Gas vs Charcoal

L

LADawg

New member
The weather during January here in Lower Alabama was cold for this part of the country. Last I heard it was 7° below normal and we had several days where the low was below freezing. The long range forecast for February look much brighter and this, to me, means fire up the grill and or smoker. Of course many of you will have to wait a couple of months or more to start cooking outside.:weber:
Me, I cook with charcoal, but some people seem to prefer to cook on a gas grill. I have not been able to figure this out, and would like some input on just why you gas grill users like gas grills? Food cooked on charcoal or wood taste a lot better, the fire is a lot hotter (especially if you use lump charcoal) and one can control the temperature much better than using gas.
I’ve had two gas grills (both in the ground natural gas units and cheep ones at that so that didn‘t help matters) and about the only thing I could cook on them were burgers or a steak. I have made a solemn vow that I will NEVER have another gas grill.
 
Doc

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Natural Gas burn temps are lower than propane. I use propane mainly because it heats up quicker. I can have it tween 550 and 600 degrees ten minutes after I light it, everytime. Works for burgers, steaks, ribs, pork, corn on cob, ...which is most of what we cook on grill. We grill year round. Grill is kept in garage and wheeled to outer edge of garage whenever I want to use it. Very handy.
 
QSis

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
:agree:

What LADawg said!

Charcoal takes a little longer, a little more effort, but it's SO worth it!

Lee
 
L

LADawg

New member
Doc said:
I can have it tween 550 and 600 degrees ten minutes after I light it, everytime. Works for burgers, steaks, ribs, pork, corn on cob.
Click to expand...

Never tried cooking ribs at 550 degrees. I always cook them at 250 on my smoker for 4 1/2 to 5 hours. I always thought ribs were cooked low and slow kind of like a pork butt or a brisket. Well butts and briskets do take from 10 to 12 hours......
I have a charcoal chimney type starter and have the charcoal ready in 15 to 18 minutes, so not that much difference in time.
:bbq:
 
C

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
Dawg -

methinks the gas is just a "twist the knob, gosh it's easier" thing.

never had a gas grill, since the 50-60's. but it is 'attractive' -

my clam shell type from the 70's is getting harder and harder to "support" - the cast iron grill plates are no longer available, one has a couple ribs rusted clean gone, I've been watching for an 'over sized' cast grate I can cut down...

had a stainless ash pan custom made to replace the rotten out electro-galvanized - gosh,,, mid-80's? still good, replaced the coal grill/plate/holder several times; latest with a cut down porcelain 'top grate'

I'm also convinced charcoal produces better flavor. lump is preferred here but availability of a quality hardwood lump is very spotty.
 
Doc

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
You are right Dawg, ribs are not cooked at that high temp. Even others I will sear and then turn the heat down. I was just saying how hot it can get that fast. I'll admit I have been considering getting a green egg after viewing some of the pics posted on here by our members. But for now and I am using gas, and it is like CM said ...for ease and quickness of use.
 
C

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
more than once have I over the Green Egg drooled....

then I yapped it up with a user.
it does take a lot of time to come up to temp - rather a large thermal mass there.....
 
Leni

Leni

New member
I have charcoal at home and gas at my time share. I much prefer the charcoal. Yes, I do have to clean up but it is worth it. I grill all year round.

Chowderman you might want to take at look at a CharGriller. That's what I have. It is the oil drum style with a chimney and you can get a side burner to smoke the meat. Mine has cast iron grill plates. Nothing like the sear you can get on cast iron. I bought mine at Lowes.
 
joec

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I prefer gas in my smoker as you add the wood to a can on top of the burner. It holds a steadier temp as long as you need it which allows for 12 hour smokes or longer with no problem. As the grill again I prefer gas and if I want the smoked flavor it can be added with a bit of tin foil wrapped around some wood chips with holes punched in it. I also do something similar using the wood pellets in my oven or on my stove with a indoor smoker setup. Though not as good as the out door it does give a smoke taste better than any liquid smoke I've tried. Oh and my range is induction with a standard electric or convection modes.
 
chilefarmer

chilefarmer

New member
Andy I to have an ugly drum smoker in my arnisal. I love that thing. If I had to remove all my smokers but one, that is the one that i would keep. CF
 
High Cheese

High Cheese

Saucier
I don't have a preference. I use propane, wood, charcoal, lump, whatever....but you can make gas grill food taste like charcoal by throwing some lump on the flavorizer bars.

Gas grill

IMG_3229.jpg
 
QSis

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Yum, HC!

These days, I'm really liking pork steaks (cut from the butt) on the grill instead of loin chops.

Always tender and juicy, never have to worry about brining or drying out the damned things.

Lee
 
Adillo303

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
Cooksie said:
I'd bet money on it that you could build one of those.
Click to expand...

Cooksie, you are right. I could and I would love to. With a fairly new Weber Smoky Mountain, a small yard and only two to cook for, it is more an administrative problem.

Since we started doing 30+ wood shows a year, I do have a pretty good supply of scrap for evening fires. Not at all above making a steak over a thick bed of coals.
 
Shermie

Shermie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
My feeling is, Dawg, if you want that real down-home smokey flavor and taste, then I think that you should go with the charcoal.

You'd be smoking your meats as well as grilling them.

I have no BBQ grill, no back yard, so I have to rely on THIS (below) to get smokey flavor meats. It does a good job and gives a nice mild smokey flavor and taste to the meat! :eating2:
 

Attachments

  • Stovetop Kettle Smoker.jpg
    Stovetop Kettle Smoker.jpg
    50.2 KB · Views: 84
waybomb

waybomb

Well-known member
I like the gas grill. I leave it "dirty" other than the cooking surface. Adds some flavor. Also, If I need smoke, I have a smoker tray that goes in it.

However, I would gladly use a real charcoal grill with real wood charcoal, not the briquets sold in stores. Real hunks of charred wood. Burn very hot and even.

Briquets are the worst.
 
Shermie

Shermie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
When we were kids and growing up, our parents always used charcoal briquette grills during warm / hot weather cookouts.
 
C

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
for years I used Cowboy brand. they had a retort operation in the Carolinas using hardwood scrap/cut-offs from the furniture industry. worked well.

then they started a Mexican operation using ? woods. first bag of that I got had car sized chunks - not good. wrote them an email suggesting they put in a size screening function; got a nice reply. apparently they did put in a sizing step, last bag I tried had pea sized pieces and charcoal dust. double not good worse....

the bags are marked with origin - (sigh) places around here have nothing but product from the Mexico plant, which is not worth buying, so I've been on the look out for another brand. tried a couple, nothing stellar found comma as yet....
 
chilefarmer

chilefarmer

New member
I am thinking I may make my own charcoal. I have the wood and the space. From what I can tell from reading about making charcoal, its not that to hard to do. Might be a fun project. At least one would know what it is and where it came from. CF
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top