is this a plan

[deer trail]

hey guys and gales, so i am doing a brisket and a boston butt, this is my plan: using kingsford compition brequetts, and doing the minon thing, looking for a temp. of about 190 to 205 for internal temp. smoker between 210 to 275 why because there's so many different temps. it seems that if your in the range 210-275 your good to go. what do you think is it a plan. it's my first smoking plan lol

 

[rickw]

With the WSM you shouldn't have any problems carrying out your plans. Shoot for a temp (smoker temp) of 240 to 250 and your good to go.

 

[deer trail]

thank you for your in-put

 

[dick foster]

Go get yourself some lump charcoal and quit messing with that coal, clay and sawdust concoction. You can't get enough temp out of that stuff and half of what you buy is just dirt or filler anyway.

All that ash left over is really the filler or dirt and that doesn't burn or make any heat.

 

[pineywoods]

Sounds like a plan to me! As you use the smoker more you will more than likely narrow the temp range but those temps will work fine.

 

[rickw]

He's not the only one that prefers briquettes over lump in the WSM. I get really nice long burns using Stumps and believe me I can get the smoker as hot as I want doing so.

Your method works for you, his (mine too) works for us.

 

[deer trail]

can you use the minion method with lump coal and doesn't it burn very hot, how long does it last?

 

[deer trail]

so i think i will stay with briquettes, doesn't lump coal burn very hot and hard to control,just something i read, one more thing, is there a diffrence in the kingsford compition and the regular kingsford briquetts?

 

[rickw]

The Kingsford Comp is suppose to be a better quality briquette. I've never used it but there are some members that do with great success.

You can indeed use the Minion method with lump.

 

[meateater]

I use the Blue King and thats my story.

Experiment and see what ya like, it's a free county.

 

[caveman]

Lump burns hotter & leaves less ash. As far as the competition & regular Kingsford stuff, I have not used competition yet. The regular stuff works just fine for me. However, don't get the 2 for 1 bags as those bags never burn right to me. My personal thought on that. The water pan is great for controling the temps as I have found that less water gives me higher temps. The more water I use, the lower the temp. I suction the water out if I start off with too much to reach target temps. You can start off with a half pan of water & add more if necessary to get your temps down as well as manipulating your bottom vents only. The top vent should stay wide open always.

 

[meateater]

Gotta burn the coals not the bags.

Just had to say that.

 

[caveman]

No wonder........I've had it wrong all this time. Gosh Darn!!

 

[jirodriguez]

I find a mix of briquets to lump about 60/40 or 70/30 works real well. I basically put a full solid layer of briquets on the bottom of my ring, then put about 4 or 5 wood chunks in. Cover that with a layer of lump... at this point the ring is approx 1/2 to 2/3 full. Then fill it the rest of the way with briquets and toss another 5 or so wood chunks ontop. Light about 1/2 a chimney of lump and dump it in the middle.

I get a nice long burn and the layer of lump towards the end keeps the temps up and steady towards the end of the smoke.

 

[rbranstner]

Yep that plan should work just fine.

 

[ismoke]

I've used both regular and competition Kingsford, and find the competition burns longer for me. As far as the 2-for-1 bags, I get those at Costco all the time, and haven't noticed any difference between them and buying a single bag somewhere else...

Just my $.02