Can you tell by the smell?

bigbang1955 · May 2016

So....I was mowing the yard the other day and could smell someone grilling in the neighborhood. Couldn't see the smoke but definitely could smell the "cook". Had no idea what was cooking. At other times, I've smelled the "cook" and just knew when it was chicken or burgers. Anyone have a keen sense of smell or maybe know your neighbors well enough to tell what they are grilling? I still can't tell if the smell is from a charcoal grill, egg, or gas grill, unless they're using lighter fluid, which although I never use, I love to smell. Maybe because it reminds me of how my dad grilled years ago. The houses in my neighborhood are pretty well spaced out but I really don't think too many people grill on a regular basis. But when they do, I always can't help but wonder what's on the menu at their house? So....Can you tell by the smell?

yljkt · May 2016

Yes.

GregW · May 2016

My BGE really tortures the neighbors when I cook. A charcoal grill really carries out through the area, It's amazing how far it goes.
To me the smell of a charcoal grill really is the smell of summer.

ryantt · May 2016

Next time follow the smell and see what's cooking

Jeremiah · May 2016

http://youtu.be/hib4n9RmFrQ

Yes. I'm drinking.

northGAcock · May 2016

Jeremiah said:

http://youtu.be/hib4n9RmFrQ

Yes. I'm drinking.

Good one.

Dave in Florida · May 2016

People in my neighborhood will stop by and say I am killing them with the wonderful smell coming from my egg.

ChuckR · May 2016

Sounds crazy but I have always loved the smell of a weber kettle cooking burgers. Brings back very fond memories of childhood summers and camping in the fall. However i would not trade that for my egg any day.

RRP · May 2016

Dave in Florida said:

People in my neighborhood will stop by and say I am killing them with the wonderful smell coming from my egg.

Me too. At one time there were 4 homes with eggs on our street of 17 houses, but now I'm the only one. Guess it's my sworn duty to keep the smoke and smells coming!

EggNorth · May 2016

I can usually smell beef. Neighbors are amazed or confused that I spend so much time outside all year but they usually yell over that it smells good. When my wife gets home from work, she can smell the meal from the front of the house, I'm in the back, which makes a bad day good.

lousubcap · May 2016

No chance here unless a high-wind day. I cannot even smell my BGE greater than around 50-60 feet from the source. And I do have a scent-sensitive nose-or so I have been told. Happy Derby Day.

poster · May 2016

Houses too far apart here, but last time i was in chicago i picked up the scent of charcoal and ended up finding the webber grill 2 blocks away. Next time ill have to try it out. Spring means the smell of manure around here

FATC1TY · May 2016

Certainly can.. Neighbors on both sides comment a fair bit on the great smells..

Spring and Summer is the time when it should be gas, cut grass and smoke from the grills in the air.

I can tell when my neighbor is cooking though. Cranks up the gasser and burns everything up. I can smell the char when he cooks and the wind blows.

Hub · May 2016

I can't usually tell ... but my dogs can. They always know as soon as the egg is lit, and they know when the meat is done and ready to be pulled.

RRP · May 2016

Here's a flip side story of this smoke thread. I have some elderly neighbors who always say they can smell the smoke in the neighborhood whenever I'm egging. I'm never sure if that is a complaint or not. Due to their health issues they eat very little protein, but they do like sweets. I got so when I would egg a chocolate cake I'd take them a big piece to share. The lady is always polite, but her husband would always add "just wish it wasn't so smokey". Since I bake on my virgin medium egg with no wood and only used clean burning Ozark Oak lump that always threw me! Then for kicks and giggles one time I baked that same cake inside in my wife's spic and span kitchen oven and again shared a piece. Next day - the guy said "we liked your cake, Ron, but wish it wasn't so damn smokey tasting!" That was the last time I shared any of my "smokey" cake with them!

bhedges1987 · May 2016

Charcoal grills really smell good. So does my stick burner when I'm running on cherry it's possibly the greatest smell.

Skiddymarker · May 2016

Interesting question. I'm alone on the charcoal front in my area. Lots of gassers, propane and natural gas. I can usually tell what's on my neighbour's grill, chicken or beef - pork not so much. They always ask - what are you cooking tonight? The smoke from the charcoal, briquette or lump, seems to mask the smell of the cook. When they see the CI smoking on the Camp Chef, they know it is either steak or chops.

