Char Without Coal

As I mentioned in my previous post about an improved way to use newspaper to get a grill going, Today’s Object at Hand is a particular type of charcoal.

Notice that the bag says “Lump” instead of “Briquette.” This indicates a significant difference in terms of ingredients. Henry Ford’s invention of the briquette revolutionized home grilling by standardizing the size and behavior of charcoal. It also created a market for his production scraps.

The down side is that the shape is maintained by adding coal tar or oil residue.
Here’s the How It’s Made short on charcoal briquettes:

Anyway, it is possible to find locally sourced non-petrochemical charcoal, as shown in my picture. This bag claims to come from a cabinet shop. But the telltale shapes amuse me. And truth be told, this amusement factor is more important to me than the actual absence of tar and oil in my grill. But both are good reasons to look for it.

Stand by for a third entry in this series.

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