need advice about mini max indirect cooking

lightningque

I have a mini max and I use the woo ring and stone from CGS.  I have only used it a few times since I bought it but I find that the stone is so close to the fire that its almost touching.  I set it in the raised position above the felt line but still seems to be too close.  I wrapped the stone in foil and it just practically melts on the stone. Am I doing something wrong or should I just ditch the indirect method on the mini max?   

GrateEggspectations

Some on this forum do not endorse the MM because of the proximity between the fire bowl and the grate. Owning one (as well as a med and large), I have observed, as others have, that this causes the MM to behave quite differently from the others in the lineup when cooking indirectly. I do a Dutch oven bread on the large that ends up completely burnt on the bottom when cooked on the MM, despite using the exact same method on the two cookers. I have not noticed these same adverse effects when cooking proteins on the MM. I still cook indirect plenty on the MM; I am simply more careful about what I am cooking. 

lightningque

GrateEggspectations said:

Some on this forum do not endorse the MM because of the proximity between the fire bowl and the grate. Owning one (as well as a med and large), I have observed, as others have, that this causes the MM to behave quite differently from the others in the lineup when cooking indirectly. I do a Dutch oven bread on the large that ends up completely burnt on the bottom when cooked on the MM, despite using the exact same method on the two cookers. I have not noticed these same adverse effects when cooking proteins on the MM. I still cook indirect plenty on the MM; I am simply more careful about what I am cooking. 

thank you fort the feedback.  I am finding the same results also in that it behaves quite differently from my large.  I still like the mini max but I think I will stick to doing quick direct cooks which was my intended purpose for buying it.  I like using the stone simply for drip purposes and keeping the food from scorching too fast because its so close to the fire.  I will take this as a challenge to continue experimenting with it until I find a happy place.  I did some jalapeño poppers last night on it and I used the stone because I knew the bacon would drip so much on the fire, it smoked to the high heavens and the foil on the stone was about to completely melt.  It was a mess to say the least. I am second guessing that maybe it would be better to do those direct? 

pgprescott

My first piece of advice is to modify the lighting and startup process. Light a smaller amount (use part of a starter cube) and do not let the size of the fire get anywhere near as big. Then start closing down earlier. Because the mass is far less, the margin for overshoot error is also far less. As with all eggs, getting the thing to high temp is usually far easier than low temps. This is exasperated by the size of the cooker and the proximity of the heat to the cooking surface. Good luck. 

lightningque

pgprescott said:

My first piece of advice is to modify the lighting and startup process. Light a smaller amount (use part of a starter cube) and do not let the size of the fire get anywhere near as big. Then start closing down earlier. Because the mass is far less, the margin for overshoot error is also far less. As with all eggs, getting the thing to high temp is usually far easier than low temps. This is exasperated by the size of the cooker and the proximity of the heat to the cooking surface. Good luck. 

thanks! what I am finding is actually the opposite, it takes forever to get it up to temp, once I get a small fire started I put in the stone to let it come up slowly to temp but that's where it seems to choke the fire down and then I am another 30 minutes or so just to get to 300 degrees.   Once it gets going good it will climb to where I need it.  maybe I am just impatient but everyone always talked about how they get hot quick etc, I don't find that to be the case with mine ?? Then once it does get hot the stone is scorching hot and the foil dang near incinerates off the stone.  should I ditch the foil over stone?  

one other thing to note is I am using a KAB and KAC and that seems to elevate the fire up from the bottom making it closer to the stone, the KAB almost seems to be a waste its so small I can't put much fuel in it at all. 

Mickey

What are you cooking indirect? 

pgprescott

I’ve never used KAB in a MM personally. I have used the foil drip trays that egg sells and I like them. Much less pita than foiling a ps or stone. They are more expensive for sure but for me that’s just not the deciding factor. Convenience is key for me. 

It Shouldn’t really get stabilized any faster than a larger egg because the fire needs to be proportional to the egg mass to achieve similar results. Patience is definitely your friend. 

lightningque

Mickey said:

What are you cooking indirect? 

Mickey to be honest most everything I have cooked in it so far.  I guess I had the fear that it would burn being so close to the fire.  I am starting to think I need to experiment without the stone and see what happens.  

