Scally's Coals Revisited

[nuschultz]

I finally got a chance to try Scally's coals. Since I'm too lazy to go find the template, I'll just review them as I see fit.Initial Impression: 8/10 I could smell the mesquite before I even opened the box. Delicious smell. Coals came in a variety of sizes and shapes.Lighting: 8/10 I could certainly smell the mesquite when I was lighting the coals. I chose a disc shaped coal to start. Coals had a tendancy to spark a bit while sitting on the coils of the stove, but lit quickly and did not smell of mesquite once removed from heat.My Setup:28" Egyptian. Cold water in base. Base in a bucket of ice for a smoother smoke. Loosely packed bowl of AF Melon.Smoking: 0/10 I couldn't get these coals to cooperate with me at all. The smoke was thin and harsh. Made me sick. I decided to call it a night and dropped the coals in some water and end the session. I didn't enjoy these coals at all.Scally, am I doing something wrong?

[Scalliwag]

So far it seems everyone with a torch or open flame had success and those on electric have not. I've not tried lighting them like that since my stove has a ceramic top. An open flame or heating them in a covered pan until they were extremely hot and exposing them to air has worked for me. Were they lit real well before you put it on? Nuking them with a torch seemed to be the most effective method of all.If you are going to light them like that try putting them in a covered pan (do not use a non stick pan!!!!) and crank the heat to the max for a few minutes, then pull it out and put it on the bare coil. I think it will burn more evenly.

[EvansLight]

ouch, still hoping to try some of em eventually, havent gotten to use natural coals yet and would like to try with scallys

[Scalliwag]

When we have the get-together here in DFW I am giving some to everybody that comes down to take home with them if they want to give them a try.

[nuschultz]

They looked pretty well lit up before I started.I might pick up a torch next pay day. What do you use to hold them while you are heating? Also, how many coals should the standard brown bowl take?

[Scalliwag]

[quote name='nuschultz']They looked pretty well lit up before I started.  I might pick up a torch next pay day.  What do you use to hold them while you are heating?  Also, how many coals should the standard brown bowl take?[/quote] To an extent I guess a lot depends on the way you smoke and what you smoke. There should be several different sized coals, just experiment on that part. If you go to the original thread I have some pics where I was smoking and how I had it set up for me. For a torch I would use some salad tongs. Something longer than normal hookah tongs for certain. As far as the coals smelling like mesquite before you catch them on fire that may be because of them staying in the kiln while they cool. It smells like a BBQ pit pretty much. But the smell should go away and not be through the coal at all.

[EvansLight]

[quote name='Scalliwag']When we have the get-together here in DFW I am giving some to everybody that comes down to take home with them if they want to give them a try.[/quote] schweet. we really need to plan that soon. I know me and guywithagun are having one at his apartment next monday, but we need to plan a big one soon

[Sonthert]

I am still gonna try mine, I just have too many new flavors I'm trying to hash out.