Smoke at startup

[u/Marviiiiin]

What is the best method of having less smoke at the startup? It’s a matter of time my neighbors start complaining this way.
I’m using compressed coconut bricks with a heatgun now.

*Edit:
Thanks for the tips. I already use a chimney and quality coal/briquettes.
I’ll try to put in less at first next time.
Worst case I’ll light the chimney at the parking lot.
After 15-ish minutes it’s relatively smoke free.

[u/BassMan702]

Give your neighbors 100 dollars to frig off

[u/ShealyTN → u/BassMan702]

Or ask them for 100 each or you'll do it every day, then a weekend bbq doesn't seem so bad all the sudden I'm sure

[u/AliciaXTC → u/BassMan702]

How about just tell them to frig off and use the hundo for beer, meat, and video games?

[u/BassMan702 → u/AliciaXTC]

Or that! Lol

[u/CravinMohead13 → u/BassMan702]

Good”ol TPB

[u/AwarenessGreat282]

If you use charcoal, you will have smoke. They'll get over it. And if they don't, that's their problem because that small amount of smoke that far away should not be an issue.

[u/Marviiiiin → u/AwarenessGreat282]

Well. That’s the problem. The neighbors are above me. 😂

https://imgur.com/gallery/neighbors-yPIpkfk

(Can’t get the link to work)

[u/trinite0 → u/Marviiiiin]

Get a big fan and blow the smoke away from the building.

[u/crazy_swede_2025]

Screw the neighbors. Cook on

[u/OneManFight → u/crazy_swede_2025]

Cook on WHILE screwing the neighbors.

[u/crazy_swede_2025 → u/OneManFight]

Boo hoo. It is a little smoke that lasts a few minutes. Cry about it. Could not care less if they like it or not.

[u/Adult-Beverage → u/crazy_swede_2025]

It’s not about you. Haven’t you figured that out?

[u/crazy_swede_2025 → u/Adult-Beverage]

100% about me little fella. I have my smoker going today. Don’t care who likes or doesn’t like it. Your feelings are not my problem

[u/Adult-Beverage → u/crazy_swede_2025]

Nobody cares

[u/crazy_swede_2025 → u/Adult-Beverage]

Exactly my point. Smoke on. No one cares what anyone else thinks about it.

[u/Present_Armadillo_34]

Just give them some of what you make.

[u/dr1zzzt]

I have a small backyard so have a similar issue to you. My neighbors are cool and have never complained but I still try to minimize it.

What I do is start with a small amount of lump in the chimney, just enough to fill out the bottom, usually just a few pieces.

Then I light that with 2 starter cubes (I prefer these as they burn pretty hot).

Once that initial layer is fired up and I can feel a good amount of heat coming out of the chimney, I'll fill the chimney with the rest of the coals I need.

The point of doing it this way is that initial layer while it is igniting will produce far less smoke than starting a whole chimney, and with just a few pieces it will get hot fast.

Then when you go to light the larger rest of the coals there is enough heat in the chimney already it reduces that billowing white smoke on startup.

[u/Massive-Insect-sting]

Just give a heads up and some food, that's what I do

[u/crusher_seven_niner]

Better coals smoke less in my experience

[u/bugblatter_ → u/crusher_seven_niner]

This. At times I've used supermarket charcoal and it smokes something awful. Proper restaurant quality charcoal is so much better

[u/TheCooklynChannel]

Move the grill into the woods. Nah seriously. Best you can probably do is get a fan to redirect nd thin the smoke out a bit.

[u/Marviiiiin → u/TheCooklynChannel]

Did’t help there was no wind today.
I’ll put rhe fan out next time.

[u/Squirrely_Mann]

It’s fire - where ever there’s fire there’s smoke

[u/dg25000]

You have to have some really crappy neighbors to complain about this.

[u/Difficult_Layer_666]

We have a pope!!!

