Unlit Charcoal in the Firebox? (Minion Method)

Bogus Chezz Hawg

Bogus Chezz Hawg

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I cook on a Lang 60. I prefer to cook with all wood fires. I only use one chimney's amount of lit charcoal to get the party (wood) started. After that it's all preheated, well seasoned wood for a clean burn.

When I light up charcoal briquets (usually Kingsford blue), the smell is terrible until the coals are burning strong. I would not want that "terrible smell" to impart any undesirable flavors into my food.

Obviously, many of you use the minion method, gravity fed, etc...
It must not be an issue because so many of you use this method with successful results.

Why is this so?
Is the wood smoke dominating (covering up) the smell & taste of the newly lighting briquets?

Inquiring minds need to know. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
 
I only smell the Kingsford smell when I first fire up my UDS and it is ways gone by the time I put meat on the grate so I personally don't think that is tasted later.
 
I think the smoke from the newly lit charcoal under the fully lit charcoal passes through the fully lit coals and fire above thus burning most of the undesirable elements out of it.
 
HeSmellsLikeSmoke said:
I think the smoke from the newly lit charcoal under the fully lit charcoal passes through the fully lit coals and fire above thus burning most of the undesirable elements out of it.
Click to expand...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Bingo! :thumb:
 
I use lump, but I used to use Kingsford in my WSM's and never had an off flavor.

I agree, that smell the Kingsford puts off is not good, and the smoke is really thick. You don't get that problem with lump though.

Some people say they can taste the difference with Kingsford though. I have no reason to not believe them. I just know that I never noticed a difference.

I'm sure it's like mentioned above about the heat from above burning it off. Otherwise you should also get undesirable flavors from your wood as it lights up.:thumb: So that stuff is getting neutralized in there.
 
I think that using the Minion method also dries out and preheats the briquettes, which should help them ignite much more cleanly. Also, the Minion method is only lighting one or two briquettes at a time, instead of forty or fifty in a chimney, lesser concentration of smell and possibly more available oxygen for a cleaner burn.
 
Ok, you are right, Kingsford smells. I have cooked Dutch oven for 40 years and my wife can't be around it because the smell gives her head aches. So......I was really glad Kingsford came out with their Competition charcoal. They don't have that acidic smell and I really like the way they cook. I also have a Lang 60 and just today the weather warmed up enough to cook some baby backs.
I'm in the Sam's series, the weather is breaking and my cave man need for smokey meat is on the rise!
 
Interesting..I use only KB and have never had an off taste in my uds cooked food!! Wife and family actually say that barrel produces best barbecue ever.With KB of course.

brickie
 
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