I've been using Masterbuilt lump charcoal for a while and always light in a chimney using natural firelighters and often a few sticks of kindling. Never seen it spit up like this before (although it's kinda pretty to look at). Is this a bad batch?
Is this a sign of bad coal?
byu/firewithoutaspark inKamadoJoe
by firewithoutaspark
13 Comments
Yes, those sparks are the crap they add in as a filler. I wouldnt buy that brand again.
Was it the bottom of the bag?
fan in the vent + hickory?
Nederland use a starter in komado 😭😭😭😭😭
Google says moisture. Something went wrong when manufacturing and/or handling. It could be bad. Or it could just be a pretty sparkler. Please take care. Some videos have charcoal shooting out the bottom vent.
🎇oohh ahhh
You don’t really need the chimney. That is moisture and sap boiling off and exploding. Shouldn’t be there in a good quality lump but it happens.
What others worry about is always interesting
It’s wet
Username does not check out.
Has moisture in it. I live in a pretty humid area and if I leave a bag of lump out sometimes it absorbs the humidity and you dump and light and get spark city in your face.
Never seen someone use a chimney in their Kamado before. But I guess if you are in a hurry, it will come up to temp faster this way
Hard types of charcoal do this more than others. Marabu tend to do this.
Basically, the charcoal at the high heat it attains in the chimney, starts to gas. Hard woods (like said marabu) is able to both, maintain its structure and release gas. Until the structure gives way in a .. spitting fashion.
It’s definitely not moisture at that temperature.
Use a softer type of charcoal, made from acacia maybe? Or wait until the spitting is done at some point (where most of the integrity is broken).
It’s likely avoided when not using the chimney when keeping the temperature below 390F/200C. (Or maybe less). Using marabu had its merits, you can keep up temperature for a day with ease! It kan also burn very hot for a longer time (do add your food after the spitting phase).