Charcoal vs Propane...

spitfirebill said:

In reply to mtn :

My grill is plugged into a branch line that stays on.  I guess I could turn it off, but we use the grill a lot, even through winter.  My grill has 3 burners and a sear station, so 4 valves in the grill.  I turn on as many burners as I need and punch the igniter.  Poof.

I actually prefer charcoal, but I'm one of those that feels it's a pain.  I can't keep charcoal burning long to enough to bbq chicken and in some cases a lot of hamburgers.   I hate Kingsford, but never tried to chunk wood.   I used to use Embers, but can't find it any more.  

I don't know why, but I never trust the grill valves. 

I'm confused about some of the comments on quick starting charcoal and I'd like to be educated.  Could someone talk me thought the process?  Maybe it's not as involved as I remember it or, perhaps there are some tricks I'm not aware of.

I bought into the "charcoal is everything" line of thought for a while. Royal PITA. My BBQ is run off a natural gas line I added (wasn't expensive, mostly because I got lucky with the layout of our plumbing but it was also the sort of luck you make) so I just turn it on and it works. My goal with cooking is the end result, not the experience of making a fire and tending to it and screwing around.

I also have a pellet smoker. Haven't tried using it as a BBQ yet because see above. It's less of a PITA than charcoal, that's for sure.

APEowner said:

I'm confused about some of the comments on quick starting charcoal and I'd like to be educated.  Could someone talk me thought the process?  Maybe it's not as involved as I remember it or, perhaps there are some tricks I'm not aware of.

Crumple up a paper bag or newspaper. If I am feeling extra quick I'll splash a little veg oil on it. Put the charcoal chimney on top. If I am feeling cost efficient and conservative, fill 1/2 with new charcoal and the other half with the stuff leftover from last time. Light it in two places or whatever. Walk away for 15 minutes.

tuna55 said:

APEowner said:

I'm confused about some of the comments on quick starting charcoal and I'd like to be educated.  Could someone talk me thought the process?  Maybe it's not as involved as I remember it or, perhaps there are some tricks I'm not aware of.

Crumple up a paper bag or newspaper. If I am feeling extra quick I'll splash a little veg oil on it. Put the charcoal chimney on top. If I am feeling cost efficient and conservative, fill 1/2 with new charcoal and the other half with the stuff leftover from last time. Light it in two places or whatever. Walk away for 15 minutes.

Thanks.  That's pretty much what I remember although the charcoal chimney is new to me.  I've had some awesome food cooked over charcoal and I get the appeal but as pathetic as it sounds that 15 minute wait is more than I'm likely to have the patience for these days.

Thermite.

I'm a charcoal freak.  I love it.  You can always look in the bag and see how much fuel you have, unlike propane.

I think propane has its place.  My grill is actually electric/IR.  It's nice because I live alone and it heats up fast for a burger or a steak, then it just shuts off.  For my smoker, though... always charcoal.

Beer Baron said:

Thermite.

For when you want to cook everything.

How do you guys have so much trouble with propane levels? That's why you have a spare tank. Run out, swap the tank, refill the empty one. It's like an outboard speedboat with those red gas tanks.

Both

I have a dual fuel grille from Sam's. Its big but everything gets cooked properly 

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

You can always look in the bag and see how much fuel you have, unlike propane.

My propane bottles have the tare weight on them. Not quite as easy as looking in a bag but still pretty easy to set on a scale.

One note about propane bottles and tare weight - the pre-filled tank swap places don't fully fill their tanks. If you find a place that can actually fill propane (Tractor Supply, gas stations, RV parks, etc), you'll get a more complete fill for less money.

Keith Tanner said:

One note about propane bottles and tare weight - the pre-filled tank swap places don't fully fill their tanks. If you find a place that can actually fill propane (Tractor Supply, gas stations, RV parks, etc), you'll get a more complete fill for less money.

This^

I have the tank that came with the grill, a blue rhino that came from a friend that moved south, and a new one I just bought over the summer ($33 locally +$15 to fill). 

I get them all filled locally, (even the blue rhino) but occasionally will take the loss and swap the blue rhino if the date is getting close, I need a spare after hours, or I have any issues with it.

I use them for the grill and also for a Ridgid torpedo heater. The heater gets used for a portable carport that is my winter workshop. It will warm it to sweatshirt temp in about 15 minutes, but definitely can use up a 20lb tank in a weekend, so even with 3 tanks sometimes I mess up and need one after the local hardware store is closed. 
 

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I recently discovered  that. I heat one of my shops with a propane furnace and bought a couple of full exchange tanks really cheap from a surplus guy.  It seemed that they didn't last as long so after exchanging them I weighed them and sho nuff, they were a few pounds light 

RossD said:

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

You can always look in the bag and see how much fuel you have, unlike propane.

My propane bottles have the tare weight on them. Not quite as easy as looking in a bag but still pretty easy to set on a scale.

I am actually that lazy.  Taking a tank off and putting it on a scale is not a step I'm willing to take after a long day of work when I just want a pork chop.  Bag of charcoal takes stoner-level amounts of effort.

Lift bag.  Yes, I have enough charcoal.

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

RossD said:

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

You can always look in the bag and see how much fuel you have, unlike propane.

My propane bottles have the tare weight on them. Not quite as easy as looking in a bag but still pretty easy to set on a scale.

I am actually that lazy.  Taking a tank off and putting it on a scale is not a step I'm willing to take after a long day of work when I just want a pork chop.  Bag of charcoal takes stoner-level amounts of effort.

Lift bag.  Yes, I have enough charcoal.

Hear hear. Publix has the best lump charcoal BTW. 

I can glance under the end of the grill and get a good idea of how much is left, if I'm really concerned I can lift up on it and give a shake to tell if I have enough left or should expect to install the spare tank. 
 

In reply to No Time :

My grill has that scale too, works like a charm.

Keith Tanner said:

One note about propane bottles and tare weight - the pre-filled tank swap places don't fully fill their tanks. If you find a place that can actually fill propane (Tractor Supply, gas stations, RV parks, etc), you'll get a more complete fill for less money.

No. They just fill them to 15lbs instead of 20lbs for your "safety". 

I just take these to my local uhaul or bait shop and fill them to 20lbs.  It's the same price as the refill and you get 5 more lbs  

#shrinkflation

https://www.reddit.com/r/grilling/comments/gh5o56/are_blue_rhino_propane_tanks_intentionally/

I think the incomplete fill thing started in 2008 with the fuel price spike, and the nobody noticed or cared enough to do anything. Convenience vs cost, as always. 

I have never weighed a propane tank to see how much fuel I have left. I just use it until the bbq goes out, then swap bottles. It's not much harder than looking in a bag of charcoal and easier to light :) Of course, I'm now on NG for the grille so it doesn't matter.

Finding out if you have propane is as simple as turning on the grill. If there is fire, there is propane. If not, swap in one of the other tanks. I assume you have more than one.

Charcoal is as simple as kicking the bag. I assume you have a spare bag. 

Stick wood is as simple as looking at the woodpile. 

Electricity is as simple as seeing if the deck lights work.

They are all equally easy to check. 

You guys argue about some strange stuff, but how long it takes to see if you are out of grill fuel might be a top 3. 

In reply to Toyman! :

Now I'm curious about the #1 and 2 items on the list. 

what would rank higher on the strangeness scale?