Use the Chimney, it is hands down the best method. All you need is a brick base, a match, and a piece of paper.

As for charcoal, DO NOT USE BRICKETS. Even if it says "mosquite", it's maybe 1/100th mosquite. Brickets are mostly straw, bound together by inedible chemical or biological glues.

Get real charcoal, you should see them as chunks of black wood. It'll cost a few bucks extra per case, but it's well worth it. The smoke alone is beyond compare, it'll burn hotter and it'll burn for a much longer time.

This is the only kind I've seen down here in Mexico. Never seen or heard of it before, would never go back to what I used to know as charcoal.

http://animatedtv.about.com/library/...benhank_72.jpg

Propane. Taste the food, not the fuel.

;)

I was just waiting for Hank to show up in this thread.

Hank can keep the propane and propane accessories. I prefer my meat smoked. Or at least in a warm moist location.

Brickettes aren't evil, actually they burn a lot more evenly than lump charcoal (the other type you describe). And they are in fact, mostly wood, well, sawdust anyway...

In fact, lump charcoal is VERY dissimilar from brand to brand, you really need to do your homework to find one that does what you are looking for it to do. Some brands work well as slow smokers, others are best for high heat grilling. Still others aren't any better than brickettes at either. Check out this link for more information than you need on different brands of lump... http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm

As for smokiness, there really isn't much smoke charictor in lump charcoal. The fact that it has been turned into charcoal means most of the wood/smoke flavor is already gone. There is a little, and a little is still more than the brickettes, but still not much.

The only real way to get good smoke flavor is to use unburned, untreated hardwood chunks. Soaked or unsoaked, wood is the only way to go, and large chunks also act as a fuel source.

Man, I love me some tri-tip. Can't get it around here though. The butchers don't know what it is, and I'm not sure what part of teh cow its from :(

A butcher should easy know this, I don't think I ever met a hunter who didn't know this... Tri-tip is usually the bottom of the sirloin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-tip

In the spirit of The_Jazz' one man "Prime Directive", I'm commiting what Baraka dubbed "necrothreadocity" on one of my threads.

I'm still our household's "Grill Queen", only because DH decline's the position (that would be the grilling and being Queen). I have no illusions to greatness. I own and have read Raichlen's "Barbecue Bible" cover to cover and still can't master the hand test to tell whether a steak is med-rare or med-well. In deference to some of the other reponses, I strictly grill and have never BBQ'd

Now, the reason for the resurrection. I have never used wood chips until a few weeks ago when I found them very cheap at Meijers (Hickory). The first two times I grilled steak, I was in a hurry and forgot to soak the chips so I just threw them on the coals straight. The result was gobbs of smoke, watering eye's and flare-up's, but otherwise MUCH tastier meat! The last time I did soak them and although I didn't think there was much difference (maybe slightly less acridness and red-eye-ed-ness), I think I prefer the more smoke infused meat of the non-soaked chips.

I know I'm late to the wood chip smoking game but it's always been cost prohibitive for me until I stumbled across these cheap chips. Ok fine, I didn't stumble, I was slowly working my way down the grilling accessories isle, wishing/drooling the whole way and there they were at the end.;) Anyone care to add comment's, opinions, suggestions on using chips? Favorite wood's, method's or any other thoughts?

P.S. As far as I recall from re-reading the thread, it seems that only I and Leto are the freaks that actually like the smell and taste lighter fluid imparts (although I'd argue that by the time the coal's are ready for grilling, most if not all of the fluid has long since burned off, leaving next to no flavor).

You aren't the only ones. Chimney and electric starters are the only way to go.

I'm scratching my head.:) You said when the thread was new that you think Kingsford is crap and (I think) you add wood chips to a gas grill. Your first sentence above seems to agree and add yourself in with my saying that I and Leto like the smell and flavor of lighter fluid. Your second sentence contradict's the first. So, who's confused here, me or you?:paranoid:

I misread. I thought he was saying he didn't like the taste of lighter fluid.

So, does anyone have a suggestion for an inexpensive (200-300$ or under) gas grill that's somewhat decent? We have a deck (maybe 3' * 6') and I would like to have a grill there to use year-long for grilling :). Something not too big, but still on a platform. I'd mostly be cooking for 2 persons anyway.

Ahh, okay. I thought it was you.:thumbsup:

Sorry ktspktsp, I got's nuthin'. My best suggestion would be to try a trial membership (if they still do them) to Consumer's Report's and see what they have to say or google something to the effect of "small gas grill's" and "review's" (without the quote marks). I'm an unabashed review whore, I'll spend hours researching before making any sizable purchase, but YMMV!