 Make Charcoal at Home for the
Best Barbeque
by Staff Writer
Almost everything tastes better when it is cooked outside over an open flame. I
love the convenience of propane, but a wood or charcoal fire imparts an
unmistakable touch of smoky flavor. Most Americans are familiar with bags of
formed charcoal briquettes, but did you know that lump unprocessed charcoal is
an available alternative? To be honest, I can’t detect a difference in taste
between food cooked over briquettes or lump charcoal. If there's no detectable
difference in taste, why pay a premium for lump charcoal or go through the
hassle of making it yourself?
Charcoal briquettes are typically made using finely ground charcoal, sawdust,
starches, coal, borax, and petroleum distillates, but ingredients vary by
manufacturer. Starch is a binder that holds individual ingredients together and
borax is used as a mold release. Sawdust helps the briquettes burn and imparts a
smoky flavor. Any other ingredients are added as combustible filler or to
simplify ignition. Harmful substances, along with lighter fluid, are said to
burn off and not affect the safety or flavor of your food if you wait long
enough. I don't intend to paint charcoal as a dangerous product -- but when
given the opportunity, don’t we want to keep some of these things out of our
food?
Charcoal is made by heating wood, which drives out moisture and gasses until
carbon is the primary element remaining. Some gasses do remain in lump charcoal,
but the vast majority have been driven out. Heat can be applied to the wood
directly or indirectly; the trick is to stop the combustion process once the
moisture and volatile gasses have been driven out but the carbon remains. The
direct method is
accomplished by setting the wood on fire and then removing access to all air
once the wood has burned sufficiently. In the indirect process, the wood is
separated from the flames -- but not the heat -- of a wood or gas fire. The
volatile gasses can be captured and circulated back into the flame box to
prevent their release into the environment and to make the charring process more
efficient.
When using lump charcoal, you will first notice that it doesn’t ignite as
quickly or as easily as briquettes; this is because petroleum distillates and
other chemicals have not been added. Consider using a wax, gas, or electric
fireplace starter to get a few lumps going. Once a sufficient base is aglow,
additional charcoal can be added over the top and spread out. Lump charcoal has
a tendency to burn hotter and faster than briquettes, but the temperature can be
controlled by restricting airflow.
I don’t know that producing natural additive-free lump charcoal is a viable
backyard business, but it could be an opportunity for self-employment. While I
currently have no plans to increase my production or attempt to market my
homemade charcoal, there is something satisfying about making charcoal for
family, friends, and myself. After all, when does a guy turn down a chance to
‘play’ with fire? |
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