ECB Minion Method?

[509smoker]

Tonight I did a test run of the minion method. I loaded the fire pan about half full spread throughout the bowl, and in the middle pocket dropped in a half a charcoal start full of royal oak lump. This got me up to temp quick and held it solid between 220 and to 250 for two and a half hours straight. I consider this a giant success. After two hours I had to start feeding the fire pan to keep the temp up. Is it better to keep feeding it and running the risk of smothering the coals with ash, or just dump the pan and reload? How full do you fill your firepan when doing a longer cook with the minion method and how long can you usually smoke? For mods I have legs on the outside and a few holes drilled in my firepan, and a small grill grate to keep my coals from being smothered. Thanks a ton guys for your insight!

 

[thinblueduke]

I mostly use gas with my ECB these days but when using charcoal, I prefer to keep feeding it every 30-45 minutes or so rather than dumping and reloading.  After a while, you learn what size lumps and how much to add. It will also vary according to the weather and what you're cooking.  With that grate in your fire pan, you don't need to worry too much about ash, especially when using lump.  Since you have the legs on the outside, you can dump the ash if necessary, too.

Every once in a while, you can poke a stick through the holes in the bottom of your fire pan.  I avoid tapping it so that I don't send any ash flying upward into the food zone.