Adding un-lit charcoal to firebox

P

pull_my_butt

Knows what a fatty is.
Joined
Sep 1, 2012
Messages
80
Reaction score
2
Points
0
Location
Taylorsville, NC
As we all know, we allow the charcoal to ash over and gray up first before smoking/grilling. However, I've seen on some TV shows where BBQ places just add un-lit charcoal to the lit ones that have already ashed over. Is this not harmful to have the fumes of un-lit charcoal going onto your food?

I'm not sure of the technical or scientific term but can't the smoke from the un-lit coals mess up the flavor of the food or be harmful?

Just thinking here.....

Thanks.
 
I do it with lump and hardwood briqs all the time with no problems.
 
Only if your using that nasty AZZ smelling Kingsford:nono::nono::icon_sick
 
I do it all the time with Kingsford and never had a problem so I guess to each his own !
 
As long as it's not match light you should be fine.

I wait for them to ash so I get uniform, stable, linear heat. No other reason for me.
 
If possible move the lit charcoal into the corner in a pile and place the unlit next to the pile, not on top. That way the new charcoal will just burn from the edge like when you first light a smoker.
 
Teamfour said:
If possible move the lit charcoal into the corner in a pile and place the unlit next to the pile, not on top. That way the new charcoal will just burn from the edge like when you first light a smoker.
Click to expand...

^^^ This.

I use these all hardwood briquets with no chemicals manufactured by the local super market and notice nothing foul.

That being said, I've had to use Kingsford Blue and noticed nothing either. I mean if you think about the entire Minion concept, which is used by many, many competition cooks, your basically lighting fresh charcoal as the fire burns down.

I know some top teams who use nothing but Kingsford Blue because its easy to find everywhere. Your mileage of course may vary.
 
The important part is to have the burning part towards the cooking chamber.

The term you are thinking of is 'products of incomplete combustion' or something like that. They are volatile organic hydrocarbons that have not burned.

When a wood fire dies down too far - or if you're using wood that's too green - or if the heat from the lit coals have to pass through fuel that has not been burnt yet you can get the 'products of incomplete combustion' on your food.

This is what leads to a 'lighter fluid' taste on your meat. (Well, I mean BESIDES actually using lighter fluid to start your fire.)
 
Throwing unlit coals in after the fire is already going means that they are cooler in temperature. The coals that are already in the firebox are warmed up and have released a lot of their volatile organic hydrocarbons. Similar idea when you warm up the next wood split on top of the firebox before adding it to the fire.

Another thought with the Minion method is that the very few lit coals are placed on top of the unlit fuel. That way the heat from the lit coals never have to pass through the unlit fuel to get to the cooking chamber. Kinda like a catalytic converter.

Nope - exactly like a catalytic converter, come to think of it.

:)
 
I have a smaller smoker so even if I use the minion method and keep the un-lit coals on bottom and the lit ones on top, at some point, the coals will burn down before the cooking is done. At this point, I'll have to add un-lit coals on top of the lit coals. At first, I didn't notice anything but as I'm starting to smoke more meat, I'm starting to realize that as the un-lit coals ash over while it's in with the lit coals, it's not a good smoke that goes into the cooker. I don't know...I don't use briqs. I use the lump hard wood charcoal that is supposed to be chemical free. So, I hope this helps it a little but nevertheless, I don't like the concept of adding un-lit coals to lit coals and smoking the meats while the un-lit coals are ashing over.

I'm I thinking too much?
 
I get it white hot in my chimney and add it then. I do throw chunks of oak in there on top of the red hot coal though.
 
QansasjayhawQ said:
Throwing unlit coals in after the fire is already going means that they are cooler in temperature. The coals that are already in the firebox are warmed up and have released a lot of their volatile organic hydrocarbons.
Click to expand...
As these coals are warming are they not still letting off their volatile organic hydrocarbons just at a slowew rate?
 
So isnt that what we add the wood to the fire to do ? Isnt the whole point to make it burn slower and smoke and add flavor ? I mean a lot of people soak it in water so it wont burn, I dont but many do ! Like I said I do it all the time and have never had any complaints on how my dead stuff taste, in fact my in laws are from Missouri and used to eat at Bryant's all the time and they said my last Boston butt was the best they had ever had so I sure dont plan to change how I do it !!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
My apologies to red box smoker
Replies
4
Views
682
Smoking Piney
Smoking Piney
snadamo
Inaugural Cook on the LSG Verital Offset - Direct Heat Chicken Thighs
2
Replies
29
Views
2K
Happy Hapgood
Happy Hapgood
D
Slightly regretting my choice not to use my Pellet grill….
Replies
8
Views
700
Dweverett
D
Q
Charcoal stacking question
Replies
7
Views
801
Porcine Perfection
P
K
Kingsford Original Versus Weber Charcoal Briquettes - My Take
Replies
10
Views
2K
KevGuy
K
Back
Top