do folks add coal mid-cook? I have lit chimneys and used the door as a chute... I have used thongs.. I would assume that taking the WSM apart mid smoke would be very messy (even without water in the pan) and also risking dropping the food if jostled too much...

Am I missing other methods? I am assuming that adding via the door is the recommended approach, but wanted to ask the experts :)
 
hmm... that would make it a little easier... Will have to put a tarp down or something tho to protect from those inevitable drips/spills...
 
You should be able to get 11-13 hours out of one load of charcoal. I very rarely have to add coals to my 18.5 You can search YouTube for the minion method and I'm sure you'll improve your burn time.
 
I really am not trying to plug an alternate site-- I just find myself over there and in here a bunch :)

I am thinking the 'hot coals in a pile' approach (I think that is what I have been doing) may not last as long as the original minion method. I'll try that next cook. I eventually want to try a brisket over night, and I dont want to wake up to tend the fire (I bought a stoker), so I am trying to see what I can do to get closer to 8-10 hours out of my coal load ;)
 
KrisDecker said:
I really am not trying to plug an alternate site-- I just find myself over there and in here a bunch :)
Click to expand...
Oh I wasn't thinking that at all Kris.
I go to meathead's site often too, lots of great info there.
Just thought it might save some searching.
 
I rarely have to add coals to the fire since I quit using water.
I made this for adding coals - lit or unlit through the door of the WSM.

PICT0865_zpsohepresh.jpg


It doesn't get much action these days.
 
KrisDecker said:
I've been doing something that Meathead (amazing ribs site) calls 'Soo's Donut'--maybe a straight Minion Method setup will yield longer cook times?)...
Click to expand...

I'd never heard of "Soo's Donut", but it's basically the same as the "tin can minion" method that some folks here (myself included) use. I typically only use it for long cooks (over 6-8 hours). You get a big tin can that's open on both ends (some folks use a coffee can, the one I use originally held pineapple juice), place it in the middle of the charcoal grate and fill it with unlit briquettes. Then, fill the rest of the area between the can and the ring with unlit. I fill it up all the way to the top, usually mounding it a bit, then place a few chunks of smoke wood on top (usually at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock). Then, transfer the briqs from the tin can to your chimney (my tin can holds about 25) and get them started. When they're fully lit and ashed over, carefully pour (or place using tongs) the lit charcoal into the tin can; once they're all in, slide the tin can up and out (carefully! It'll be quite hot).

In my experience, this makes more efficient use of the fuel because it's burning the whole stack, top to bottom. The traditional minion method (dumping lit charcoal onto a big heap of unlit) is burning the fuel from the top down and fairly evenly (assuming the lit is spread evenly across the top), so it tends to burn faster (again, in my experience). I think there's also an advantage in terms of ash control. With a whole stack burning, the spent ash can fall directly through the grate, but with the traditional minion method, the ash falls down into the unlit charcoal and block the airflow through the stack.
 
So Chad (or anyone who can answer), would you say the burn time of "Soo's Donut" is about the same as the traditional minion method? And the temperature?

It seems since the whole stack is burning, it might be hotter and shorter, since more is lit, and it's just burning "out" vs. minion being less lit, and burning both "out" and "down". But I have no idea.

Thanks,
Jason
 
I use my wife's gardening shovel. but since I've "mastered" the minon I haven't had to refill in a long time.
 
ChadVKealey said:
I'd never heard of "Soo's Donut", but it's basically the same as the "tin can minion" method that some folks here (myself included) use. I typically only use it for long cooks (over 6-8 hours). You get a big tin can that's open on both ends (some folks use a coffee can, the one I use originally held pineapple juice), place it in the middle of the charcoal grate and fill it with unlit briquettes. Then, fill the rest of the area between the can and the ring with unlit. I fill it up all the way to the top, usually mounding it a bit, then place a few chunks of smoke wood on top (usually at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock). Then, transfer the briqs from the tin can to your chimney (my tin can holds about 25) and get them started. When they're fully lit and ashed over, carefully pour (or place using tongs) the lit charcoal into the tin can; once they're all in, slide the tin can up and out (carefully! It'll be quite hot).

In my experience, this makes more efficient use of the fuel because it's burning the whole stack, top to bottom. The traditional minion method (dumping lit charcoal onto a big heap of unlit) is burning the fuel from the top down and fairly evenly (assuming the lit is spread evenly across the top), so it tends to burn faster (again, in my experience). I think there's also an advantage in terms of ash control. With a whole stack burning, the spent ash can fall directly through the grate, but with the traditional minion method, the ash falls down into the unlit charcoal and block the airflow through the stack.
Click to expand...

the key is to use very few coals to start the minion (9-12 on a warm day) and let the wsm come up to temp slowly.
 
I bought an ash tool for the biggest Big Green Egg and use that to stir the coals as well as push the coals into a pile away from the door when i add more charcoal. That way the fire burns into the cold charcoal and doesn't put off all the gray smoke.
 
Jason Paul said:
So Chad (or anyone who can answer), would you say the burn time of "Soo's Donut" is about the same as the traditional minion method? And the temperature?

It seems since the whole stack is burning, it might be hotter and shorter, since more is lit, and it's just burning "out" vs. minion being less lit, and burning both "out" and "down". But I have no idea.

Thanks,
Jason
Click to expand...

In my experience, I've gotten slightly longer burn times with the donut/tin-can method vs. the standard minion. When I first got my WSM, I did a couple overnight butt cooks with the standard method and found that temps started dropping around 9-10 hours. Stirring the coals helped, but I had to add another chimney full of briquettes to finish the cook (total cook time of about 14-15 hours). Since switching to the tin-can method, I usually make it 11-12 hours in before needing to tend the fire or add charcoal. I still add about a chimney full, but end up with more reusable/unburnt fuel after shutting things down. But, again, that's been my experience, yours may vary.
 
Matt H. said:
the key is to use very few coals to start the minion (9-12 on a warm day) and let the wsm come up to temp slowly.
Click to expand...

I mostly use this on overnight cooks and nowadays almost always use a PartyQ ATC. With about 20 lit coals, it's usually at cooking temp (~240-250) within about a half hour. Except for that one time that I forgot to open the lid vent...it took FOREVER to get that going (until a buddy noticed the closed vent). :confused:
 
wow! A lot of discussion since I last checked in :)

I dont want to rehash my other thread (about using the auber), but I am basically trying to get confidence that I can get over 8 hours on a load of coal. My average seems to be around 5-6 hours, then I start dropping temp. I am wonder if I am not loading enough coal initially.

In terms of this thread, it seems I should:
--> Try using a tin can. Might get more coal in there this way
--> Do what I've been doing in terms of adding coal (thru the door, use a shovel or thongs to get the new coal in there. Experiment with lit/unlit/half-half
 
Kris, only recommendation is to add new unlit briqs only when boston butt/ brisket is wrapped (w/paper for brisket, w/aluminium for BB)
 
ChadVKealey said:
I mostly use this on overnight cooks and nowadays almost always use a PartyQ ATC. With about 20 lit coals, it's usually at cooking temp (~240-250) within about a half hour. Except for that one time that I forgot to open the lid vent...it took FOREVER to get that going (until a buddy noticed the closed vent). :confused:
Click to expand...

well it's a tad colder in PA then California. I imagine you use more charcoal than I do.
 
I rarely if ever have to reload charcoal... I can easily get 12 hours out of one minion method cook.
 
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