9 hours ago, Dave the Cook said:No, borax is not flammable, but there's little of it in briquettes to start with, and even less by the time it's packaged for sale, because it's only used to promote release of the briquette from its mold.
You're right; I misread the MSDS.
9 hours ago, Dave the Cook said:I'm not sure what to make of the Myhrvold claim, because he's an award-winning BBQ cook, because he's right so often, and because he seems immune to received wisdom. It's true that controlling air flow is a key to maintaining temperature control, and it seems so obvious that lump contains more air that perhaps he didn't see a need to test it. It's hard for me to imagine, however, that the difference in the amount of air in the fuel matters more than the amount of air surrounding the fuel, which is bound to be much greater in volume.
I reread the passage in MC; he attributes the difference not to air, but to ash. Which also might run counter to the Cook's Country test result:
Quote
The composition of the charcoal does affect its ash content. Briquettes contain more incombustible minerals and thus leave behind a lot of ash. The blanket of ash insulates the embers somewhat but also diffuses their heat, so they burn cooler but also slow and steady. Hardwood charcoal leaves less ash, so it burns hotter but usually faster and less predictably.
Neither of these effects matters to the flavor, however. Carbon is carbon; as it burns, it imparts no flavor of its own to the food being grilled .