Boileregger · May 2016

When I lived in NY, before I found the egg I had a little Chargriller offset. There was an old Italian couple next door who I met when I shoveled their driveway for them after a blizzard. The little Italian grandma gave me a plate of ravioli as a thank you and mentioned that she loved the smell of the charcoal when I cooked. I couldn't take the grill when I moved away so I gave her a quick lesson on how to light it and gave her the grill. Wonder if she ever actually used it.

bgebrent · May 2016

Boileregger said:

When I lived in NY, before I found the egg I had a little Chargriller offset. There was an old Italian couple next door who I met when I shoveled their driveway for them after a blizzard. The little Italian grandma gave me a plate of ravioli as a thank you and mentioned that she loved the smell of the charcoal when I cooked. I couldn't take the grill when I moved away so I gave her a quick lesson on how to light it and gave her the grill. Wonder if she ever actually used it.

Nice memory! And I bet that's the best ravioli you've ever encountered.

bboulier · May 2016

Beef has a distinctive (great) smell. Hey, I grew up in Nebraska. I can tell charcoal from gas in the neighborhood. Not sure I can tell pork from chicken. Would need a blind smell test on this one.

DeadReddog · May 2016

I can defenately smell beef. Like to think I can tell burgers from steak ( probably all in my head ) but I absolutely know when someone is smoking on a charcoal grill. Made a couple friends in the neighborhood following my nose.

DeadReddog · May 2016

RRP said:

Here's a flip side story of this smoke thread. I have some elderly neighbors who always say they can smell the smoke in the neighborhood whenever I'm egging. I'm never sure if that is a complaint or not. Due to their health issues they eat very little protein, but they do like sweets. I got so when I would egg a chocolate cake I'd take them a big piece to share. The lady is always polite, but her husband would always add "just wish it wasn't so smokey". Since I bake on my virgin medium egg with no wood and only used clean burning Ozark Oak lump that always threw me! Then for kicks and giggles one time I baked that same cake inside in my wife's spic and span kitchen oven and again shared a piece. Next day - the guy said "we liked your cake, Ron, but wish it wasn't so damn smokey tasting!" That was the last time I shared any of my "smokey" cake with them!

Ha!

victor1 · May 2016

Somehow I can usually detect BBQ chicken. Maybe the sauce. We always hear "stop and smell the roses" I'd rather slow down and smell whats in the BGE.

1move · May 2016

In my neighbourhood we have a lot of active people/walkers. We are on a corner lot and one side of our back yard has a metal fence that exposes the back yard. I don't think there has been a single time where people stop to chat and ask about the egg or the cook. Everyone has gas BBQs in the neighbourhood until I shared some smoked salmon and other cooks with the neighbors now 2 others have smokers or charcoal grills and a few asking for advice on what to buy.

westernbbq · May 2016

RRP said:

Here's a flip side story of this smoke thread. I have some elderly neighbors who always say they can smell the smoke in the neighborhood whenever I'm egging. I'm never sure if that is a complaint or not. Due to their health issues they eat very little protein, but they do like sweets. I got so when I would egg a chocolate cake I'd take them a big piece to share. The lady is always polite, but her husband would always add "just wish it wasn't so smokey". Since I bake on my virgin medium egg with no wood and only used clean burning Ozark Oak lump that always threw me! Then for kicks and giggles one time I baked that same cake inside in my wife's spic and span kitchen oven and again shared a piece. Next day - the guy said "we liked your cake, Ron, but wish it wasn't so damn smokey tasting!" That was the last time I shared any of my "smokey" cake with them!

It sounds like your neighbor doesnt like the big green egg at all. Id bet if you brought him a cold beer he would complain that it was too smoky as well

Egg On! I will have a piece of that cake any time!

hondabbq · May 2016

Im in the country and my closest neighbor is 500 yards away. the other neighbors I do talk to are twice that distance and they have never mentioned anything. I personally like it when im in the front yard working or what have you and the egg is chugging away on the back deck and if the wind is blowing right I get the smells, or working in the vicinity of the back and I get a beautiful waft of bbq.

fishlessman · May 2016

sure i can, my neighbors routinely grill up frozen tyson breaded wings on the gasser. its absolutely disgusting but they serve it up with crown on the rocks

BikerBob · May 2016

Yesterday I contributed to the neighborhood air pollution. The ribs smelled great after a couple of hours smoking. No body else was doing any cooking, but one was burning limbs.

Bob

Foghorn · May 2016

A couple of days ago my wife and I walked 8 miles along one of San Antonio's greenway trails. At one point we passed near a neighborhood and I smelled what could only be the smell of hot dogs on a gas grill.

My wife concurred with my assessment.

So, the answer is "yes".

Can you tell by the smell?

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