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smoking Minion Method Question
- Thread starter Roguejim
- Start date
Roguejim said:
RJ yer sweatin small details that really don't amount to much over the course of a successful cook. Personally I love and use the minion method when smoking - usually w kingsford competition charcoal. Royal Oak is my all time fav, but I'll use the kingsford comp briqs for most of my practice runs since the RO is pretty spendy where I normally buy it.
I've no real issue on the 'undesirable elements' w the Royal Oak and/or kf comp charcoal as both are natural products. I'd be concerned if you're adding match light or other pre soaked charcoal to the mix because those options always include accelerants which give off bad stuff. Avoid those and yer fine.
Thanks, man. I've been following the Weber thread, and am undecided as to whether to buy an offset, or bullet style smoker. I am an unsatisfied Traeger owner.SmokenFire said:
RJ yer sweatin small details that really don't amount to much over the course of a successful cook. Personally I love and use the minion method when smoking - usually w kingsford competition charcoal. Royal Oak is my all time fav, but I'll use the kingsford comp briqs for most of my practice runs since the RO is pretty spendy where I normally buy it.
I've no real issue on the 'undesirable elements' w the Royal Oak and/or kf comp charcoal as both are natural products. I'd be concerned if you're adding match light or other pre soaked charcoal to the mix because those options always include accelerants which give off bad stuff. Avoid those and yer fine.
If you're still leery, just start a fire with briquettes and then add lump charwood as needed. So you don't chance getting any unburned briquette smell.
I use the minion/snake method since I bought a Weber . I do find that there is a bit of a VOC taste that you don't get as much of with a burn down method on an offset, or a full burn then damp down in a Ceramic/komodo cooker. You get it even using natural briquettes or lump. Plain smoked stuff it is more pronounced but unless they have a baseline to compare it too, I doubt most would even notice it , especially if you were using rubs and sauces.
Sorry, what's a VOC taste?Ashen said:
What makes Kingsford comp briquettes different from their regular briquettes?SmokenFire said:
RJ yer sweatin small details that really don't amount to much over the course of a successful cook. Personally I love and use the minion method when smoking - usually w kingsford competition charcoal. Royal Oak is my all time fav, but I'll use the kingsford comp briqs for most of my practice runs since the RO is pretty spendy where I normally buy it.
I've no real issue on the 'undesirable elements' w the Royal Oak and/or kf comp charcoal as both are natural products. I'd be concerned if you're adding match light or other pre soaked charcoal to the mix because those options always include accelerants which give off bad stuff. Avoid those and yer fine.
Volatile Organic Compounds. When charcoal is just starting to burn it gives off a smoke that has more of these in it and the colour of the smoke will be different. That smoke can tend to have a bit of an acrid taste. if you get a full burn then damp off and wait for the smoke to change colour it will have less VOC's in it and the taste it imparts is somewhat cleaner. ( not sure it that is the right word to describe it. ) . Difference between white smoke and blue grey smoke . Like I said the ceramic cooker guys get really into this stuff but it isn't a deal breaker for good BBQ in my experience. Your original post mentioned "unlit charcoal that is in the process of being lit, gives off undesirable elements which are to be avoided" . This is probably what you were hearing / reading about.
midwestchilehead
Extreme Member
If you are a purist, go for the offset, but be ready to do a lot of fire management - like adding wood every 45 minutes to an hour. If you want great smoke flavor and convenience, go for the WSM. It truly is a set-it and forget-it type of charcoal smoker, Not quite as easy as your Treager, but damn close.
Roguejim said:Thanks, man. I've been following the Weber thread, and am undecided as to whether to buy an offset, or bullet style smoker. I am an unsatisfied Traeger owner.
I'm pretty new to the whole smoking thing since this is my first year with a WSM, but so far, so good. The minion method has worked well for me, it was consistent and trouble free to keep the temps where I wanted them and there were no detectable odors. Remember, the charcoal doesn't flare up like it does in a chimney, it slowly ignites. Any odors that could be given off are strongly overpowered by the burning oak/ apple.
