How To Stop Your Wood Chips From Catching Fire When Grilling?

Wood chips are one of the major things that you need to focus on to establish yourself as a charcoal grill master. However, you must be careful with wood chips because they might catch fire, and you do not want to ruin your steak before you try it.

There are multiple options to prevent your wood chips from catching fire while using them in a charcoal grill. The most common techniques are soaking the wood chips in water, putting the wood chips in a can or aluminum foil, limiting the amount of air getting to the wood chips.

We all love the smoked barbecue taste of grilling that comes through with the magic of using wood chips in your charcoal. However, barbecuing is a sport that takes a lot of patience and practice to perfect. There are many factors like the sauces used for the meat, the cooking times and temperatures, the wood chips used, and fire control that affect the end product you so desire.

Below are some tips that you can include in your preparation process to promote the safety of using wood chips for charcoal grilling.

Soak Your Wood Chips in Water

The goal of soaking wood chips before using them is to maintain the combustion of the wood to only smoke without lighting a fire. Soaking the wood chips for at least thirty minutes for splintery chips and almost two hours for chunkier chips does wonders for your steak.

First, soaked wood chips produces more smoke than dry chips and that’s what you need in order to infuse your meat. Remember that you are looking for that smoky, tender, juicy steak. You need smoke and not fire in the process to achieve that. Using wet wood chips instead of dry will prevent them from catching fire. That can affect the quality of your barbecuing.

Second, you will need less wet wood chips than dry ones because soaked wood chips take longer to burn meaning that a small amount will last long. Not only does dry wood chips burn but you will also need more to barbecue your steak. Therefore, improve your barbecuing skills by soaking your wood chips. You will prevent fire in the process while also allowing the meat to evenly cook without interruptions.

Also, a lot of debate about the use of soaked wood chips suggest that there is no difference between using wet or dry wood chips when it comes to the taste you will get from adding them to your grill. Even though that may be the case, remember that you are trying to avoid the wood chips catching fire in the process. If you use dry wood chips, you have more work to constantly move your meat from a concentrated heated section of your charcoal grill to a cooler one. The process, as you will find, is a lot of work. Just soaking your wood chips will help you to avoid tiresome work.

Put the Wood Chips in a can or Aluminum Foil

Wrapping wood chips in aluminum foil is an excellent option for preventing an unwanted fire and also slowing down the burning process. You want to take a small piece of aluminum foil and place a moderate amount of wood chips at the center.

Next, fold the foil on all four sides to enclose the chips. After folding, use a sharp object, a stick, or a fork to make small holes on the upper side of the foil. The holes will help the chips to smoke out until they are done after placing them on the charcoal grill.

You can use the method on both wet or dry wood chips. You need to keep your eyes on the foil to replace it whenever it stops smoking out. So make sure that you make plenty of extra packs of wood chips covered in aluminum foil. It will be convenient and time saving for you instead of making a new pack every time the old one runs out.

One advantage of wrapping wood chips in aluminum foil is the conduction characteristic of the foil. The foil will help to preserve the heat and concentrate only smoke to tenderize your meat. Also, since access to air is limited in the foil, you can rest assured that your barbecuing won’t turn out to a fire. The cooking time under the wood chips wrapped in aluminum is also lesser than when not using the foil.

Limit the Amount of Air getting to the Wood chips

Smoke is a secret ingredient is getting the barbecue steak that you desire. Depriving the air that wood chips access is important to prevent fire and also provide the right type of smoke for preparing the steak. One way to limit the air is by partially opening the chimney and the vents of the charcoal grill.

Remember, you do not want to leave the vents completely closed. You are looking for that bluish smoke; a kind of holy grail for long cooks. Closing the vents completely can result to a lot of smoke that you do not need in your meat. Opening the vents partially creates room for combustion but not strong enough to turn to a fire.

Know How to Select the Right Wood

Not any kind of wood is perfect for your grill. Remember that you are trying to avoid fire. You also want to get a delicious product after the process. Using wood that is not ripe will inevitably bring about combustion problems. The green or unseasoned wood can result in a fire. The texture of your food also changes in the process.

You need mature wood chips for the charcoal grill. This is a sector that most people fail to remember or understand that later affects the entire grill process. Do your research about the wood you intend to use. Seasoned hardwood is a priority for most experts. Try it out and enjoy tasty barbecued food. Using recommended wood also prevents the chances of the occurrence of a fire in the process.

You can check out my other article (Can you Put Wood Chips Directly on Charcoal) for a list of wood chips and more tips on using them in your charcoal grill.

Don’t Over Adjust your Temperature

Remember that consistent supply of oxygen to the wood chips promotes combustion and can result in a fire.

Since you are using a charcoal grill, avoid opening and closing the vent every minute. The aim is to maintain the temperatures at a high-medium or low temperatures. Adjust the vents only when necessary.

Another problem with over adjusting the grill’s temperature is that it tampers with your meat flavor. The meat loses juice and gets very rough, a result that you do not want. Learn to open and close the vent only when necessary. The process only increases heat supply but does not promote combustion. It also reduces the smoking and barbecuing heat to give you the best results.

