How to choose charcoal for barbecue？
Charcoal is a most common daily object, as modern energy advances and diversified, it has become a niche source of heating. We often come into contact with charcoal, but we never go to study, and accustomed to it, is just charcoal. But think it carefully, why would there be charcoal? What's the usage of charcoal? Where does the charcoal come from? Why not burn woods instead of going to the trouble of making charcoal out of woods? Can all woods be made into charcoal?
The understanding and use of charcoal originated from the mastery and use of fire. When humans discovered that charcoal, a black solid object left after burning woods even covered by sand could continue to smoulder and burn again with more power and smokeless, humans entered the history of making and using charcoal.
Generally speaking, woods will lose moisture at about 100℃ and gradually dry. Under the condition of hypoxia and higher temperature, thermal decomposition to generate water and CO, CO2 and other volatiles, finally get the residual charcoal. The critical temperature of wood carbonization is 273±25℃, below which wood must have external heating to continue the temperature to carbonization. When reached this temperature, the endothermic reaction turn into exothermic reaction, can rely on the heating to continue carbonization.
Two methods of making charcoal, one is to heating and dry up the raw material first, and then achieve carbonization, after carbonization, sealed and keep the air out for cooling. The other, when the carbonization nearly completed, make red hot charcoal contact with air, use of pyrolysis volatiles combustion to carry out high temperature refining, and then sealed and keep the air out for cooling. The surface of the charcoal get from the first method is black, so it is called black charcoal. The latter method of charcoal containing fixed carbon is higher, the surface residual white ash, so named white charcoal, is an original Chinese traditional method.
Nowadays pressed charcoal seems more popular, also a kind of black charcoal, completely natural charcoal without the use of any additives except sawdust. After the high pressure of the sawdust (woods), the density is very high, so that the charcoal also high density, good quality. Normally charcoal heating temperature is about 300 to 400 degrees Celsius, and this pressed out of pure charcoal, the highest temperature can reach more than 760 degrees, and lasting a long time, a little more than half a kilo of pressed charcoal can barbecue for about 3 hours, really environmental and convenience, are preferred by BBQ lovers.
As a renewable energy source, charcoal is still popular in modern daily life. BBQ lovers like charcoal barbecue because of its advantages, the essence of nature, slight wood fragrance, naturally brought to the food they are cooking, tastes naturally different. The wood made into charcoal, so it's easier to transport, easier to store, and less smoky, leaving only the heat.
Modern high-end cuisine prefers "blind fire" and pays attention to the art of combining nature and temperature control. Charcoal burning, grilling, cast iron utensils have become the first choice of chefs.