Ammonia Smell

Hoffrock

I recently relit some Fogo charcoal in my egg.  After getting some good coals I put the deflector and grill in and noticed an ammonia smell, my wife did as well.  I was cooking fish so gave it a shot anyway with a couple alder chunks and it came out great.  I did see some posts on other forums about this ammonia smell but no definitive answers.  Anyone had this issue or have a good explanation?

jtcBoynton

Aging fish can give off that smell. 

ksmyrl

If your egg had mold and/or mildew in it when you lit the fire it can give off a strong ammonia smell. When I clean burn my mother-in-law's egg every summer it smells like an ammonia factory. She lives in S. Florida and the egg only gets used when I'm there so I clean burn it on every visit as it gets loaded with nasty mildew.

Hoffrock

The fish was purchased that day (the smell was before I even brought it outside) and I had cooked on the egg a couple days prior and my egg is under cover and gets no direct moisture from rain.  While I live in Western Washington and it can get damp here we have not had measurable rain in a week and it's been in the 70's.  I had heard moisture can give off an ammonia smell but I've had the egg for about 6 years and use it year round.  This is the first time I've experienced an ammonia smell.

Botch

Hoffrock said:

The fish was purchased that day (the smell was before I even brought it outside) and I had cooked on the egg a couple days prior...

Think your answer is right there.  

Langner91

Is it ammonia, or the VOC's from the charcoal?

Does anyone have a male cat that can get near the grill?  Or, a dog that likes to mark territory?

pgprescott

It’s the Fogo. The South American woods have that odor. I wouldn’t describe it as ammonia but close enough I know what you are describing. I have never detect d the off putting smell in any flavor of the food, but the odor is enough that I personally don’t use it. The aroma of the charcoal and or the wood chunks are a critical part of the experience for me. 

Hoffrock

I was turned on to Fogo by a friend with a BGE and he swears by it.  When I mentioned this ammonia smell he was perplexed as he has never had that experience and has used a ton of this stuff.  What's strange is I did not smell it when I cooked on it the first time only when I relit it for a second cook.  Since it was fish at a low temp I did not add any new charcoal.  You'd think that odor would be more pronounced when burning fresh.  And this is my second bag of Fogo and I've not noticed it before, although that does not mean it wasn't present.  I'll watch for it next time.  Thanks for the feedback.

dbCooper

I used three bags of Fogo during the pandemic, when my regular brands were in short supply.  No off-putting odors from any that I used.  Found it to be good charcoal.

The big pieces were a drawback since I load by dumping directly into the Egg.  Had to assemble the pieces like a jigsaw puzzle or live with airgaps between the pieces.  Too lazy to bust up the pieces into smaller sizes.

paqman

wet ash maybe?

Dobie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hib4n9RmFrQ

Langner91

Looking at Ronnie in that video, I am not sure he would have made it much past October whether he got in that plane or not. It must be hard work being a rock star.

JohnInCarolina

Langner91 said:

Looking at Ronnie in that video, I am not sure he would have made it much past October whether he got in that plane or not. It must be hard work being a rock star.

CGS

Do you leave your bag of lump outside in the open.....do you have a male dog that is territorial...do your neighbors have a roaming dog....is your neighborhood active with critters at night.....lol

t

lkapigian

Aldehydes Smells from incomplete combustion can be pretty pungent, wonder if that’s what is happening… I know in the chute of my Gravity Feed is pretty strong when reloading , the bottom is clean burning but there is always a few coals on top that are incomplete and when you open the door it hits you, also very acidic 

Legume

It must be asparagus wood lump.

TechsasJim

pgprescott said:

It’s the Fogo. The South American woods have that odor. I wouldn’t describe it as ammonia but close enough I know what you are describing. I have never detect d the off putting smell in any flavor of the food, but the odor is enough that I personally don’t use it. The aroma of the charcoal and or the wood chunks are a critical part of the experience for me. 

^This I agree with.   Fogo and Cowboy I now stay away from.   I can’t say that I’ve smelled Ammonia but I have smelled some form of accelerant in their lumps.     

Never get it from BGE or B&B or Central Market.  

JohnInCarolina

Legume said:

It must be asparagus wood lump.

bobroo

Are you sure a cat did not pee in your egg?

YukonRon

I tried Fogo, from my BGE store here in Louisville. Opened the bag, poured it in lit it, and there was a pretty pungent, acrid aroma that evolved after about 6-7 minutes, I let it burn to get rid of the white smoke. It took forever. Shut down the XL, cleaned it out after the fire had extinguished. I gave the bag away.