Charcoal Basket Dividers for Minion Snake

[Geos7812]

My smoking world was turned upside down last weekend when I filled my Charcoal Basket with lump and it burned for 5+ at a very even temp. To dial in my burn even more I decided to make some dividers for my charcoal basket. Here is my attempt at doing so. I am a barely serviceable welder, but these should do the trick. Please no comment on the difference in width as I already kicked my own (you know what) for the different overlap. Can’t wait to try next weekend. My hope is I can learn this burn well enough to cook overnight. We shall see.

 

[motocrash]

Those will work nicely.

 

[Geos7812]

I am hopeful. Not a huge investment in dollars or time, but this could really help me maintain temp. Also, please don’t tell my wife that I won’t have to tend a fire every 45-60 minutes. I plan to use the extra time on 12 oz curls.

 

[SmokinAl]

Very clever idea!
Let us know how it works!
Al

 

[Geos7812]

I wish I could say it was my idea... it wasn’t. I do know a good idea when I see one, however. Looking forward to firing it up Saturday.

 

[Geos7812]

I got her fired up this morning about 5:30 this morning mountain time. I haven’t had to touch the fire and I am staring at my temp and it hasn’t moved more than 2 degrees in the last 30 minutes. It’s a calm morning in CO so that is helping my case. Here is what the burn looked like about 60 minutes in. So far so good.

 

[Geos7812]

On the way back. This is awesome! Rolling at 240-250 all day long.

 

[Geos7812]

I filled my basket about half way to the top 4 times today and was able to keep the temp VERY constant compared to stoking with sticks. I went to lunch at a sit down restaurant to come home to a cooking smoker. I also went to a family bday party.... same thing. This thing called minion changed my life.

 

[motocrash]

Great man! Glad to hear and see they're working well.Never mind the welds,no one will see'em.
In your reading on them you probably read about the possibility of it jumping.I don't know what you're using this basket in,but keep in mind that it can happen.You'll know it when you see the temp spike.

 

[Geos7812]

I got two small spikes I realized that the coals that slipped through the bottom of the basket had lit a few coals extra. I shit down the air and all was good. I made tiny adjustments to air all day.

 

[motocrash]

It looks like you're using lump?
The likelihood of jumping is less if you use briquettes.

 

[Geos7812]

It looks like you're using lump?
The likelihood of jumping is less if you use briquettes.

I like the idea but don’t briquettes have to be lit before you put food on because of fumes? With the constant lighting of the snake occurring I am concerned about a petroleum taste infiltrating my grub. Let me know what I am missing. I am willing to try anything at least once. It’s why I love this thing called BBQ.

 

[motocrash]

You start a few briquettes in a charcoal starter.Then you fill your maze up to your liking with unlit,dry briquettes.When the briquettes are ashed over and hot in the starter,you put them on top of where you want the maze to start from.
Lately for me,it's a ring of a WSM and the lit briquettes go in a depression in the the center of the unlit briquettes that have wood chunks buried in the here and there.

 

[Fueling Around]

I am almost ... we won't go there on my welding skills.
You should have added a screen on the bottom on the dividers. You could add pellets

 

[Geos7812]

I am almost ... we won't go there on my welding skills.
You should have added a screen on the bottom on the dividers. You could add pellets

I like it. That is easy to do.

 

[Fueling Around]

I won't show you the crap job of welding my fuel basket for the PoS (AKA Brinkmann offset). It passed the drop and burn tests though.

Got thinking about adding pellets in your dividers, forgot to say great job on the dividers.
It probably should be a triple wall design. With a double wall, it may hot enough to ignite the fuel (aka jumping) to the next row of fuel and defeat the whole concept.

 

[Geos7812]

I did not experience any jumping over/through my dividers. I kept me air flow low. Next time, I will use briquettes and I think it will be better than lump.

 

[motocrash]

I shit down the air and all was good.

As long as you keep feeding the methane ,she'll burn good'n hot.

 

[Fueling Around]

I did not experience any jumping over/through my dividers. I kept me air flow low. Next time, I will use briquettes and I think it will be better than lump.

I can see that with your dividers as is. (I saw were you got the concept )
If you add lit pellets in the hollow it will heat both sides, one of which is the un lit side waiting for the snake process.

I have a love hate with lump. Most lump is pure junk of mixed wood source that doesn't give a uniform burn.

My briquette choices?
No Kingsford for smoking. OK for grilling where you don't give much of the flavor of the soft woods.
Royal Oak is tasty and reliable for grilling and smoking.
Walmart brand is great for grilling and OK for smoking. I noticed more ash so it must be from softer hardwoods