I was smoking a brisket a few weeks ago and I built a charcoal basket to help with the long burns and used the minion method after reading many of the posts listed here. I filled my basket with unlit Kingsford charcoal and took some from the middle, about 20 lumps, to place in the chimney starter. Once lit, I dumped them in the open middle of the basket. My exhaust vent was open and so was the air intake. My temp rose up to over 320 degrees. I adjusted the air intake slightly and to bring the temp down. After that, I did not mess with it and just let it burn until it got below where I needed it to be. Basically cooking the brisket hot and fast. Brisket turned out great after 8 hours on the smoker and let it rest for a few more. Anyone have any comments as to why my temp rose so quick? Any suggestions to improve the temp to get it to 225 and for it to be stable? Greatly appreciate any feedback.
