Kingsford smelled like lighter fluid.

[BBQ Grail]

My guess, and it is just a guess, is that it could be absorbing some odor through the manufacturing process. Maybe it is when some maintenence is taking place and that is why only some bags have the smell. Not sure but it sure is something to look into even further.

Anyone thought about calling K and explaining the issue to them?

Should I ever get any Kingsford that smells like anything other than Kingsford I will.

 

[G$]

not sure what ya mean. i bad mouth them constantly. i dislike the stuff. i dislike the company. i dislike the fact that they have destroyed my chance at a choice. i have to hunt and beg for something decent around here. that forces me to hoard and waste space. yep, i dislike them. why can't i say that ?

Never mind MeatBurner, I know what you mean now.

 

[Harbormaster]

I'm going to throw my $.02 in here. Realize I am not bashing K or anyone who uses it.
I cut my teeth using K when I started grilling. It was just what everybody used. I never noticed anything strange about the smell either.
Then I got a smoker, and another, and another, etc... Upon discovering some Grove natural lump charcoal at the local grocery store (and the Brethren), I tried it. It had a much more pleasing aroma, more like a campfire. I was hooked.
Now that I'm accustomed to the smell of lump and natural briquettes (Rancher) I can detect a distinct coal/petroleum like smell in any "regular" briquettes such as K. I choose not to use it anymore for that reason alone.
Again, my opinion only, YMMV.

 

[BBQ Grail]

I'm going to throw my $.02 in here. Realize I am not bashing K or anyone who uses it.
I cut my teeth using K when I started grilling. It was just what everybody used. I never noticed anything strange about the smell either.
Then I got a smoker, and another, and another, etc... Upon discovering some Grove natural lump charcoal at the local grocery store (and the Brethren), I tried it. It had a much more pleasing aroma, more like a campfire. I was hooked.
Now that I'm accustomed to the smell of lump and natural briquettes (Rancher) I can detect a distinct coal/petroleum like smell in any "regular" briquettes such as K. I choose not to use it anymore for that reason alone.
Again, my opinion only, YMMV.

My new WSM is being delivered today. I'm going to go find me some "natural" stuff and give it a try when I season it this weekend. I have a big cook this weekend and next and might just load up the UDS too for a couple of cooks and see what I smell after than.

Thanks for explanation.

 

[frognot]

i also got 6 of them small bags on sale at HD. Will check them out this weekend.

 

[tommykendall]

This is a stretch, but...

I was at an Elks Lodge years back and bought a bag of regular Lay's potato chips. The bag was filled with BBQ chips. So I pointed it out to the 'tender and he pulled another bag. Same thing. You think maybe they were marked down because someone at K farked up and they filled the wrong bags?

 

[G$]

This is a stretch, but...

I was at an Elks Lodge years back and bought a bag of regular Lay's potato chips. The bag was filled with BBQ chips. So I pointed it out to the 'tender and he pulled another bag. Same thing. You think maybe they were marked down because someone at K farked up and they filled the wrong bags?

Good point TK, I know that can happen, I have seen it with other products, but I do not think that is what is at work here though... there did not seem to be a raw odor like you would expect with unlit match light. (Although I never have used that so I am not sure what it would smell like)

I think Harbormaster's explanation might be better - that I just never noticed something that has always been there. I would be interested to see what Larry says rtegarding this after he does a comparison.

Just to be clear: I of course used the K I bought to cook with, and noticed no issues whatsoever, and will have no problem using the 20 bags I bought. I only noticed the odor during the initial part of chimney ignition.

 

[Jack2u2]

I use K and R/O - I have not noticed any smell difference between them, either during ignition, or during the burn. I have used K for many years. Before I became serious about my Q, I used lighter fluid, and match light - no comparison in odors. Maybe my nose is getting old, but I went and took a whiff of my K and R/O and didn't notice diesel or fluid odor. Don't know what the deal might be - but I have no problem with it.

 

[Vince RnQ]

I still have a supply of Rancher that I only use for competitions so all of my practice sessions have been done with Kingsford. I agree that Kingsford has a really stanky smell upon ignition (I've always thought Kingsford was stanky) but I think the stanky factor is even greater because I have been spoiled by the fact that Rancher has no bad smell to it at all. Just my thoughts...

G$, you gonna be at Taylor again this year? Hope to see you there.

 

[Dr_KY]

I just whish I had 1/10 of the choice you guys do. I get whatever is available and it's never a well known brand name.

 

[augie]

I contacted Original Charcoal (again!) to see if Rancher is avalable at any retail outlets in Florida. Eric replied that it isn't, but not for lack of trying on their part. I may just bite the bullet and have them ship me a pallet of the stuff!

 

[BCool]

I watched some bbq show and it reviewed how they made charcoal and they said that they mix in coal to the wood products. I don't know if you guys have ever smelled burning coal but it smells a little bit like a petroleum fuel. We used it in a camping tent heater once and it smells bad, stronger than kingsford but same type of smell.

 

[tommykendall]

well I guess from another perspective, there's a reason it's called charcoal. By definition you'd think it has to emit some oder in the intitial stages. You're burning something - right?

 

[mbshop]

i apologize to the list for mentioning my dislike of k and causing so much trouble. i will never mention it again.

 

[CajunSmoker]

i apologize to the list for mentioning my dislike of k and causing so much trouble. i will never mention it again.

You have as much right to your opinion as anyone else does:!:

I also don't care for the taste or smell of K. I use Royal Oak. Doesn't mean I'm trying to do something unBrethrenly. I thought this was the BBQ Brethren, not the Kingsford BBQ Brethren:roll:

 

[BBQ Grail]

I thought this was the BBQ Brethren, not the Kingsford BBQ Brethren:roll:

Last summer we were the "Home Depot Rancher Brethren."

LOL

 

[CajunSmoker]

Last summer we were the "Home Depot Rancher Brethren."

LOL

LOL, There were a lot less complaints then too.:biggrin:

 

[BIGWILLY]

Houston, we have a problem!

 

[ipls3355]

i apologize to the list for mentioning my dislike of k and causing so much trouble. i will never mention it again.

Don't sweat it. I find very informative. We can only get Kingsford here (except for maybe Sam's Choice) so I really have nothing to compare it to. I missed out on the whole Rancher thing last year. I don't notice any problems with K because I have nothing to compare it to.

 

[Harbormaster]

I don't notice any problems with K because I have nothing to compare it to.

That's what I was trying to say with my earlier post. I never noticed a "foul" smell out of K until I used a fuel that didn't have a "foul" smell. I also never noticed how much taste lighter fluid added until I started to use a chimney.