So, today went better despite the rain immediately after the grill got heated up

[conuly]

but it turns out I have the compact charcoal chimney. This explains a lot. I'll be fixing that, getting some starters as well.

And this bag is almost empty. What sort of charcoal should I replace it with? (You know, I just bet there is somebody out there insisting that no brand comes close to making your own charcoal at home. You can just feel when there's somebody like that in the fandom, in this case the grilling fandom into which I've only barely dipped a toe. I, however, will silence that part of my brain and be satisfied with brand recommendations or type recommendations.)

Edit: I've googled it! We've got artists talking about the superiority of your own charcoal pencils, smiths talking about making your own charcoal for smithing, survivalists doing their thing, and a whole bunch of BBQers and grillers swearing that it's actually super easy, guys! I just knew it.

Comments

[melannen]

I have (helped!) make charcoal, and I have got the distinct impression that it's worth doing in large quantity (running a smithy every weekend) and it's worth doing in small quantity (charcoal pencils, gonzo science experiments) but it's really not worth doing in a-few-bags-a-year quantity. Like at that point, you might as well just grill over the fire instead of using it to make charcoal.

(but I also just buy whatever's there. Actually I send someone from the party out to buy whatever is at the corner store when we realize the nearly-full bag I was told we have is actually a nearly-empty bag.)

[conuly]

That description definitely matches my impression from the quick google search I made.

But hey, some people like to brag, and grilling definitely sits on that neat intersection between macho manly man stuff + artisanal cooking stuff + super nerdy geekery stuff.