I have figured out the minionmethod and how to get a strong fire going. My question is, when do I add the wood chunks to the fire? Do I add the chunks in the unlit coals before I dump the burning coals on top or do I dump the hot coals on the unlit coals and add the wood on top? Also, how long do I let the wood burn before putting my meat on the smoker? Should I let the wood burn for awhile with the middle and top sections off until it chars over? Plan on smoking some sausage tomorrow morning if the weather cooperates.
When to add wood chunks to the charcoal
- Thread starter KenB
- Start date
Barry LaZar
TVWBB Member
Ken,
I would put the chunks on just outside the burning coals. This will allow the smoker to heat up and then put the meat on as the smoke begins to develop. That's what I do.
I would put the chunks on just outside the burning coals. This will allow the smoker to heat up and then put the meat on as the smoke begins to develop. That's what I do.
timothy
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Welcome Ken!
Bunch of different ways to go about starting up the WSM, and they all come down to our own personal experiences.
I split my chunks into 3 or 4 smaller pieces, gets you out of the white smoke and into the thin blue smoke much faster.
They get scattered over the unlit and the lit gets dumped than raked over the top. I think the smoke gets cleansed as it passes thru the hot coals, sorta burning out the nasties IME.
I add my meat than immediately assemble the smoker and let it come up to about 25 deg shy of target before I start closing down the bottom vents, and if you use wood with the proper moisture content, that makes a big difference IMO.
Try a bunch of ways and see what you like
Tim
Bunch of different ways to go about starting up the WSM, and they all come down to our own personal experiences.
I split my chunks into 3 or 4 smaller pieces, gets you out of the white smoke and into the thin blue smoke much faster.
They get scattered over the unlit and the lit gets dumped than raked over the top. I think the smoke gets cleansed as it passes thru the hot coals, sorta burning out the nasties IME.
I add my meat than immediately assemble the smoker and let it come up to about 25 deg shy of target before I start closing down the bottom vents, and if you use wood with the proper moisture content, that makes a big difference IMO.
Try a bunch of ways and see what you like
Tim
TonyUK
TVWBB Guru
Ken,
I'm a big fan of the donut Minion method. That way I can place the wood under the unlit briqs, & as the fire spreads out towards the outside of the donut it slowly burns the wood.
http://i59.tinypic.com/24cfy1l.jpg
When I have done a quick smoke & shut down the WSM, I have found half burnt pieces of wood the next day.
Hope that helps.
I'm a big fan of the donut Minion method. That way I can place the wood under the unlit briqs, & as the fire spreads out towards the outside of the donut it slowly burns the wood.
http://i59.tinypic.com/24cfy1l.jpg
When I have done a quick smoke & shut down the WSM, I have found half burnt pieces of wood the next day.
Hope that helps.
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Enrico Brandizzi
TVWBB Honor Circle
Dave Penn
TVWBB Fan
I bury my smoke wood throughout the unlit coals at various levels, so the fire always has some smoke. I may throw a small chunk on top right as I'm adding the meat if the buried wood doesn't start smoking right away.
Dustin Dorsey
TVWBB Hall of Fame
I just load it up with unlit, bury some chunks, put some by the edges and then pour the lit on top in the middle. Usually 12 to 15 briquets if low and slow.
John Wheeler
TVWBB Pro
I bury some smaller chunks in with the unlit sharcoals and dump some lit briq's on top to start. When the cooker is to temp, I'll throw some chips on right after I put on the meat. Just to make make sure it gets bombed real quick, then let time take over.
Phil Perrin
TVWBB Hall of Fame
I light 10-15 briqs and dump them randomly over the unlit in the chamber. I'll toss 3-4 chunks of wood on top of that,depending on the size of the chunks. I then add the meat after I assemble the smoker. I think it was Kevin Krueger who said it acts as a secondary heat sink,and helps to get the temps to where you want them.
Thanks for all the great replies. So after I put the wood chunks on top of the lit charcoal or bury in the unlit,I assemble the cooker immediately and put the meat on? I don't have to wait for the cooker to come up to temperature or have the wood burning before putting my meat on the grill?
I loaded up the cooker with coals yesterday morning and played around with my probe thermometer and the vents. I had a difficult time keeping the temp below 300. Will filing the water pan help with keeping lower temps? I have not used water in the pan yet. I had to keep one vent open 1/4 and close the other two just to keep the temp at 275-300.
Should I shut the bottom vents down as I approach 250? I really want to cook some ribs but don't want to end up with a burnt bitter smoky mess.
