Lump Question


 
R

Robert T.

TVWBB Super Fan
I mentioned elsewhere that I am doing my first lump cook tomorrow morning. I am cooking 2 butts totaling about 16 pounds. My question is if I want to do a normal Minion start, how much do I put in the chimney to light? I am used to using charcoal where I use aroun 12-15 to start. Any other suggestions on using the lump?

Thanks in advance.

Bob
 
Lump tends to spark quite a bit when lighting in a chimney so when I use it, I light Kingsford charcoal in the chimney and spread that out over the lump.

Bill
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I take 3-4 big pieces and a few smaller ones (way less than a 1/4 full chimney) and get them going really hot. I lay them out evenly on top of the unlit lump.

Be sure to give your charcoal ring a few shakes to fill in the gaps. Watch your temps going up. I shut down one vent 100% and the other 2 75% when it hits 200 degrees. The lump will get a big burst of air when you open the lid to add the food so I wait until it hits 215 and then add the food. After one hour I can usually hold a constant 250 degrees for 10+ hours.

Good luck and try to post some pics.
 
I think the most important thing to do when using lump on a long cook is to pack the ring and fill it up. To pack it, load the ring by pouring the charcoal in a couple layers at a time and moving the charcoal around with each layer to get rid of the gaps (air space).

As for lighting, I like to use briquettes for that (about 10-15). If I have to use lump, I use about 1/2 a chimney. It really doesn't matter. I'm from the school that says to make sure you get the fire lit the first time so I don't worry about using too much charcoal to start my MM cooks. I just shut the vents sooner and all is well.
 
You might want to pick up the charcoal grate for the 18" kettle if you plan on using lump in the WSM. It fits into the charcoal ring and helps prevent smaller pieces of lump from passing through the original grate.

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Branon,

Thanks for that idea. I did notice some pieces falling through when I loaded up with the lump this morning. I will have to find one.

Bob
 
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