minion method???


 
Danny Pagel

Danny Pagel

New member
I was checking out youtube today and watched a video of a guy preparing his WSM for a pork butt cook. The video showed a successful cook but I noticed He said he was using the minion method, As I watched him do this he had the unlit coals set up in a flat pile then he dumped his 20 or so HOT coals spread out all over the top of the unlit coals. He also said he was not using any water in the water pan.

My question is; Would'nt this method he used create an uncontrollable amount of heat as the coals fired up at the same time?

I have struggled with maintaining a low heat level in my wsm. I use the minion method keeping a hole in the center of my pile of unlit coals then pouring about 15 HOT coals into the very center. I also have to use water in the pan or I will get a much higher temperature than if I dont use water.

I am not suggesting the guy did anything wrong. Just wondering if any you use this method successfully?

Any thought on this?

Thank you
 
Last edited:
Danny Pagel said:
I was checking out youtube today and watched a video of a guy preparing his WSM for a pork butt cook. The video showed a successful cook but I noticed He said he was using the minion method, As I watched him do this he had the unlit coals set up in a flat pile then he dumped his 20 or so HOT coals spread out all over the top of the unlit coals. He also said he was not using any water in the water pan.

My question here is; wouldnt this method he used create an increasing a amount of heat in a very short amount of time as the coals begin to fire up all over at the same time?

I have struggled with maintaining a low heat level in my wsm. I use the minion method keeping a hole in the center of my pile of unlit coals then pouring about 15 coals into the very center. I also have to use water in the pan or I will get a much higher temperature than if I dont use water.

I am not suggesting the guy did anything wrong. Just wondering if any you use this method?
Any thought on this?

Thank you
Click to expand...

20 coals is borderline too many for Minion Method in my opinion, especially on a 14" or 18" WSM, but the idea is the same whether they are scattered on top or using the coffee-can bullseye method. By the time new coals are lighting, the original ones have started to fade in heat, and that cycle continues for several hours. Maintaining low heat can be aided by using a water pan, starting with cool water, and making sure to keep filling the pan as the water evaporates. Some heat energy is absorbed by the water, which helps to keep the temps from going too high, though many folks here do not use water in the pan. Adjusting the lower vents of the WSM to control the amount of air available to the fire is the other method for controlling the temp.
 
There's no concern of the coals firing up too fast so long as you manage your vents.

The heat is controlled by the oxygen available. I do the same thing with my minion method, the fire will burn at its own pace according to its inputs - fuel and oxygen. If you limit the oxygen the fire will burn slower until it reaches a point where there's not enough oxygen at which time the fire goes out.
 
dave's right. if you close the vents quickly you wont have a problem. if i want the WSM to come up to temp quickly a lot of times i use that much lit charcoal.
 
Thanks you guys for your advise on using my vents. I really have to start using experimenting with them more. :-\
 
I fired up a new 22" WSM yesterday (first time using a smoker), and I used the minion method with about 30 hot coals added to about 12 pounds of unlit. I left all vents wide open to start (using a water pan with hot water), and the smoker came up to temp quickly. I started closing the vents a little at a time once the internal temp got to about 180, and I managed to nail a glide up to 140 degrees, and maintained that throughout the cook. I was pleased :)

I ended up with the top vent fully open, and the three bottom vents at about 10-20% open.

It sounds like I should start with fewer hot coals next time, though.
 
WOW, keeping it at 140 degrees throughout your cook is very impressive. What meat did you cook? I have recently been pretty successful using the same set up as you. I cooking at 225 degrees with water in the pan cooking ribs on my 18" WSM.
DBWallis said:
I fired up a new 22" WSM yesterday (first time using a smoker), and I used the minion method with about 30 hot coals added to about 12 pounds of unlit. I left all vents wide open to start (using a water pan with hot water), and the smoker came up to temp quickly. I started closing the vents a little at a time once the internal temp got to about 180, and I managed to nail a glide up to 140 degrees, and maintained that throughout the cook. I was pleased :)

I ended up with the top vent fully open, and the three bottom vents at about 10-20% open.

It sounds like I should start with fewer hot coals next time, though.
Click to expand...
 
