Why do we wait for lit charcoal ash to "gray over" before using it?


 
JeffB

JeffB

TVWBB Pro
Once you light your charcoal in your chimney, it's my understanding that most people wait for the coal to "ash over" or "gray over" before dumping the lit charcoal on the unlit charcoal in your WSM.

Clearly, the coals at the top of the chimney have lit on fire and are burning before they are ashed over, so....why wait to dump them?

Haven't you wasted valuable resources (read: "burning time") if you wait to dump the lit coals until they have ashed over?

I guess another way to ask the question is this: In the "life" of a charcoal briquette, at what % of the burning lifespan does the briquette ash over? Does it his "ash" at 10% and then burn for another 90%? Does it ash over at 30% and then burn for another 70%? If it's >10%, aren't you wasting valuable cooking time by waiting longer to dump the lit coals?

I suspect there is an actual reason for doing this other than "that's how I learned to cook," but I don't know what that reason is. Just curious what everybody else thinks.

I must have too much time on my hands to be making posts like this. ;)
 
its a good question. I think that practice really started by the thought that charcoal being lit gives an off taste. sort of like waiting for lighter fluid to burn out.

I sometimes wait until fully ashed over to dump and other times dump prior to fully ashed. If I am using charcoal pans I like to dump when top charcoal is starting to look ashed but not 100% ashed over. I think you are right in thinking fully ashed does waste some actual cook time.
 
I'm a little bit too impatient to wait until the coals have completely ashed over. I typically wait until the chimney quits putting off white smoke. Some at the top might not be fully lit, but the fire is hot enough you won't get any off-taste. At least I can't tell the difference.
 
I agree with Dustin, no white smoke and flames starting to get to the top of the chimney and I'm good to go.
 
For me, it really depends on the brand. if im using lump or a natural briq like stubbs or TJ's i will dump sooner but if its KBB i let it ash over OR i give it a longer preheat with grate in place before i put food on. KBB has an infamous taste if its not fully lit.
 
I think it has more to do with using K than anything, but your still dumping lit (either fully or partially lit) on top of unlit coals. So like Bry H pointed out, where is the gain.
On the other hand , most recommend a fully lit chimney ( be it full or partially full ) to start a Minion Method.
Me, I don't wait. When flames are licking the top I'll dump, either grilling or smoking.

Tim
 
That's my understanding too, with the minion method, you constantly have new briquettes that are lighting up, so why wait?
 
I think it has to do with combustion of cold vs warm fuel. I do like Rich, and dump chimney when the visible smoke stops, even though top might not be completely grey. When I dump onto a cold pile of briqs (as in minion), the smoke reappears for awhile, then fades again as the fuel warms up. There is no way all18# of briqs below have ignited that quickly. Consider a log on a fire. It smokes before it starts to flame.
Just my observation.
Do we have any chemists or fire sciene experts to weigh in on this?es before it starts to flame.
 
If you wait until the top coals in a chimney are ashed over, the ones on the bottom are almost gone so I can see where the manufacturer might recommend that method.

I've made a lot of charcoal and that process alone drives off the majority of any "nasties" that might be in the wood. Quite a few here use the snake method for low temp smoking and that has to be the extreme side of using unlit charcoal without any bad taste.
 
I light my chimney in two ways (one or the other). One is to simply use the gas ignition of my "old" Performer for three minutes, turn out the gas and wait (from first ignition) twenty minutes then dump.

The second way, I use one Weber lighting cubel on top of an inverted empty tuna can (to get the cube up into the chimney for a more efficient light). After twenty minutes over the flame, I dump the chimney.

I use a "Tin Can Minion" start with both my WSM's. Eight lit coals in the 14.5" and 12 lit coals in the 18.5". I use an IKEA silverware caddy for my chimney. I either use the gas ignition on the Performer, or drop on Weber cube into the bottom of the caddy and place the briqs on top of the lit cube. Takes just a few minutes before they are ready to dump.

I have NO problems with K smoke - none, nada, not at all...

FWIW
Dale53
 
Tommy B said:
its a good question. I think that practice really started by the thought that charcoal being lit gives an off taste. sort of like waiting for lighter fluid to burn out.

I sometimes wait until fully ashed over to dump and other times dump prior to fully ashed. If I am using charcoal pans I like to dump when top charcoal is starting to look ashed but not 100% ashed over. I think you are right in thinking fully ashed does waste some actual cook time.
Click to expand...

I'm new to all of this, but just happened to be reading through one of Steven Raichlen's books yesterday. He mentions waiting until the coals ash over to make sure that any lighter fluid is burned off (though he recommends a chimney instead of lighter fluid). And I think he says if you're using a chimney that you can use them as soon as they're glowing red.

So I wonder if the whole idea of waiting until they ash over just dates back to a time when lighter fluid was common practice, and doesn't really apply when using a chimney or other method that doesn't involve lighter fluid.

I remember when I was a kid, it seemed that lighter fluid was used all the time. I don't think I remember my dad cooking outside when it didn't smell like lighter fluid.

Side note & fun story - We went to visit my wife's family a few years ago. and her uncle was cooking. There were probably 50 people expected so he was making a lot. He has a large home-made pit, and a few cheap store-bought ones. He's done this for years, but this was the first time we were there early enough to see him start the cook.

When he was building the fire, he put on some lighter fluid, but then went around picking up basically any liquid trash that might be flammable. I saw him pour a couple of half-empty bottles of motor oil and even transmission fluid on the wood (not charcoal) before starting the fire. :confused: They live on an old ranch with lots of broken down cars and tractors and just junk all over.

I was a bit concerned about the family eating this, but I guess he's been doing it for years. Plus we only do this once or twice a year, so...
 
From what I've read about KBB, the ashing over is actually caused by an additive to show people when the charcoal is ready. I think that if one were creating a pyramid of coals and/or using fluid that would be an appropriate timing to spread your coals and begin cooking. With a chimney starter you're forcing the flames to light the charcoal much faster, and as long as the top coals are starting to go gray I dump them.
 
I don't wait. Dump it out of the chimney when I'm sure the top briquettes have "started" to light. If it's an indirect cook, I put the partially lighted briquettes towards the bottom of the pile.
 
My lighter fluid method was typically this:

1. Place the briquettes in a lazy pile that is supposed to resemble a pyramid.

2. Douse the the briquettes with half a can of fluid.

3. Finish your beer or hand it to someone.

4. Light briquettes having only waited a few minutes with a crappy bic cigarette lighter.

5. Watch the flames roar up as you try to dodge the flame.

6. Watch the flames go out completely because you forgot to wait for the fluid to soak in.

7. Soak the briquettes with the other half of the can of lighter fluid.

8. Talk a younger guy into lighting this time because you learned better this time.

9. Watch younger guy almost die and laugh.

10. Put way too tightly packed burgers on grill and burn outside to a crisp while the inside is raw.

Recommended step. Drink a lot more beer and hope it kills any e-coli.
 
As I understand it, using the Minion Method, the unlit coals warm before igniting. On the WSM, I put 10-12 lit briquettes in a "trough" in the middle of the coals, bring it up to temp, put the meat on, and go. I don't get any bad smell or bitter white smoke. When grilling, I fill the chimney and when it quits smoking and flames are jumping out of the top, it's ready.
 
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