Minion Method Using Lump in a WSM


 
E

Eugene A

TVWBB Fan
Hello, Everyone:

Newbie here...sort of. I'm still in the mode of trying different charcoals, different types, different brands, and so on. I got to thinkin' (yeah, I do that sometimes) -- is it ok to use lump in my WSM, and to use the minion method with lump? I was thinking of doing a test burn just to see how it handles, and to satisfy my own curiosity. So far, I used lump for grilling. Is the set-up for the minion method using lump the same as the set-up using briquettes? What about the placement of the smoking wood?

I'm just about finishing my run with KB. Next I'm going to try Kingsford Competition. I have a bag of a no-name brand of briquettes, and a bag or another brand name charcoal. I'm going to pick up a bag of Royal Oak from HD today.
 
yes to everything. you can use lump, you can do the minion, you put the wood in the same place . . . Go for it. The one thing that you have to pay attention to is packing the charcoal. Because lump is not uniform, you have to get in there with your hand and make sure there are no large air pockets. You don't have to play Tetris, but you want to get as much charcoal in the ring as possible and you want it tight so the fire spreads properly. Personally, I like lump best. I like the lower ash volume most. Good luck with your cook and please don't do a test burn. It's just not right for a wsm to be smoking with no meat on it. If you're going to do a test, at least put some chicken on there.
 
Jerry makes a lot of good points, and I concur on all. I have no idea why Weber says not to use lump in the wsm. Only things I'd add, though, is that little pieces of lump don't put off as much btu's as larger pieces, so watch that. I recently did a chicken smoke on my wsm where my temp only averaged 225*, even with all vents wide open, including my extra top vent. Also, just like briquettes, the denser the lump is, the longer it'll burn, and Wicked Good is the best lump I've ever used. In the stores I get Royal Oak or Cowboy at much better prices, though. I only bury any wood on overnight butt cooks. Most of my wood chunks go on top in spots where the coals aren't all ashed over yet, around the perimeter of the ring for the most part.
 
Yes to all of the answers above. I've used lump in my WSM, but perfer briquettes. The lack of ash with lump is outstanding, but it burns faster and had me refueling where a typical briquette burn would still be going strong. Nothing wrong with that, just not something I'd leave for an overnight cook where I wanted to get a regular nights sleep. :)

I agree with your process of trying various charcoal and seeing what works for you. The Kingsford Comp, to me, is overrated. I still have a handful of bags because I stocked up at Costco when it went on sale. My personal favorite --- Stubbs. What do I use the most of? Kingsford Original as the holiday prices can't be beat.
 
I agree with the others too, in fact, lump is the only thing I have used in my WSM and I've gone 18 hours with some left over after the smoke, it all depends on what wood was used to make it, my personal observation is the denser the grain the longer it lasts. There are lots of people that make lump charcoal here using many different types of wood, I have found if the charcoal is light and I can break or crumble the larger pieces with my hands it will burn very quickly, my go to supplier's lump is heavy and I can't break the chunks or crumble them with my hands, that's what I use to give me the long cooking times.

Karl
 
RO lump is pretty decent and what I use all the time.
I started with lump on my WSM. (guess I didn't read the manual):wsm:

Tim
 
I agree with all said above. I'd add that lump can slip thru the charcoal grate. To solve this problem I got a 18" charcoal grate and turned it 90* to the first creating smaller holes so the pieces don't fall thru. I have achieved very long cooks with lump ...and it agrees with my no anthracite, borax, or limestone diet.
 
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