Cooking & Baking

pscot

(21,024 posts) Sat Jul 20, 2013, 05:59 PM Jul 2013

Exploding charcoal from Trader Joe's

Started a fire in the chimney and when I poured the coals out into the Weber they exploded. Coals ended up all over my brand new deck and scorched all the hair off my arms. It seems like charcoal has been reformulated to burn quicker. Just the thing if you're building an IED, but be careful if all you want is a grilled burger.

10 replies

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Exploding charcoal from Trader Joe's (Original Post) pscot Jul 2013 OP

Good heads up... dixiegrrrrl Jul 2013 #1

Trader Joe - at least it's likely to be organic exploding charcoal! NRaleighLiberal Jul 2013 #2

It's probably free-range charcoal. bif Jul 2013 #3

Duzy! Aerows Jul 2013 #6

I hope you KC Jul 2013 #4

We did. pscot Jul 2013 #5

Yikes! And I thought propane was scary. cbayer Jul 2013 #7

No pscot Jul 2013 #8

They're super sparkly, but exploding? Come on! many a good man Jul 2013 #9

Well played pscot Jul 2013 #10

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

1. Good heads up...

Reply to pscot (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 06:25 PM

Jul 2013

Hope you are ok.

NRaleighLiberal

(60,019 posts)

2. Trader Joe - at least it's likely to be organic exploding charcoal!

Reply to pscot (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 06:37 PM

Jul 2013

bif

(22,744 posts)

3. It's probably free-range charcoal.

Reply to NRaleighLiberal (Reply #2)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 07:00 PM

Jul 2013

Aerows

(39,961 posts)

6. Duzy!

Reply to bif (Reply #3)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 02:22 PM

Jul 2013

KC

(1,995 posts)

4. I hope you

Reply to pscot (Original post)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 02:01 AM

Jul 2013

reported it! Hope it's pulled before
someone really gets hurt.

pscot

(21,024 posts)

5. We did.

Reply to KC (Reply #4)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 11:57 AM

Jul 2013

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

7. Yikes! And I thought propane was scary.

Reply to pscot (Original post)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 02:45 PM

Jul 2013

It wasn't one of those that already has the lighter fluid in it, was it?

pscot

(21,024 posts)

8. No

Reply to cbayer (Reply #7)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 02:52 PM

Jul 2013

The new formulations seem to be less densely compacted, so they light quicker. There may have been an air pocket in one of the pieces that exploded when I dumped it out of the chimney.

many a good man

(5,997 posts)

9. They're super sparkly, but exploding? Come on!

Reply to pscot (Original post)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 09:08 PM

Jul 2013

You exaggerate a little bit. Sparks fly all over and it's next to impossible to contain. Next best thing to Fourth of July. I have to make sure all our potted herbs are at a safe distance. I wear leather gloves up to the elbows and always enjoy the show!

pscot

(21,024 posts)

10. Well played

Reply to many a good man (Reply #9)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 09:15 PM

Jul 2013

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