To hold a steady 225°F on a Weber Go Anywhere, light 10–12 briquettes and pour them over 25–30 unlit coals banked at one end of the charcoal grate, crack the lower vents to about a quarter open, keep the lid vent mostly open, and shield the food from direct heat with a deflector. Because the Go Anywhere is a compact, thin-walled grill, it rewards small adjustments and patience — and if you'd rather skip the vent dance entirely, an automatic temperature controller can hold 225°F for you for hours on end.
Why is 225°F the target — and why is it tricky on a Go Anywhere?
225°F is the classic low-and-slow pit temperature because it gives tough cuts like ribs, pork shoulder, and brisket time to slowly convert collagen into gelatin without drying out the surface. It's low enough to be gentle, hot enough to render fat and build bark.
The Go Anywhere is a wonderful little smoker, but it has three built-in challenges:
- A small firebox. With roughly 160 square inches of cooking grate (about 14 x 10 inches), you can only load so much charcoal. A small fuel load means less margin for error and refuels every few hours.
- Thin, single-wall steel. The porcelain-enameled body weighs under 15 pounds. It responds quickly to every vent adjustment — and sheds heat fast in wind and cold.
- A looser lid fit. Compared to a heavy ceramic kamado, the lid lets some air slip by, so tiny vent changes matter more than you'd expect.
None of these are dealbreakers. Portable low-and-slow is absolutely doable — it just asks for a small, controlled fire.
What's the best fuel setup for holding 225°F?
Reach for briquettes rather than lump charcoal. Their uniform shape and density burn at a predictable rate, which makes metering heat on a small grill far easier. Lump burns hotter and faster — great for searing, fussier for a four-hour smoke.
How do you set up a mini minion method?
- Empty old ash first — the Go Anywhere's shallow base fills quickly, and ash buildup chokes airflow mid-cook.
- Bank 25–30 unlit briquettes against one end of the charcoal grate, no more than two layers deep.
- Light 10–12 briquettes in a chimney starter. When the edges are ashed over (about 10–15 minutes), pour them on top of the unlit pile.
- Nestle 1–2 small wood chunks into the lit coals for smoke flavor.
- Assemble the grill, close the lid with the vents open, and let the temperature climb. When it reaches about 175°F, start choking the lower vents down.
The logic: only a few coals burn at any moment, and the fire creeps slowly through the unlit fuel instead of a whole chimney raging at once. A good alternative for longer cooks is a short snake — two briquettes wide, two tall, laid along one wall of the grill, with 6–8 lit coals at one end. Either way, expect roughly 2 to 3 hours of steady burn per load; for longer cooks, drop in 8–10 hot briquettes from the chimney to extend it.
How should you set the vents to hold 225°F?
Think of the lower intake vents as your gas pedal and the lid vent as your chimney:
- Start with the lower vents about a quarter open — roughly a pencil-width gap.
- Keep the lid vent at least three-quarters open so smoke keeps flowing and doesn't turn stale and bitter on the meat.
- Adjust the intake in tiny steps, then wait a full 10 minutes before judging the result. Even a small grill has lag.
- If the pit overshoots past 250°F, close the intake to a sliver — but don't slam it shut, or you'll smother the fire and get dirty, acrid smoke.
- Running below target? Open the intake a touch and gently