WSM 18.5 and Minion Method

[M Strickland]

On my last couple of cooks, I've been having trouble getting the temperature above about 210 degrees. I'd like to be cooking at about 250 to 275. I'm running with all vents fully open right now. I used to have to partially close off a couple of the lower vents to keep the temperature from going too high.

I'm using Kingsford that been in my garage several years. I stocked up when it was on sale. Does charcoal absorb moisture over time?

I'm using the Minion method and I suspect that I'm not starting off with enough lit coals. About how many lit coals do you start with in the Minion method? I used about 1/2 chimney on this cook. 2 chimneys unlit. I put hot water in the water pan. I have about 15 pounds of ribs divided between the two grates.

My WSM is in good shape. Door fits well. Nothing is blocking the vents.

The only problem I can think of is that I'm not using enough lit coals at the beginning.

 

[timothy]

Ditch the water ( heat sink ) and go with a empty foiled pane with a slight depression.
As long as your bags of K are not sitting directly on concrete , they should be fine.
The amount of lit seems fine ( it 's what I do also )

 

[BFletcher]

Also: what is your outdoor temp? And are you confident in the accuracy of your thermometer?

 

[Rick P]

Ditch the water ( heat sink ) and go with a empty foiled pane with a slight depression.
As long as your bags of K are not sitting directly on concrete , they should be fine.
The amount of lit seems fine ( it 's what I do also )

This!!

Double-wrap the water pan with heavy duty foil. Crumple a few sheets of foil into balls and sandwich them between the foil layers to create a small air-space. This will prevent drippings from burning up and giving off bitter smoke. I also use a disposable foil pan on top of the water pan to catch grease. If you're not using the bottom grate, you can stick the foil pan on the grate instead.

Hope this helps!

 

[M Strickland]

Ditch the water ( heat sink ) and go with a empty foiled pane with a slight depression.
As long as your bags of K are not sitting directly on concrete , they should be fine.
The amount of lit seems fine ( it 's what I do also )

I've done that in the past for cooking at 300-325. Smoked turkey turns out great at that temperature.

I'm still wondering about my charcoal. I had the bags in our finished basement in a storeroom on a concrete floor. I moved them to our garage in a cabinet about two years ago. On this cook, I added a second 1/2 chimney of lit and kept a closer eye on it and it seemed to burn out pretty fast. I think I'll get a fresh bag for my next cook to see if there is a difference.

I like your idea of using balls of foil to maintain the air pocket. I've used the foil pan under chickens cooked in my Weber Genesis. I'll give that a shot when I try cooking without the water.

 

[M Strickland]

Also: what is your outdoor temp? And are you confident in the accuracy of your thermometer?

Outdoor temp is around 55 degrees F. I'm using the lid thermometer so am not sure of it's accuracy. I usually use a separate thermometer to monitor temps at the grate with a separate probe in the meat. Didn't do that this time.

 

[timothy]

I'm still wondering about my charcoal. I had the bags in our finished basement in a storeroom on a concrete floor. I moved them to our garage in a cabinet about two years ago. On this cook, I added a second 1/2 chimney of lit and kept a closer eye on it and it seemed to burn out pretty fast. I think I'll get a fresh bag for my next cook to see if there is a difference.

Good idea on trying a fresh bag.

 

[Chris Allingham]

Half a chimney of lit charcoal is more than I typically use for a Minion Method start, I’m usually using 30 or 40 briquettes. I use hot water all the time for cooks up to 275*F so I don’t think it’s that. I’m voting for something wrong with the charcoal.

 

[Tony Coloma]

Charcoal absorbs moisture. Is it catching well? Seems not, or the lit would be creating higher temp. Alternatively the chatcoal has lost some zing as well

 

[Keith Jenkins]

The humidity in a garage may not be as controlled as in a finished basement, particularly if the basement has a dehumidifier and/or is climate controlled. As others have suggested and the OP suspected, it sounds as though the old charcoal has absorbed moisture while in the garage, and that would keep it from burning as fast/as hot (the Kingsford paper bags will allow moisture in even if the bag isn't opened). I keep my charcoal in my basement for that reason (my basement is climate controlled and has a dehumidifier). I've also noticed that when I reuse partially burned charcoal that has been outside for a while, it doesn't burn as fast, which I've always attributed to absorbed moisture. The OP could try moving a bag or two of the old charcoal to the basement for a few weeks to a month to draw moisture from it, and see if it burns better after that. Use new charcoal, also kept in the basement rather than the garage, in the meantime.