Grills: gas vs charcoal

[JayW]

We have had a gas grill for many years, but did without for a while when we were in the process of moving. The place we rented had an old charcoal grill in the garage which we decided to use as a stop-gap measure. Frankly, I have become smitten and a bit addicted to the wonderful smoky flavor imparted by those old fashioned charcoal briquets. The gas grill cooked the food just fine, but never enhanced the flavor like this ancient grill does. It is pretty cheap to use too, and according to the bag instructions, the fire can be ready for the meat in about 15 minutes.

 

So now I am not so sure I want to go back to propane. I have heard of wood chips and such that can be used on a gas grill, but have never tried them. Do the wood chips work as well as charcoal? Are there any other options?

 

Jay

[steve404]

"Are there any other options?"

Big Green Egg using hardwood charcoal,

but then it would be hard to ever go back.

good luck on your journey,

.

 

[Kathy R]

I cook far more fish and the Med/Off/Med setting on a gas grill works for me.

 

http://environment.about.com/od/health/a/charcoal_grills.htm

 

Avoid Health Risks by Using Natural Charcoal

Consumers can avoid exposure to these potentially harmful additives by sticking with so-called natural charcoal brands. Noram de Mexico’s Sierra Madre 100 percent oak hardwood charcoal contains no coal, oil, limestone, starch, sawdust or petroleum products and is certified by the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood program as sustainably harvested. The product is available at select Sam’s Clubs across the United States. Other manufacturers of all natural charcoal include Greenlink and Lazzari, both of which can be found at natural food outlets across North America.

 

 

[Skywagon]

I use wood chips and or charcoal all the time in my Gas Weber. Buy a tender box in the grill section of Home Depot for ~~$5.00. Soak wood chips in a bowl for 20 minutes, place in tender box below the grate and on the flavor bars. It will smoke like crazy and add flavor based on what wood you use e.g. hickory, oak, mesquite, apple-wood. If I use charcoal, I just put it in the tender box, spray it with PAM, and light it.... Works great.

[Rhys]

I cook alot on the grill, and the BBQ. As I'm sure you have noticed the charcoal one takes a bit more time all around. the thing about 15 minutes is a bit optomistic in my experience. 20-3 is probably closer to the truth. Rather than the briquets try using lump charcoal. The previously mentioned Lazzari brand is what I prefer, but have also had good results with Royal Oak. Currently I use a Brinkman with a seperate fire box, but am looking toward building something a bit larger in the near future.

[Rocer]

Jay - can't help with the wood chips but we've also had the big green egg for about 8 or 10 yrs. and love it. Lump charcoal NOT briquettes. Sometimes we think we might augment the egg with a propane grill mostly to do with volume situations - and then finish on the egg.

 

I take the "green fuel" comments by the charcoal co.'s with a grain of salt as, after all, carbon is carbon.

 

Lighting is straightforward - add charcoal and a few starter sticks, set the drafts, light the sticks and 15 min. or so later you're up to temp to scrub the grill and add the 'taters you were preparing while the charcoal was firing up.

 

On the coldest days that we barbeque in the winter (maybe -15 or 20 C.) we do struggle a bit with the temp on the charcoal grill but we don't have any experience with outdoor propane to compare.

 

I agree with your comment - outdoor gas barbeque is great, charcoal is grrreat.

 

Let us know how you make out.

 

 

[Vicious_Cycler]

Jay, I've used chips in my old electric ECB (El Cheapo Brinkmann) for years w/o nary a complaint. That's for ribs, butts, turkey breasts, the whole gamut. When I have to cook a large amount, I use my horizontal offset Brinkmann. I use chips and charcoal briquets (Minion method) for a 10-12 hour smoke and have always gotten excellent results.

 

My Weber Genesis propane grill (old, old, old) has a smoker tray which works well. I have a hard time keeping the temp down low enough though.

 

Grilling/smoking equipment is like motorcycles, one just ain't enough!

