Adding more charcoal to your grill during cooking is an easy way to add smoke and heat to your food. However, you should always keep safety in mind when handling hot coals. The best method for refueling your charcoal grill during the cook process is to use a charcoal chimney starter or a heat-safe charcoal scoop. Using this method, you can easily control how much charcoal to add during the cook, which helps avoid flare-ups and ensures your food is evenly smoked.
When you do this, be sure to keep your grill covered and use a pair of heat-safe gloves. The charcoal will still be hot and may drop some ash as it is added. Be careful not to let the ashes fall onto the food as this can burn it and alter the flavor.
If you are refueling the charcoal grill with lump coal, it’s important to mix them with the existing coals to avoid burning your food. Lightly stir the coals with a fire poker or tongs to mix in the new coals and allow them to burn off any lighter fluid that might be on them. If the coals were doused in lighter fluid, it will impart a gross petroleum-like taste to your food.
It’s also important to add the new coals to the middle of the pile so that they can ignite properly and begin smoking. This method will help ensure your food is cooked through, which is especially important if you’re grilling something that needs to be eaten rare or medium-rare.
Adding unlit charcoal to an already-hot grill can lead to overcooking, as the coals will cool and not preheat quickly. It can also affect the temperature of your food and change the flavors of your grilled meats and vegetables.
The only time it’s OK to add unlit charcoal to an already-hot grill is if you’re using an instant-light charcoal briquet that’s designed to self-ignite. These briquets have lighter fluid added, which makes them easier to light. However, the chemical can give your food a foul smell and taste and can also cause illness.
If you’re grilling with regular lump charcoal, you should never add lighter fluid to the coals while they are preparing for cooking. The heat of the coals vaporizes the lighter fluid, which can create a huge flare-up as the flammable gas hits the flame. This can singe your eyebrows and sustain burns, so you’ll want to be very careful if you’re going to add coals directly to the grill while they are in use.