Mattman3969

I don’t have a MM but do cook a bunch on a mini which is tight quarters between grid and lump and really close between the stone and grid.  If I’m goin to cook indirect my temps are lower in the mini vs my small or large because the radiant heat will scorch the bottom of the meat.  I also will only lump in the firebox (not into the ring) to create a farther distance between stone and fire.  This works for direct cooks too.  Maybe this can transfer to using the MM too.  

For reference here is a spatched chicken cooking direct on the mini.  

YukonRon

I have had a MiniMax for a few years, and have used the stone on most cooks.

Very seldom do I load lump above the fire box for any cook, with or without the stone. I will for long low and slows though.

I bought a stainless steel drip pan which I use for the collection of drippings. I grew tired of replacing the foif and foil pans, it has served us well.

With all of this in the MiniMax it does take a while to get to desired temp, but it does with no issues, other than time, usually an extra 30-40 minutes in most cases. 

Like the XL, it has its quirks. Once the learning curves go flat is one of the greatest feelings on earth.

I have done ribs, butts, whole beef tender loins, pork loins, pork tenderloins, wings, legs thighs, spatch chicken, shrimp salmon, you name it.

As odd as this may seem, I really like the MiniMax and its performance, and we take it with us everywhere we travel by car in North America; camping, tailgating or just when we do not wish to eat anything from restaurants in the area. Grilled shrimp on the beach is tough to beat.

It works out really ok. We do debate whether to include it or not on some of the trips, but we always end up doing so, and have never been disappointed in our decision.

SamIAm2

Edit - If you are concerned about cooking direct on the MiniMax you might consider doing something like this. I stack the original fire ring and the newer fire ring on the firebox to move the protein a bit further from the charcoal when I cook direct. Have to be careful when moving the meat to keep the grate from sliding off.


You might be able to stack two newer fire rings to achieve similar results.
And yes, the dome does close. Don't do anything large, like a full chicken unless it is a small, spatchcoked bird.

lightningque

thanks for the tips much appreciated.  I can see that some of this is just me learning to cook on a smaller platform.  I just need to drink an extra beer or glass of wine and be patient while it heats, I will keep playing with it and the noted suggestions.  I'm no quitter so this will be my excuse to cook more! 

GrateEggspectations

lightningque said:

thanks for the tips much appreciated.  I can see that some of this is just me learning to cook on a smaller platform.  I just need to drink an extra beer or glass of wine and be patient while it heats, I will keep playing with it and the noted suggestions.  I'm no quitter so this will be my excuse to cook more! 

Sounds like you have this Egging thing down pat. 

kl8ton

I've been cooking on one for a year as I have been traveling.  My only egg before this was a large.  There are adjustments that need to be made,  yes.  I've done direct and low and slow.  I've had excellent results with both.  I do cook most things indirect. Even things that I would cook direct on a large.  Chicken, brats,  burgers,  etc. I go indirect or direct depending on my mood. You can get a good amount of cooking done with not much lump at the bottom.  Try a softball size amount in the bottom for a direct cook.   If going low and slow,  usually my stone and woo ring aren't resting on ther fire ring when I start because the lump is so full.  

Mickey

I had the first Mini-Maxi Texas and cook lots on it. I gave away the stone as i never used it. Used the Mini-Max Woo Ring and can’t remember the last indirect. 

https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/big-green-egg-minimax-small-accessories-by-ceramic-grill-store/products/150-mini-max-woo-bge

lightningque

Mickey said:

I had the first Mini-Maxi Texas and cook lots on it. I gave away the stone as i never used it. Used the Mini-Max Woo Ring and can’t remember the last indirect. 

https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/big-green-egg-minimax-small-accessories-by-ceramic-grill-store/products/150-mini-max-woo-bge

that's the setup I have also, I bought the stone but not the drip pan.  

unoriginalusername

To avoid repeating other good tips already shared I would add try using less charcoal. If it’s touching the diffuser in the wok ring you’ve got too much. 

The MiniMax is an awesome portable cooker, but what it gains in portability it forfeits some points in practicality and indirect performance. 

You will notice a huge difference in airflow and smoke ring formation going from a MM to a large, that’s just the physics of form factor playing out. My Joe Jr does better than my MM which does better than my mini. The large does better than all three and my Classic 3 does better yet with an additional 4” height over the large. 

Where I might do a spatchcock chicken at 425 in the large, 350-375 is where I cooked on the MM to avoid over doing the vortices. It was still brilliant chicken and I used the MM almost exclusively mid week. Keep tweaking, you’ll find your sweet spot