More On Lump Charcoal

Rascal

I bought a few bags of GreenWise from Publix the other day and put them in the garage. They're unopened, have no holes, but now the whole place reeks with a strong odor of charcoal. Funny thing is, I've bought bags of BGE, Cowboy and Royal Oak indoors to an air conditioned environment (even after some were opened) with not a trace of odor. Now I'm wondering what this stuff will impart on my cooking adventures. Any clues out there?

The Naked Whiz

Don't know that I've ever noticed just the bag of charcoal having any smell, but then my smell buds aren't the best in the world, I don't think. I've got about 10 different brands in my garage (well I did before I gave 5 of them to a friend) and I don't smell no charcoal smells. When you open it, stick your nose in the bag and see what you think?

Rascal

I dunno... I bought the stuff thinking that R/O might become harder to find. I just sniffed inside a recently opened bag of R/O (stored indoors) and detected no odor whatsoever (and I've got an incredible sense of smell). Gotta get back to golf!!

Cecil

Same thing happened to me last week- it had a very strong odor.
Watch out, it was full of cardboard,unburned chunks and a bunch of plastic strap like stuff.
I would have taken a picture but camera was stolen.

Walt

Willie Lump Lump

I had this experience with a bag of RO. I believe you will find some partially converted wood in the bag. This stuff gives off a strong odor of creosote.
After that experience I actually smell the bags of charcoal before I buy them. I have detected strong odors from some bags, and reject them.
I know this sounds like superstition but I don’t want to wreck dinner buy something as simple as this.
I’m normally not a type A person but just to complete your charcoal picture of me I also sort through the charcoal.
I have a few pounds of stuff that I am glade that I didn’t have my food tainted by.
Charcoal Making is crude. Sorting is not great. Look for whats in those bags because if you don’t, what you smell now is what you will taste later.
TTFN WLL

BENTE

i usually buy 15-20 bags of lump at a time and i have had my garage smell like that for some time... if you have any problems with finding uncarbonized chunks just throw them out... or just light your egg early by the time to cook the smell is usually gone for me... HTH