[Rhys]

Last time I fired up my ofset brinkman I had 3 boston butts, 3 racks of ribs, and half a turkey on there. The ribs and turkey I kept on for about 18 hours, and the butts were pulled at 26 hours. Low fire and patience with a mix of oak and misquite makes a wonderfull result.

[philbytx]

A good Gas Grill.....using aluminum foil and dampened wood chips!

Works great....no wait

[Mister Tee]

I am also one of those that grew up on charcoal, owned a gas grill for several years, and went back to charcoal after the gas grill finally fell apart. Charcoal grilling is an art. I can't duplicate the taste on a metal grill.

[Trinity]

I'm in the same boat as Mr. T...used gas for years, but even with dampened wood chips, just couldn't get the great "smokey" flavor. I eventually went back to lump charcoal (Green Egg brand when I can find it...) in a Webber kettle and my "dining critics" have been MUCHO happier.

 

FWIW, I use a metal "chimney" to start the charcoal, so there's no chance of petroleum aftertaste... The lump charcoal also seems to cook VERY hot, so more monitoring and internal temp checks are useful unless you're intent on preparing "burnt offerings" to the Gods...DAMHIKT

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

A good Gas Grill.....using aluminum foil and dampened wood chips!

 

I've heard before about wetting the chips, but the chips I buy don't mention that, so I've been using them dry. What does wetting them do for you?

[Twisties]

I cook far more fish and the Med/Off/Med setting on a gas grill works for me.

 

http://environment.about.com/od/health/a/charcoal_grills.htm

 

Avoid Health Risks by Using Natural Charcoal

Consumers can avoid exposure to these potentially harmful additives by sticking with so-called natural charcoal brands. Noram de Mexico’s Sierra Madre 100 percent oak hardwood charcoal contains no coal, oil, limestone, starch, sawdust or petroleum products and is certified by the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood program as sustainably harvested. The product is available at select Sam’s Clubs across the United States. Other manufacturers of all natural charcoal include Greenlink and Lazzari, both of which can be found at natural food outlets across North America.

 

 

I think the link you cite is right on about the risks of grilling and burning charcoal (although they left out the impacts of producing charcoal), but unless they have some reliable references to support the claim that use of "natural charcoal" is in some way safer, I'm calling total BS on that part.

 

1. None of the risks they cite in the upper portion of the discussion relate to "additives". The carcinogenic chemicals discussed form naturally in the grilling process and are the result of partial burning of organic matter (food). These carcinogens will form with any form of high temperature cooking. Therefore these compounds form no matter the source of the charcoal, and the claim that the risks can be avoided by using natural charcoal are unsupported and almost certainly spurious.

 

2. The article also talks about the health risks from smoke pollution (PM 2.5). So far as I know, all charcoal cooking produces these pollutants. Although no specific claim for "natural" charcoal regarding this risk is made, the section headline, "Avoid Health Risks by Using Natural Charcoal" may be misleading in this regard as well.

 

3. All of the items listed as additives could considered "natural" or "natural products". Maybe petroleum products might be pushing things, but so far as I know only "Matchlight" type products would have petroleum products, so they are not generally included in normal charcoal. Certainly starch, oil, sawdust, coal, and limestone are all natural. "Natural" is a marketing term of little or no meaning. Snake venom is natural.

 

Personally, I like grilled foods and accept the risks of high temperature cooking. I use a gas grill with wood chips in foil. I think charcoal grilled food may taste better, but the use of the wood chips gets me close enough. We got some apple wood from a friend, and also have some hickory and mesquite. The local pinyon/juniper mix is also pleasant.

 

 

[Twisties]

A good Gas Grill.....using aluminum foil and dampened wood chips!

 

I've heard before about wetting the chips, but the chips I buy don't mention that, so I've been using them dry. What does wetting them do for you?

 

Mitch I've used wet and dry.

 

Wetted chips take longer to start but last longer.

