Chicken on the mini

[bdskelly]

 
Up using a mav.     Tasted great.

IT was good.   Skin alittle soft.    Higher temp. next time.

Yup. Cant beat the mav.  But so far i haven't gotten my mini over about 350. I'm thinking on those poultry cooks to take the terra cotta out and simply place the steamer tray in for more direct heat.  That should crisp up the skin… Or at least I think it would! LOL

B

 

[pc farmer]

If you are complaining about that chicken, you are picky. Looks great.

Disco

I want to make the best. But yes it was very good.

 

[pc farmer]

Yup. Cant beat the mav.  But so far i haven't gotten my mini over about 350. I'm thinking on those poultry cooks to take the terra cotta out and simply place the steamer tray in for more direct heat.  That should crisp up the skin… Or at least I think it would! LOL
B

I don't have a terra gotta pot. It is set up like a uds with the steamer for a diffuser. I had to much half burnt fuel to reach high temps.

Still learning I guess.

But it was still very tasty.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Nice Smoke Adam!

So here's the scoop on the Mini, and the diffusers... High temp smokes, on the upper rack the steamer insert is fine, or not even needed. Yeah I said that, not needed. Lower temp smokes or when you want to smoke a couple different things, you need a diffuser to block the heat. Not an issue if you only use the top grate, but once you start using the lower one, you need that buffer. Also when smoking at lower temps and the outside temp is low the extra mass helps regulate heat better. With a diffuser that has mass to it and covers the bulk of the firebox I can get the upper rack, and the rack at the insert lip level within 10-15 degrees if each other, without a diffuser the lower rack is at least 30+ degrees higher.

 

[leah elisheva]

That all looks terrific!!!!!! Happy new and quite fabulous week!!!!!! Cheers! - Leah

 

[pc farmer]

Thanks Leah but it don't compare to the meals you make.

 

[woodcutter]

Good looking supper!

 

[pc farmer]

Nice Smoke Adam!

So here's the scoop on the Mini, and the diffusers... High temp smokes, on the upper rack the steamer insert is fine, or not even needed. Yeah I said that, not needed. Lower temp smokes or when you want to smoke a couple different things, you need a diffuser to block the heat. Not an issue if you only use the top grate, but once you start using the lower one, you need that buffer. Also when smoking at lower temps and the outside temp is low the extra mass helps regulate heat better. With a diffuser that has mass to it and covers the bulk of the firebox I can get the upper rack, and the rack at the insert lip level within 10-15 degrees if each other, without a diffuser the lower rack is at least 30+ degrees higher.

So what your saying is in order to use the lower rack I need a terra cotta pot or for low and slow with cold outside temps.

 

[pc farmer]

 
Good looking supper!

Thanks Woodcutter.  Still learning the mini.  Its only my 3rd cook on it.

 

[fwismoker]

Nice Smoke Adam!

So here's the scoop on the Mini, and the diffusers... High temp smokes, on the upper rack the steamer insert is fine, or not even needed. Yeah I said that, not needed. Lower temp smokes or when you want to smoke a couple different things, you need a diffuser to block the heat. Not an issue if you only use the top grate, but once you start using the lower one, you need that buffer. Also when smoking at lower temps and the outside temp is low the extra mass helps regulate heat better. With a diffuser that has mass to it and covers the bulk of the firebox I can get the upper rack, and the rack at the insert lip level within 10-15 degrees if each other, without a diffuser the lower rack is at least 30+ degrees higher.

Case is right if your mini is designed to work like a wsm...uds type is different.  Case that reflectix sleeve solves all weather issues...cold and or wind and holds rock solid temps with no thermal mass, just the steamer.  Id say 51 below windchill was a good test for that..lol

Using the mini like a uds and having drippings go to the coals is easy going two racks with no mass also. The lid drilled with holes sits right in the base and the pot sits right into that.....my temp differential between grates was only 5*   Having both holy diffusers works like like a charm.

It just comes down to how the mini is set up....it can function like a wsm or a uds style with no need for water or thermal masses ( tera pots)

 

[pc farmer]

So the lid goes between the grill base and the pot?

 

[fwismoker]

 
So the lid goes between the grill base and the pot?

Yep it sits right in the base. 

P1010406.JPG

• fwismoker
• Jan 13, 2014

The tamale pot sits right on that...it's puffed up also.    Having two steamer diffusers with space in between them works great to even out temps between grates if you're two level cooking. 

Personally since i have the UDS and Jimmy i'd use that if i needed to cook more meat but the mini will work this way great...and best of all it lets the flavor go all the way down to the coals. 

 

[pc farmer]

I was thinking of using the 2nd rack for side dishes.

 

[fwismoker]

 
I was thinking of using the 2nd rack for side dishes.

I need to put on my other U bolt to pull the top grate out easier so i can access the second one easier and get some bricks or something to sit it on. . .  I had those clothes pins grate handles in for a while but they finally burnt up..lol

Really glad i made that Jimmy because it's fuel efficient  and the  grates have handles 

 

 

[pc farmer]

Vise grips will work till I figure out something else.

 

[fwismoker]

 
Vise grips will work till I figure out something else.

 
Vise grips will work till I figure out something else.

Yep sometimes i'll use needle nose vise grips or some small channel locks.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

 
So what your saying is in order to use the lower rack I need a terra cotta pot or for low and slow with cold outside temps.

Not necessarily a terracotta tray, but something to even out the heat. I do a bunch of sides that I like to catch the drippings. I currently use a 8"x12" chunk of granite wrapped in foil as a diffuser. There just needs to be something in there to block the direct heat, otherwise its too hot on the lower rack. When I cook like this I am not concerned about the drippings getting to the coals, because I am wanting all that goodness getting into what is on the lower rack.

With that said when cooking two butts one on the top and one on the lower I still use the diffuser to block the direct heat. Due to the size of the granite there still is plenty of drippings hitting the coals.

For grate lifters, I took some old metal coat hangers and bent some "c" shaped grate hooks. You could leave them in, but they get hot. Somewhere here I have a photo of them. they work great.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Here you go, make a pair, one for each side.

8679976568_8e480b6539_k.jpg

• dirtsailor2003
• Jan 13, 2014

 

[pc farmer]

That's simple enough.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

 
That's simple enough.

Yeah and they work really good until you misplace one! I need to make another one!