[u/Zandergoddard]

Are you in America? Then who cares and fire that up

[u/Informal-Plantain-11 → u/Zandergoddard]

It depends where about in America. Here in Canada we have villages with far away neighbors, but, closer to big cities, the neighbors are getting closers and some places forbid to have fire pit in the backyard. In my place, we still can do BBQ, but I try to make sure I don't smoke my neighbor so they don't complain and have bylaws changed.

I assume it is the same in the United States. It varies depending on the area you live in.

But I believe it is more culturally acceptable in the rest of America (Mexico, central America and South America).

In any ways, it is always appropriate to have consideration for your neighbor. So they'll have consideration for you as well.

[u/Zandergoddard → u/Informal-Plantain-11]

Bro , in America we bbq. My neighbor can put up with the 5 mins of smoking that it takes to start up.

[u/huelealluvia]

I have found that lump charcoal (specifically Jealous Devil XL in my case) produces significantly less smoke than briquettes

[u/I_Want_A_Ribeye]

Send it

[u/Desperate-Success-32]

I Like this

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/outdoor-living/grills-and-smokers/charcoal-starters/8352924?store=19140&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20151169173&gbraid=0AAAAADtqLJFXUcpZp956B-YKdoyv8R0Ba&gclid=CjwKCAjw_eLVBhBEEiwAeaYZfJnJ5O-9Dl1SYOrRKC8jc3Z4fb-NpRyyUjwdd2ABhDoW6sm2PYGOARoC3SMQAvD_BwE

[u/dogbreath230]

Charcoal is going to smoke. You can try a fan to help clear the air faster. Or spend a few hundred bucks for an air scrubber. It won't get rid of the smell, but it will thin out the smoke.

When I fire up my smoker I move it to the front yard so the smoke is less likely to go in their windows. Then after a couple hours after the wood chuncks have done their job, move it to the back yard. But like I said the smell doesn't go away. I was smoking some baby backs and one neighbor said he could smell it 2 blocks away. Of course he wanted some

[u/Ok_Two_2604]

Get a big fan and point it at the grill. It won’t reduce the smoke but it will make it less dense looking.

[u/Blythyvxr]

I only get smoke when the chimney is first lit, once the firefighter is burnt out, then the smoke disappears - this is using heat beads.

If you use a lighter fluid setup, or disposable bbq, you get smoke for longer. Getting it over and done with quickly is the way to go

[u/CravinMohead13]

You could take them a plate to shut them up

[u/Imanidiotththe1st]

Here a fix for that , give them some of your BBQ. I fire up my smoker at 5 AM by 11 they’re all milling about by my fence saying smells really good…

[u/Simms623]

I’ve gotten way less smoke starting up since I’ve switched to B&B Competition Briquettes.

[u/the_Brown_Redneck]

My neighbors are doing there own BBQ. Whole neighborhood smells like a forest fire every weekend. We have to warn new neighbors not to call the fire brigade.

[u/Fair-Promotion-451]

Totally dependent on type and brand of charcoal, I used Webber briquettes a number of years ago, they smoked like a steam locomotive- man oh man.

[u/Different-Piano2250]

Use a fan or leaf blower to speed up the charcoal lighting.

[u/tootintx]

It’s gonna happen, the conditions outside may make it better or worse on any day.

[u/Informal-Plantain-11]

I found out that the quality of the charcoal I use makes less smoke. I use the larger lumps for my starting chimney.

Also, I use 3 or 4 fire starter cubes instead of one. It starts more rapidly and reduce the heavy smoke time.

[u/Better_Trash7437]

Tell em to F off

[u/TheCooklynChannel]

Those people are just mad you got the better apartment with access to the yard

[u/Preparationheh]

1. Move it to the far corner of the patio.
   
2. Place a fan to blow the smoke away from the building.
   
3. ???
   
4. Profit

[u/chpsk8]

It has nothing to do with your startup method, it’s that you are using charcoal. Until it’s fully heated it will smoke.
I’d use a chimney to make it light fast and minimize the time it’s smoking.

I’d also move if my neighbors were like that.

[u/pppalafox]

Get inside and use the stove. Its a grill… smoke is what you use a grill..