I loaded up the cooker with coals yesterday morning and played around with my probe thermometer and the vents. I had a difficult time keeping the temp below 300. Will filing the water pan help with keeping lower temps? I have not used water in the pan yet. I had to keep one vent open 1/4 and close the other two just to keep the temp at 275-300.
Should I shut the bottom vents down as I approach 250? I really want to cook some ribs but don't want to end up with a burnt bitter smoky mess.
Dwain Pannell
TVWBB Hall of Fame
Whether I am using the Kettle, Jumbo Joe, or one of the WSM(s), I like to wait until I have a clean burning fire before I add wood or food. It's usually up to temp or close to it by then. Once I see no smoke is coming out of the top vent I add my food and throw a cpl chunks of wood on the fire (thru the door on the WSM). I plan an hour from lighting the chimney starter to getting a clean burning fire but it usually only takes ~ 45 min or less. I do not wait to burn down the wood. I want the thin blue smoke. All the smoke I see I know I added as smoke wood.
Filling the water pan will help control temps a great deal. A lot of folks here use a clay saucer, sand, or other heat sink as an alternative to water. Water absorbs a lot of energy therefore more charcoal is used to heat water vs the cooker/food. Also, the food mass will absorb energy and will itself help control the temps until it starts coming up to temp. Larger chunks of meat more so than ribs, but ribs will somewhat absorb some heat while they're cold.
Another way to control temps is use less lit charcoal. The lit lighting your unlit is a slower process and you can react easier. Dumping an entire chimney of lit is only required for high heat cooks.
I like to cook ribs at 275*F but yes, start closing your vents as your temp starts increasing. Don't think it's going to stop right at 250* unless you anticipate the increase and close the vents so the cooker rises to your target temp. I recommend reducing the vents to nearly closed (1/4 open) when the cooker hits 200*F-ish. It if settles in anywhere between 260 and 285*F I'm happy. Don't chase temps too far.
Another tip: go easy on the smoke to avoid the "ashtray effect". One or two chunks for most cooks is plenty in my world. Wood is like a strong spice. Go easy.
Also, we've all been there. We all had to learn our cookers. You'll get there, too.
Filling the water pan will help control temps a great deal. A lot of folks here use a clay saucer, sand, or other heat sink as an alternative to water. Water absorbs a lot of energy therefore more charcoal is used to heat water vs the cooker/food. Also, the food mass will absorb energy and will itself help control the temps until it starts coming up to temp. Larger chunks of meat more so than ribs, but ribs will somewhat absorb some heat while they're cold.
Another way to control temps is use less lit charcoal. The lit lighting your unlit is a slower process and you can react easier. Dumping an entire chimney of lit is only required for high heat cooks.
I like to cook ribs at 275*F but yes, start closing your vents as your temp starts increasing. Don't think it's going to stop right at 250* unless you anticipate the increase and close the vents so the cooker rises to your target temp. I recommend reducing the vents to nearly closed (1/4 open) when the cooker hits 200*F-ish. It if settles in anywhere between 260 and 285*F I'm happy. Don't chase temps too far.
Another tip: go easy on the smoke to avoid the "ashtray effect". One or two chunks for most cooks is plenty in my world. Wood is like a strong spice. Go easy.
Also, we've all been there. We all had to learn our cookers. You'll get there, too.
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Dwain Pannell
TVWBB Hall of Fame
If I am doing the cook on my cooker, I would fill the charcoal ring to just under the top of the ring and add about half a chimney of lit. That will probably be too much unlit but you can close all the vents at the end of this cook and reuse it on another cook.
If you do not have a clay saucer or other heat sink, I would recommend using half a pan of water to help you control the temps. When you check or wrap the ribs a few hrs in check to see if you need to add water to get back to halfway.
Be advised that you will get a brown residue from using the water. It's not rust. It's just residue from using water.
I recommend you get the book Low N Slow by Gary Wiviott and read it cover to cover.
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Cooked some chicken thighs on the smoker following the basic barbecue chicken recipe. Came out OK but a bit smokey for my taste. Used three chunks of Apple and put the meat on right after tossing the apple on the LI coals. I think next time I will let the chunks burn a bit while the cooker is coming up to temp and then put the meat on. Going to try ribs tomorrow morning.
Dwain Pannell
TVWBB Hall of Fame
You'll figure out what you like. One or two chunks for most cooks is plenty in my world. Wood is like a strong spice. Go easy.