Minion Method

[cookiecdcmk]

I have not tried the "Minion Method" until today because of my concern that the unburned charcoal would emit bad smoke until it was fully lit.  Today, I used my Weber 22" kettle with Stubbs briquettes  starting with a chimney 3/4 full of fully burning briquettes, and put them on the outer diameter of my kettle with about 1 1/2 foot of unlit briquettes.  I then put in a small pork butt with whole hasslebeck potatoes opposite of the briquettes using indirect heat.  My resultant cook was just like I feared, the meat and potatoes tasted like the bad smoke flavor of briquettes not completely burned.  You know what this looks like, when you first lite the briquettes and see the dark smoke until they ash over.  The hood temperature showed about 325 degrees during the cook.  What am I missing, as I see other using this method all the time?  I could never use this method again due to the bad taste.

[GusRobin]

I usually only light 5-6 briquettes when  do that method. I haven't used Stubb's so I can't comment on that,

[Jaxon]

I usually only light 5-6 briquettes when  do that method. I haven't used Stubb's so I can't comment on that,

I may go with 12 starter briquettes. Depends on the the size of the the "snake", not the length.

I'm guessing your fire got so hot you had to close the vents a lot, choking the fire and creating the "bad" smoke.

[cookiecdcmk]

My top and bottom vents were wide open.  I still do not understand my problem, as it seems like starting unlit briquettes will always start with the bad smoke until it is fully lit?

[stalag]

My top and bottom vents were wide open.  I still do not understand my problem, as it seems like starting unlit briquettes will always start with the bad smoke until it is fully lit?

If the fuel to air ratio is correct, whether you have burnt or unburnt fuel is not the problem.  If you are using a chemical bonded product, you may see something in the smoke, but it is not due to the burn but instead the composition.

[smokeasaurus]

Jim Minion used Kingsford Blue all those years ago. Some people can pick up the bad flavors in charcoal. Why not try lump charcoal for your next cook and see how that works with the Minion Method....................

[cookiecdcmk]

Good idea, and if anyone else has ideas, please post. 

[HighOnSmoke]

My top and bottom vents were wide open.  I still do not understand my problem, as it seems like starting unlit briquettes will always start with the bad smoke until it is fully lit?

Someone else may chime in here, but normally the minion method is used for low n slow cooking to keep your temperatures down in the lower 200's.  If you light just a few briquettes in your chimney starter and then add them to either the top of your unlit if you are just piling the charcoal or at the end of your charcoal for a snake. If using wood I would put at least 1 piece on your lit charcoal while your grill is coming up to temperature. You should not put your food on the grill until you are at your cooking temperature. This could take from 30 minutes to longer. It is all about vent control. Once you are close to where you want to cook, you should start closing down your bottom vent. (Example 225 cooking temp, start closing down lower vent at 190 to 200). I have used this method a multitude of times and have never got the charcoal taste. I am now using the slow n sear which burns almost like the minion method.  Hope this helps. This is the way I do the minion method, others may be different.

[hikerman]

My top and bottom vents were wide open.  I still do not understand my problem, as it seems like starting unlit briquettes will always start with the bad smoke until it is fully lit?

Someone else may chime in here, but normally the minion method is used for low n slow cooking to keep your temperatures down in the lower 200's.  If you light just a few briquettes in your chimney starter and then add them to either the top of your unlit if you are just piling the charcoal or at the end of your charcoal for a snake. If using wood I would put at least 1 piece on your lit charcoal while your grill is coming up to temperature. You should not put your food on the grill until you are at your cooking temperature. This could take from 30 minutes to longer. It is all about vent control. Once you are close to where you want to cook, you should start closing down your bottom vent. (Example 225 cooking temp, start closing down lower vent at 190 to 200). I have used this method a multitude of times and have never got the charcoal taste. I am now using the slow n sear which burns almost like the minion method.  Hope this helps. This is the way I do the minion method, others may be different.

I agree with Mike 100%!  Bottom line for any method of cooking using coal or wood, your fuel, air, and temperature must stabilize before adding your meat.

[Big Dawg]

My top and bottom vents were wide open.  I still do not understand my problem, as it seems like starting unlit briquettes will always start with the bad smoke until it is fully lit?

Someone else may chime in here, but normally the minion method is used for low n slow cooking to keep your temperatures down in the lower 200's.  If you light just a few briquettes in your chimney starter and then add them to either the top of your unlit if you are just piling the charcoal or at the end of your charcoal for a snake. If using wood I would put at least 1 piece on your lit charcoal while your grill is coming up to temperature. You should not put your food on the grill until you are at your cooking temperature. This could take from 30 minutes to longer. It is all about vent control. Once you are close to where you want to cook, you should start closing down your bottom vent. (Example 225 cooking temp, start closing down lower vent at 190 to 200). I have used this method a multitude of times and have never got the charcoal taste. I am now using the slow n sear which burns almost like the minion method.  Hope this helps. This is the way I do the minion method, others may be different.

I agree with Mike 100%!  Bottom line for any method of cooking using coal or wood, your fuel, air, and temperature must stabilize before adding your meat.

I agree with Mike well.  Following a tip I got from Sparky years ago, I use a tin can, with both ends removed, as a "whole" to drop my hot coals into the middle of the unburnt ones.

BD

[cookiecdcmk]

Thanks for more advice; I thought it was up to temperature when I put the meat in but it could have run longer.  Interestingly enough, I had some leftovers last night.  The bad smoke taste was on the hasselbeck potatoes and not on the pork butt (roasted temp).  The minion method sure must work as so many people use it.

[sparky]

BD

That's the way I start my low and slows.  Done it that way 100's of times.  Works perfect each time.  No bad juju.