I am wondering why the minion method doesn't produce "bad" smoke. It seems to me as the fresh charcoal ignites and burns, it should not produce good smoke. I am new to the OKJ Branco, and was pleasantly surprised with how well it worked in regards to the smoke and length of burn. I just can't wrap my head around how it works.
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Minion method - why no bad smoke?
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Club Member
- Jul 2016
- 3394
- Elizabethtown, KY
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Current line-up of cookers: Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Pro, Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050, Blackstone ProSeries 4 Burner 36" griddle, Weber Performer Deluxe and Weber Smokey Joe.
I don't completely understand either, but I think it has to do with the "fresh" charcoal being heated up before it ignites. All I really know is that it works great in my Bronco Pro.
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Club Member
- Feb 2019
- 1527
- Salado, Tx
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You got the basically correct answer in the first response by Steve R.
Only vapors will burn, and the ambient heat in the fire "chamber" preheats the unburned coals to near the vapor temperature of the surface molecules. Once the ignition source reaches the preheated coals they go to full or near full ignition in short order rather than slowly getting to ignition temp which is what causes the "bad" smoke.
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Club Member
- Aug 2020
- 6061
- Houston, Texas
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Oklahoma Joe Bronco
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I’d always wondered the same thing myself. Over the years, no matter if I was smoking or grilling, I’d use lighter fluid and let the coals get hot first. I never did any type of minion method, thinking I’d get too much bad smoke in my food. It wasn’t until joining AR that I stopped doing that. Good question!
P.S. Congrats on the Bronco. All of us who have responded to you so far….have one.
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Charter Member
- Oct 2014
- 7325
- NEPA
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Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Maverick 732, DigiQ, and too much other stuff to mention.
I think of it as the temperature of the flame front. When your chimney of charcoal is smoking, It is all burning at once, and some of it is hot and some of it is smoldering. But when you're using the minion, half your charcoal is hot, The other half is not, and at the flame front is the same temperature as the hot.
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It has to do with the heat and fuel. My guess. I have only heard of bad smoke from wood and not charcoal.
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Charter Member
- Dec 2014
- 7355
- Grew up in New Orleans, 20 years in Texas, 22 years in Mandeville, LA. Now Dallas, TX
Uncle Bob there was a thread a number of years ago which described using a Dutch Oven filled with wood chunks with holes drilled in the bottom and placed on the fire in a Kamado. The theory was essentially your description. The impure vapors from the wood smoke were essentially burned off as the exited the bottom of the Dutch Oven into the fire. With the fire on top of the charcoal in the Minion method the same thing happens.
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