Which MM? - Informal Poll

[JimT]

When firing up your WSM for a long cook, what variation of the Minion Method do you use?

1. Spread the lit coals over the top?
2. Dump them in a pile in the center?
3. The coffee can trick in the center?
4. Some other variation?

Kind of curious what works for you, and why.

JimT

 

[Bill Hays]

I spread them across the top. I use the BBQ Guru and that method always gets me a good, complete burn. Haven't tried any of the other methods but why try to fix something that ain't broke?

 

[Brian J]

i dump them in the middle.

 

[Paul H]

Jim, I make a depression in the charcoal and put them in the middle. On my first smoke I tried spreading the lit coals all over the top and I had trouble keeping my temps up. I believe it was from the ash choking out the lit. I've changed charcoal and started using this method and have not had a problem since

 

[Art B]

I spread 'em over the top. It's good for 14 or 16 hours before I need to stir the coals.

 

[Jerry S.]

I start with only 10 lit coals and spread them across the top. Key for me is to make sure it is a very slow ramp up in temperature and to make sure there are no leaks in either the access door or between sections. I also use sand instead of water.

 

[Mark C]

13 - 20 coals spread out. I did have a problem a couple of times getting up to temp. May have been moist charcoal, but I think I will try Paul's method of putting them in the middle.

 

[Bruce Bissonnette]

I spread them across the top. Monitor temps on the way up. EASY!!

 

[Doug D]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by paul h:
Jim, I make a depression in the charcoal and put them in the middle. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ditto.

 

[S. Dover]

I experimented with the coffee can last time and it worked pretty well. However, my temps were a little higher. Could that be from the lit coals lighting more unit coals because they are in contact with more coals? Just a thought.

Normally I just spread the lit coals over the unlit.

 

[K Kruger]

I spread them.

 

[Bob T.]

15 lit coals. When I used Kingsford, in the middle, using lump now, spread over the top. Using Guru also.

 

[Frank C]

1/2 to 3/4 starter full spread across the top... works every time..

 

[Charlie J]

I spread them across the top.

 

[Ron Lewen]

I'm a middle dumper...

 

[Jim P.]

Spread across the top works for me.

Jim

 

[Jerry N.]

I try for the middle, but basically, I just dump the chimney kind of in a pile.

 

[Larry D.]

I usually start with an empty charcoal ring, light a full chimney (not as large as the Weber chimney) of charcoal, then dump it in a pile on one side of the charcoal ring. I then fill the ring with unlit, so the lit coals are at one edge of the pile.

 

[Craig Castille]

I spread them over the top. Never have any temperature control problems.

 

[Steve Petrone]

Spread 16-18 coals-make contact with unlit kingsford and make contact with smoke wood.