Add only the right amount of Wood Chips

Many beginners fail to understand that more smoke does not equate to better meat at the end of the process. A lot of them add a lot of wood chips to the charcoal that can lead to a fire or uncontrollable smoke. A balance on the amount of wood chips added is important to promote the process without involving fire or excess smoke.

Too low portions of wood chips added to the charcoal, on the other hand, lengthens the cooking process and most times gives you unexpected results. Maintaining the supply of wood chips consistently is the best way for preparing a delicious BBQ. Controlling the flow of air combined with the right amount of wood chips helps to prevent any fire in the process and makes the end product enjoyable and delicious.

Have a Good Thermometer

A charcoal grill might come without a preinstalled thermometer. Also, even those grills that have thermometers might misguide on the temperatures sometimes. Having a good quality smoker thermometer at hand can help you keep proper records of the temperatures of the entire process.

It is no secret that fires unexpectedly happen during the grilling process for many people. However, with a thermometer that you can constantly refer to, you need not worry about such fires triggered from wood chips. If you measure the grill temperature and find that its on its way to combustion, you can cover the vents to prevent air circulation to reduce temperatures.

The thermometer comes highly recommended by many experts to those looking to achieve quality results. Make sure you get one for yourself. It can literally save you and your entire BBQ party from embarrassment.

Be Patient

Preparing a barbecue takes a lot of patience. The aim is to create a perfect steak, not to prepare it under a definite time frame. Adding wood chips to a charcoal grill is a form of art. You do not just add the chips because you have a specific time set for the entire process. This might result to an unexpected fire problem. You may also realize that the texture and the taste of your steak changes because of hastiness. Be patient with the process to avoid mistakes.

Before you set out for a barbecue, there are things to note like avoiding any form of hastiness. Clear your schedule. The process needs time, precision, and attention. Without these, fire is the least of your concerns. Also, have all the necessary ingredients and equipment ready before you begin the process. Be patient. The steak will be ready when it’s ready!

Get some Knowledge about the Process, especially for the Beginners

Barbecuing is like a sport. The more you practice, the better you get at it. Using wood chips, especially on a charcoal grill, is not a process that a beginner can master in a few minutes. One of the major reasons behind fire occurring in barbecuing is lack of proper knowledge about the entire process.

Take the time to learn all the essential details of the process including the functional abilities of your grill. There is no shame in not knowing. The only shame is in ignorance. You might learn everything you need to know about wood chips and charcoal from a local expert or research on the Internet. The information you gather can help you avoid many mistakes while improving your barbecuing skills.

Keep your Eye on Everything as Much as Possible

You might think that setting all the equipment at the necessary levels is enough to prevent any occurrences of fire. But, from time to time, if you barbecue outside, strong winds might sweep by and promote combustion that can lead to a fire. Weather changes also have an effect on your process.

A rise in temperatures during the summer can also lead the wood chips to form a fire in different regions. You need to monitor everything when barbecuing. Monitor the vents, the smoking out wood chips from the aluminum, the steak, and the weather. If you find strong winds, for example, you can close the lid and the vents. If the weather is cold, open the vents to allow more combustion.

Don’t Use the Lighter Fluid – It’s Unnecessary

Lighter fluid is completely unnecessary if you have the right equipment for lighting charcoal. However, if you do not have what you need with you, lighter fluid will get the job done. Only use it when absolutely necessary.

Using lighter fluid on wood chips, for instance, may contribute to a fire, the one thing we are trying to avoid. Avoid using it in the meat prep section also because it may leave its smell on the meat.

A good solution is to use the chimney starter for the charcoal. The starter can help you include wood chips in the right amount while giving the accurate amount of heat. Even though the process is slower, it is safer. It also prevents any chances of a fire.

If you’re unfamiliar with other ways of lighting a charcoal grill other then using lighter fluid, check out my article How to Light a Charcoal Grill. There you can learn everything you need to know about how to light your charcoal without adding unnecessary chemicals.

Don’t Peek under the Lid every Minute

You might find yourself tempted to peek under the lid every second to check on your meat and the progress of everything. But this has a lot of effects. Remember that you are dealing with both external and internal factors while barbecuing. You are fighting winds and air intake at the same time. Therefore, you need to first check the external environment. We do not want your wood chips igniting from strong winds.

Peeking too much can also lower the temperature of the grill, making the cooking process slower. You might also realize that the end results of such a habit do not give you satisfactory results. Use a thermometer instead. The thermometer will tell you the exact temperature in the lid while warning you of any changes so that you can take action. If the temperature rises above or drops below recommendations, open the lid to solve the problem.

Open the lid only when you have a solid reason to do so. The chance can be appropriate to correct the issue. Also, keep off the lid if everything is in order. A lot of hastiness could and will ruin all your hard work.

Conclusion

There’s a lot to be gained from adding wood chips to your grilling process. It is sure to add that smoky barbecue flavor that everyone associates with great BBQ. Once you master how to do this, you’ll definitely raise your status in the BBQ community from a weekend warrior to a barbecue master. All of your friends will want to know when you’re next cookout is going to be so that they don’t miss out.

As Always, Happy Grilling!