Danny Pagel said:
WOW, keeping it at 140 degrees throughout your cook is very impressive. What meat did you cook? I have recently been pretty successful using the same set up as you. I cooking at 225 degrees with water in the pan cooking ribs on my 18" WSM.
Click to expand...

Oops! That should have been 240, not 140, sorry for the confusion :eek:
 
Danny Pagel said:
I was checking out youtube today and watched a video of a guy preparing his WSM for a pork butt cook. The video showed a successful cook but I noticed He said he was using the minion method, As I watched him do this he had the unlit coals set up in a flat pile then he dumped his 20 or so HOT coals spread out all over the top of the unlit coals. He also said he was not using any water in the water pan.

My question is; Would'nt this method he used create an uncontrollable amount of heat as the coals fired up at the same time?

I have struggled with maintaining a low heat level in my wsm. I use the minion method keeping a hole in the center of my pile of unlit coals then pouring about 15 HOT coals into the very center. I also have to use water in the pan or I will get a much higher temperature than if I dont use water.

I am not suggesting the guy did anything wrong. Just wondering if any you use this method successfully?

Any thought on this?

Thank you
Click to expand...
I've used this method many, many times. I do not place hot coals into a hole in the center of the pile, I spread them evenly over the unlit charcoal. I start with 20-40 pieces of charcoal depending on weather (more if colder outside).

Uncontrollable heat has more to do with uncontrolled airflow into the cooker than how you distribute the hot coals. See Firing Up Your Weber Bullet for an example of how I do the Minion Method. The example assumes using water; if not using water, you need to watch the vent settings like a hawk and start reducing airflow before you reach your desired temp. You want to ease the cooker up to your desired temp, not overshoot it and then struggle to bring it back down.
 
I have a buddy who puts in all unlit charcoal and wood in the ring and simply puts one weber starter cube in the middle, lights it, and immediately assembles his cooker. he claims there is no need to light coals separately. anyone ever done this?
 
Matt H. said:
I have a buddy who puts in all unlit charcoal and wood in the ring and simply puts one weber starter cube in the middle, lights it, and immediately assembles his cooker. he claims there is no need to light coals separately. anyone ever done this?
Click to expand...

This is the method that Weber suggests in the WSM owners manual.

I tried it on a kettle once for my first kettle cook using the pitmaster IQ based on their recommendation and it took FOREVER to come to temp.
 
I do as Chris and spread my lit coals over my unlit, anywhere between 15-20 lit coals depending on ambient temp and my target chamber temp. Excessively high temps would indicate an airflow issue.
 
Charlie L said:
This is the method that Weber suggests in the WSM owners manual.

I tried it on a kettle once for my first kettle cook using the pitmaster IQ based on their recommendation and it took FOREVER to come to temp.
Click to expand...

I thought weber suggested you fully light it and then assemble the smoker? Thanks for the feedback. i'll stick to standard minion. it's not as though it's that big of a pain anyway.
 
I've been using the Minion method before it was known as the Minion method. My father in the early 60s used this method on his "Portable Kitchen" grill which I later modified to prolong the cooking time. When I joined this forum I was rather surprised to find out it was something "new" and had a name.
 
I usually just put a nice layer of coals in the ring and then I put a chimney full of hot coals on with my wood and I have never had a problem with my temp
 
On my next cook I think I'm gonna try and put the 8-10 lit briqs in first, then put the unlit on top. Let the fire migrate upwards as opposed to downwards.

Anyone ever tried/done this?
 
TonyUK said:
On my next cook I think I'm gonna try and put the 8-10 lit briqs in first, then put the unlit on top. Let the fire migrate upwards as opposed to downwards.

Anyone ever tried/done this?
Click to expand...
I have. It sort of smothers the fire and it then takes a long time for the WSM to come to temp and stabilize.
 
Jeff E. said:
I've been using the Minion method before it was known as the Minion method. My father in the early 60s used this method on his "Portable Kitchen" grill which I later modified to prolong the cooking time. When I joined this forum I was rather surprised to find out it was something "new" and had a name.
Click to expand...
I cook on an original (before they went out of business the first time) Portable Kitchen at the lake. Great grill.
 
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