SmokenFire said:
RJ yer sweatin small details that really don't amount to much over the course of a successful cook. Personally I love and use the minion method when smoking - usually w kingsford competition charcoal. Royal Oak is my all time fav, but I'll use the kingsford comp briqs for most of my practice runs since the RO is pretty spendy where I normally buy it.
I've no real issue on the 'undesirable elements' w the Royal Oak and/or kf comp charcoal as both are natural products. I'd be concerned if you're adding match light or other pre soaked charcoal to the mix because those options always include accelerants which give off bad stuff. Avoid those and yer fine.
I'm in Smoken's camp on this one, as far as not sweating the "undesirable elements". Just never stoop so low as to use any kind of match light. Matter of fact, I like to start my snake/minion method burns using a wax cube placed under the grating beneath my charcoal basket. that way I don't have to use any lighter fluid at all. The down side to that is that you have to wait longer to get up to cooking temperature... a good bit longer, to be honest.
Roguejim said:
They burn hotter and longer. You can get similar heat from lump hardwood charcoal, but nowhere near the longevity. There is something to be said for that lump hardwood charcoal flavor, though...
There is something more to be said about mixing them for both advantages. I think someone else mentioned that somewhere else.
On my WSM I now put 3 bricks in a triangle then surround it with a complete circle. I think get 1/2 a chimney lit and white hot then put a few around the complete circle. I am now able to get well over 13 hours from just doing that alone and cooked an entire brisket off just over 8 pounds or 1/2 bag. Of course I add my wood chunks as well.
I think someone else mentioned that somewhere else. On my WSM I now put 3 bricks in a triangle then surround it with a complete circle. I think get 1/2 a chimney lit and white hot then put a few around the complete circle. I am now able to get well over 13 hours from just doing that alone and cooked an entire brisket off just over 8 pounds or 1/2 bag. Of course I add my wood chunks as well.
SmokenFire said:
RJ yer sweatin small details that really don't amount to much over the course of a successful cook. Personally I love and use the minion method when smoking - usually w kingsford competition charcoal. Royal Oak is my all time fav, but I'll use the kingsford comp briqs for most of my practice runs since the RO is pretty spendy where I normally buy it.
I've no real issue on the 'undesirable elements' w the Royal Oak and/or kf comp charcoal as both are natural products. I'd be concerned if you're adding match light or other pre soaked charcoal to the mix because those options always include accelerants which give off bad stuff. Avoid those and yer fine.
RO is my coal of choice. I used a bag of the Kingsford Comp coal and liked it as well. But RO is always available near me and gets the nod the majority of the time.
Now, that's what I want-13 hours. Do you have any photos on your flog of this set-up?JoynersHotPeppers said:There is something more to be said about mixing them for both advantages.
On my WSM I now put 3 bricks in a triangle then surround it with a complete circle. I think get 1/2 a chimney lit and white hot then put a few around the complete circle. I am now able to get well over 13 hours from just doing that alone and cooked an entire brisket off just over 8 pounds or 1/2 bag. Of course I add my wood chunks as well.
The 3rd post in that link shows bottom with 3 bricks in it with charcoal and the starter outsideRoguejim said:
previous page has the mods
You should have zero issues with 100% natural charcoal, they have vegetable binders and the briquette is from wood. Even adding coals to a non-minion fire is done, when a fire is low, etc. NEVER lighter fluid. ALWAYS clean your grill or smoker before each use or ashes could be kicked around, causing people to blame the actual coal for the taste. With BBQ, woods, coals, etc. often get the blame when there are other factors at hand.
Thanks, again. To be clear, the bricks sit side by side, not in a triangle? My eyes are so bad (looking at my phone here)I thought that was a piece of meat! Sorry.JoynersHotPeppers said:
EDIT: I correct myself, again. I saw a few pages earlier in your flog the triangle brick set-up. I guess you could use anything that would keep the briquettes to the perimeter? Bricks would supply good temp stability though, I guess.
Okay, I saw all your mods. Do the probes just dangle down the inside wall of the WSM?
If you were to pour one full stack of unlit briquettes around the triangle, and add the lit ones as you describe, how many hours of unattended cooking would you expect to get? By "unattended", I simply mean not having to add more briquettes. I think a WSM would suit me and wife, fine.