Choosing good charcoal for cooking or other purposes requires that you have an understanding of what qualities are important to look for, and which types of charcoal best provide these qualities.
Walnut is a popular choice for making charcoal because it produces a high-quality, long-lasting fuel that burns hot and cleanly. With that said, it is not without its drawbacks.
So before you go out and buy any walnut charcoal, let’s look at whether or not walnut makes good charcoal for grilling.
Identifying Good Charcoal for Grilling
When it comes to finding good, efficient charcoal, most barbeque experts agree that hardwood charcoal is the way to go.
Hardwood charcoal includes woods such as oak, maple, hickory, mesquite, apple wood, and more. This type of charcoal burns hotter and longer than softwoods such as pine or spruce which can cause creosote buildup.
While walnut does not necessarily fall under the hardwood category, it does contain some of the same properties as other hardwoods which make them burn hotter and longer than softwoods like pine or spruce.
The Pros and Cons of Walnut Charcoal
Walnut charcoal has several benefits when used for barbecuing or grilling. It produces less smoke than other types of wood-based charcoals due to its dense structure which helps keep heat from escaping too quickly during cooking.
Walnuts also produce fewer sparks when burning than other types of hardwood charcoals which is useful if you are trying to avoid flare-ups while grilling or smoking meats on an open fire pit.
This makes it a great choice for anyone looking to get the perfect char on their food without overwhelming it with smoky flavors.
Another advantage to using walnut as charcoal is that it burns for a long time. You won’t need to keep re-lighting your grill every few minutes as you would with other types of wood or coal. As such, you can maintain an even temperature over a longer period of time than with other fuel sources.
On the downside, walnut can be difficult to light due to their thick bark and dense wood fibers. Walnut wood also has a lower energy density than other types of charcoal which can mean that you need more fuel in order to achieve the same amount of heat as other fuels such as oak or hickory.
Lastly, because it’s so dense, walnut isn’t very efficient when it comes to producing ash which means that you may need to clean out your grill more often than usual when using it as fuel.
How is Wood Charcoal Made?
Charcoal is one of the oldest technologies in the arsenal of human civilizations and yet it continues to be just as useful today.
Making charcoal involves burning wood to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen, a process called pyrolysis. The wood is burned down to its basic components, which are then converted into a stable form of carbon known as charcoal.
While there are many different methods for making charcoal, one of the most commonly used techniques involves piling up logs in a pyramid-like shape and allowing them to burn slowly over time.
This process can take anywhere from several hours to a few days, depending on the type of wood used and the temperature at which it is burned.
Once the logs have been completely charred, they are then broken up into small pieces and further processed through a variety of methods, including crushing, grinding, or sieving.
Another method involves building a fire in a pit and then burying it under mud to prevent any remaining oxygen from interacting with the wood.
When the smoke from the pit stops rising and the mud becomes cool to the touch, charcoal is left behind.
Today, the process of making wood charcoal can be done on a large scale using mechanized equipment and industrial-grade kilns to speed up the process and produce a high-purity product.
Final Thoughts
Walnut is an excellent choice when looking for charcoal for your outdoor grill but there are some things to consider before deciding if it’s right for you.
Consider using it in combination with other hardwoods such as oak and hickory for maximum efficiency and flavor when grilling or barbecuing. While it produces less smoke than other types of wood-based charcoals due to its dense structure which helps keep heat from escaping too quickly during cooking.
Its slow burning rate means that food takes longer to cook over a fire pit made with only walnuts as a fuel source.
When it comes down to it, it is up to you to decide if walnut charcoal is the right choice for your needs. Just be sure to weigh all of the pros and cons before making your final decision.
