Earth Fare brand Charcoal STAY AWAY!

SmokerOnTheWater

I bought a bag of this stuff last week. The price was a little more than Cowboy and I was running low and I was there, so what the heck. The label proclaims it's 100% natural with no additives or chemicals.

It lit easy enough, but here's where it got wierd. The flame was green, and not just a little green, but GREEN. :ermm: For an intelligent person that should have been a warning, but not for me. I was getting hungry.

I closed the lid to heat er' up a little and went inside to get the meat. When I came back out the daisy wheel was covered in a fine whiteish powder. The entire interior was covered in the same crud. I shut down the grill, went inside and ate a cold sandwich.

A closer inspection revealed that the charcol is a product of Mexico. Who knows what in it? Something that burns green. Yuck.

Grandpas Grub

 
Mesquite produces a lot of white ash, in the bottom of the fire box. Excess heat will create sparking and that also ends up as some black and some white ash around and in the egg.

Green color burn, there was something in there that wasn't natural, that is natural to cooking.

GG

thebtls

Medical grade boric acid can be found in the pharmacy sections of some stores for use as a disinfectant. It is a white powder. IT BURNS GREEN!!!!

Grandpas Grub

 
I would think there are other substances that burn green also.

Not sure why one would use boric acid for lump, but...

 

Unknown

Some Lumber is treated with borate to resist insects (termites) which is a huge problem in Mexico, so it makes me wonder if some of this wood was in the batch...

Jeffersonian

I was going to say that I'm pretty sure boric acid is used as roach powder. Not what you want in your Egg or on your food.

SmokerOnTheWater

I'll bet that's what is was. Boric acid. Most of the lumps appear to be recycled wood products. There were absolutely no roaches in my egg after!

Jeffersonian

Damn, that stuff sure works!!