 

I think wet is great for slow cooking things, a whole tritip roast or butterflied leg of lamb for instance. These items have cooking time of something like 40 minutes to an hour.

 

For burgers, chops or steaks that are cooking less than 20 minutes I use my chips dry, but fully enclose them in foil to exclude air, so they don't flame. They start faster and last long enough.

[Dave McReynolds]

I have grilled using charcoal for the last 50 years, and so have probably been exposed to enough carcinogens to last me for the remaining 20 or so years that I may or may not have left. I've eaten food prepared on friends' propane grills, and I don't think it has as good a flavor as food prepared over charcoal.

 

After fighting flameups for most of the last 50 years, I finally wised up and now move the charcoal to the sides and cook in the middle, where the grease can drop down without catching on fire. It's probably healthier, and certainly has saved me from burning up a lot of food.

[marcopolo]

For me it's a bit like listening to music these days -- convenience trumps all (I've got a fairly fancy music system, but most of the time I listen to tunes from my iPod through a small speaker box). As for grills (we simply call them BBQs up here), seven years ago we moved to a new place that had a natural gas outlet on the back deck. We switched to a natural gas BBQ -- no more refilling propane tanks, running out of fuel halfway through cooking etc. I haven't used charcoal in many years. Nothing against it, except the inconvenience.

[Selden]

... As I'm sure you have noticed the charcoal one takes a bit more time all around. the thing about 15 minutes is a bit optomistic in my experience. 20-3 is probably closer to the truth....

Unless you use the George Goble technique, as described by Dave Barry:

 

bucket attached to a 10-foot long wooden handle to dump three gallons of liquid oxygen (Not Sold In Stores) onto a grill containing 60 pounds of charcoal and a lit cigarette for ignition. What follows is the most impressive charcoal-lighting I have ever seen, featuring a large fireball that, according to Goble, reached 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The charcoal was ready for cooking in -- this has to be a world record -- three seconds.

Article

 

[philbytx]

Mitch,

 

Generally, I tend to grill marinated/raw meat but, when I've slow cooked anything, I find dampened chips add extra flavour due to the steam/smoke and last longer!

 

However, for brisket, ribs etc...we have a great BBQ joint (Buzzies) 5 mins from the house and I cannot replicate his excellent Texas BBW and his prices make it certain I buy from him rather than screw around for hours with a smoker

 

[JayW]

Thanks for all the food for thought. Since we have a perfectly serviceable gas grill, I'll experiment with some of the wood chips at the local stores and see how it works out. I cannot imagine it tasting any better than the charcoal, but if it comes close, then the convenience may be worth it. If not, then I'll just keep both kinds of grills on hand and use whatever I have time for.

 

Jay

[Skywagon]

Mitch...soaking the chips in water for 20-30 minutes causes them to smoke, not light or burn...more flavor.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Mitch...soaking the chips in water for 20-30 minutes causes them to smoke, not light or burn...more flavor.

 

Huh. I'll have to give it a shot. Using dry, I can get them to not burn if I'm careful with the heat, but too much heat makes the smoke light off as soon as it gets out of the foil packet.

[Jake]

My suspicions of Gleno being a truly excellent grillmaster were confirmed during my trip to his place for Torrey Twelve. He had this huge charcoal grill set up in the back of his house, complete with fat knobby tires for dragging it through the desert. Under it were three huge tupperware bins with various hardwoods soaking - hickory, mesquite, and one other I can't recall - likely cherry. Against the wall was a pallet's worth of charcoal.

 

He treated us to the best chops I've ever had that night.

 

Looking around the corner I noticed a familiar looking gas grill, which I asked him about. "Nah, that piece of junk ain't good enough for my meat" he barked. "I used it once and put it out to pasture." Familiar? Yep, it was the same model Cap'n Cook gas grill I had at home and was so proud of.

 

Until I took a bite of that chop.

 

Charcoal Baby.