ash on food

I noticed on my last cook on the WSM that there was charcoal dust on the food and you can clearly see it if you look close.

I had food on top rack only and had the water pan in there with water in it.

I had most of bottom vents closed during cook, not sure if that had to do anything with charcoal on food.

I am surprised about that because the charcoal is so far from food in the WSM. This happens in my Performer but with performer, charcoal is right under food or very close to it.

I use Maple Leaf natural charcoal briquettes so i am hoping it is safe to have that bit of charcoal ash on food.

Anyone else noticed this on their WSM and anything i can do to prevent this?

Thanks

It's the Maple Leaf. For some reason some natural charcoal brands with natural binders spread a really light white ash that seems to vaccuum up when you open the lid. I had this happen with the Natures Grilling brand. Then I tried Lazzari's new natural charcoal and the same thing happened. Yesterday I cooked two butts on Frontier Premium natural briquettes and had no problem. I still use the blue Kingsford a lot, or Kingsford Competition, and lump sometimes. You could also try Wicked Good charcoals Weekend Warrior since it get's a really good review at TheNakedWhiz.com.
Good Luck.

yep, just about any natural briq have a very light, fine ash. they disturb easily thus the ash on the food. regular briq and lump don't do it.

so if i continue with maple leaf briquettes, i will get that fine ash on food but product has no chemicals.

On other hand, if i go with briquette brand that contains a bit of chemicals, there is no fine ash on food but there is some chemicals in briquettes.

Which is safer choice?

I would like to think that staying with maple leaf briquette is a healthier choice but that fine ash on food makes me panic sometimes because my family will be eating that food and i get concerned about their health in the long run.

elmo

lump ?

funny about this discussion. i had to cook some wings today on the kettle. as i had used k comp on my last cook i paid a little more attention. i made my own ash scooper for the ashes. as i was getting the ashes out i was again amazed at the amount of ash flying around. no wind and i was very carefull. the ash just floated up just lookin at it. as carefull as i was i was covered in a light dusting of ash. that was my last burn of the stuff and i'm not using it anymore. so yea, nowonder that stuff is covering the food.

This thread is puzzeling to me. I've used a lot of the so called all natural charcoal, both lump and briquettes and never once had a problem with ash on my food. I'm no know it all, but:
1) start with a clean unit
2) if you have to stir the coals, do it gently
3) when lifting the lid, don't lift straight up as that can suck up ash. Tilt the lid to one side and then lift.
I can see some ash getting on food every now and then, but a coating on the food? Never seen that. I know ash is light, but with the water pan blocking most of the cooker, it's hard for me to understand how you are getting an ash coating on your food. But if you say so, must be.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by elmo:
so if i continue with maple leaf briquettes, i will get that fine ash on food but product has no chemicals.

On other hand, if i go with briquette brand that contains a bit of chemicals, there is no fine ash on food but there is some chemicals in briquettes.

Which is safer choice?

I would like to think that staying with maple leaf briquette is a healthier choice but that fine ash on food makes me panic sometimes because my family will be eating that food and i get concerned about their health in the long run.

elmo </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

both are safe. corn starch is the evil nasty "chemical" used as a binder in briquettes.

i stopped using lump a while back after finding filter like material in the bag when it started roiling out big billows of purple black smoke out of the kettle. i assume that the smoke was from more of the same trash i found in the royal oak bag. i also found lumps of melted plastic and other unidentifiable trash. i probably got a bag the workers filled from the bottom of the bin where they tossed their office trash who knows.

anyway nothing wrong with lump lots of folks use it. i just dont like sorting the stuff to get the junk out. i had a bad experience with it others have nothing but good. its just too much of a pain to be sure for me. so i stick with briqs its easier for me and i cant tell the difference on the end results between the two.

people been eating food for 10's of thousands of years over coals and baked under ash in a lot of cases. a little wood ash is not going to hurt anyone.

I understand that original Kingsford has Borax mixed in as a binder. I haven't ever found anything other than the occasional rock in lump.
I think www.nakedwhiz.com has done some great research on charcoal of all types. I usually check for a review there before I try a new charcoal.