Pulled Pork....Minion method question...HELP!

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reannalynne

Fire Starter
Original poster
Aug 8, 2013
49
12
Pittsburgh
I have used the minion method every time I have smoked, and have never had any issues.  My smoker is just a brinkmann el cheapo. Right now, I am making pork and I am not getting a lot of smoke...almost none...I filled it the same as I always do but something is wrong.  The coals are still burning orange and ashy, and they are not all lit yet (and shouldn't be yet, it's only been an hour) but it's not giving off smoke like it usually does....

Suggestions on what I might be doing wrong?
 
New coals, dry?  Wet wood?. Too much meat in the smoker?  Since my ECB leaked smoke and heat like a sieve I never had a problem with air flow. But even that problem only lasted a short time

Now I DID have a problem when I had damp or old charcoal or green wood.  Lump charcoal normally is hotter than briquettes.  My problem was I was impatient and kept opening the lid or the side door, thereby losing all my heat.

You state that you have an hour in the cook so far, so I would leave the lid shut and let it proceed. I rely on my Maverick thermometer to monitor internal temp and leave it alone.  The thermometer on the lid was always way off so I just ignored it and got the 1st Maverick I ever had.

Good luck with it!

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What you are looking for is Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) light blue smoke or just the smell of the wood burning is enough. If you can smell the wood so can the meat. Thick billowing smoke can and often does lead to creosote and that doesn't taste good at all. If using TBS you want more smoke flavor then use a stronger flavored wood the next smoke but keep the TBS
 
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