Seeking advice on how to handle neighbor's complaint

[varekai]

@Darko , way to kick his ass and make him bow before the grill master!...LOL

[Lightning]

I haven't had any complaints in the four years I've been here. I wonder if the fact that all my neighbours are smokers has something to do with it?  Charcoal starting up once a day a house or more away has to be trivial compared to inhaling a pack a day or more.

[Thrillho]

Some great advice. Appreciate all the help, I'm starting to step back from the cliff on this issue, so to speak. I hear ya'll on the keep things cordial front, that is 100% my goal. Going to give the Weber starter cubes a try next cook.

@SteveMBH Right now maybe once a week, since its been so damn rainy in the PNW lately (historically rainy). During better weather its closer to 2 maybe 3 times a week on occasion.

@Lightning What you don't like hearing 'SATURDAY! SATURDAY! SATURDAY!' as your windows rattle? As for yard size, the wife and I were stoked to buy in a neighborhood with good size lots, they don't build um like that any more. There is another house closer to us on our other side, but the neighbor is totally chill.

[greenweb]

All great suggestions. Stay away from using paper as it creates lot of smoke. Also most of smoke is created from starting charcoal till it  ashes over, so maybe take the full charcoal chimney to the front of the house to get it started with starter cubes and when ready bring it to the back of the house and dump the coal in the kettle. Also, use lump charcoal ( and some brand smoke less than others ) for fuel to lessen the smoke.

Offering them some bbq food you cooked is great suggestion.

[Dan in SC Ca]

Still new here and to barbecuing with charcoal but think using starter cubes definitely cuts down on the smoke over a chimney with paper. Maybe a fan wouldn't be a bad idea if not much wind, might take a big one to make a difference.  But if they are looking shows you have taken their complaint seriously. And who knows moving it a few feet could make a difference with the direction of the wind. I have a neighbor doesn't complain about that but moved in after and fights about property lines and generally hates me because I got a surveyor to find them and fenced the yard. Can't ever win her over and won't die trying but if they are nice reasonable people maybe you can. Doesn't hurt to show you are trying to hear their complaint, should only help things. All you can do really. And maybe like someone else said, give them some awesome barbecue!



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[Jon]

A lot of good advice above. If you can track down Coshell charcoal, it makes very little smoke when starting a chimney. Much less than KBB or Stubbs. And what smoke it does make has a sweet, mild smell.

On the other hand, lighting a charcoal barbecue seems like a very reasonable thing to do in your own back yard. Maybe the right answer is to agree with your neighbor that you will indeed use charcoal cookers, but will do the polite thing and give them a heads up to close their window. And most things are better when you have a friendly relationship with your neighbors.

And maybe hand a plate of ABTs or something over the fence every once in a while. A little food bribe can't hurt.

[HoosierKettle]

Sounds like you got this. Any change on how you light or location you light at along with anything else reasonable will be viewed as a win for the dude trying to appease his nagging wife.


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[HoosierKettle]

Poor guy is probably getting hen pecked to death every time you fire up


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[irv39]

Try this, it doesn't smoke and has very little ash.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Char-Broil-2039-04-cu-in-Lump-Charcoal/999979266

[kettlebb]

Not that it's any of our business but do either of them smoke cigarettes or other tobacco? I'd have a completely different opinion if they did.


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[hawgheaven]

I don't mean to be unsympathetic to her health condition...But if closing the window is all it takes to solve the problem...Then there is no problem...

I'm with you on that one. I have a neighbor on one side of me that loves it and begs over the fence for BBQ. The one on the other side hates it. I even offered up some BBQ, which they took, butt never heard a word afterward. Go inside and close your window. What do I do? I can't move it

[MINIgrillin]

Wow.. that sux. I can't blame the guy tho. My wife has respiratory issues sometimes and I'd do whatever it takes to keep her healthy and I'd take a giant crap on someone if they tried to test me on that.

So..what now? Mind the wind direction? I like the idea of bringing over some food to show them your serious about your grilling and it ain't gonna stop. Perhaps you can get their number so you can let em know when your gonna fire up so they can close the window.

I'm not sure if switching from newspaper to cubes is gonna be the fix here. Sure it will help a bit but I use a performer to light my chimneys and it still smokes like a train with KBB and to a less extent lump.

Maybe you should consider the BBQ Dragon chimney of insanity. I doubt it's going to cut down the volume of thick smoke but it will definately cut down on the time it's produced.

Good luck to you bro. Be a good neighbor. Your doing the right thing

[Thrillho]

@kettlebb I don't believe either of them smoke.
@MINIgrillin Don't blame the neighbor either, plus to his credit he never told me to stop grilling, just try to control smoke.

I am pretty sure the wind usually blows away from his house... but you can bet I'll be monitoring which way the smoke is going like a hawk now. Many people have suggested starting the coals in the front yard, I might try that. But, I have this thing about not wanting to do anything grilling related in my front yard, makes me feel like I'm on display. Beyond that, move the grill back another 25 and explore various lump and briquette options (wanted to do that anyway).

[Darko]

@Darko , way to kick his ass and make him bow before the grill master!...LOL

I just pretty much told them to "sod off" I don't bitch about your cooking, so stop bitching about mine.

[MINIgrillin]

Makes me think of one of my neighbors. Every once in a while I will smell starter fluid. For some reason it offends me. I just wanna throw a chimney over the fence and scream "get with the program Newbs!"