Seeking advice on how to handle neighbor's complaint

[Lightning]

@Thrillho I had to laugh at that. Fortunately for me with the distance between our houses it's just a dull rumble you can't get rid of. The first time it happened I thought something had gone wrong with my furnace before I realized it was coming from outside. It's the lady who lives next to him I feel sorry for. One day I was walking up the street on the way home from an afternoon shift and she was pounding on the door to no avail to try and get him to turn it down. Sometimes we've head the Eagles as well and a couple of movies at full volume. I just can't imagine what kind of SPL's he's got in that living room...

I'm glad you were able to get a house with a large yard because it has let you put some distance between the barbecue and the surrounding houses.  If it was smaller and everyone was packed in closer, the situation would probably be a lot more tense.  Part of the problem might be solvable seasonally.  When it's heating season and everybody has their windows closed, the charcoal starting shouldn't be an issue.  Likewise when it gets warm enough out that the windows are closed again because the air conditioning's on, so that means you only really need to worry about spring and fall.  I was lucky with my house.  Because of the way the blocks were divided up, the lots on my side of the street have incredibly deep lots so once winter's over, I move the barbecue way down into the yard so it's far from any of the houses and it stays there until it gets cold out again.  Nobody has ever complained but I'm trying to be considerate, plus I'm enjoying my back yard too, but it sounds like you've already done something similar. Hopefully the situation can be managed so everyone's reasonably happy.

[AZ Monsoon]

Get a blanket and use it to send smoke signals saying you're sorry when the wind is blowing their way.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[Lightning]

I've never done this outside of scout camps but there is a brief window of opportunity to do 19th century style smoke and mirrors magic tricks while the charcoal is smoking heavily.  At scout camps it was having a scary movie run partway through a 16 mm film projector hidden away at the back pointed at the campfire and switch that on right after someone throws a pile of leaves on to make a big plume of smoke. That was good...the soundtrack ramping up on the speaker and the image appearing in the cloud of smoke out of nowhere would always freak out some of the cubs.  Usually someone would jump out wearing a Halloween mask and that would scare the rest of them.

[AZ Monsoon]

As I'm watching my chimney smoke I came up with an idea. You could just rock two chimneys and load them about half full to cut the time you're getting smoke in half.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[kettlebb]

As I'm watching my chimney smoke I came up with an idea. You could just rock two chimneys and load them about half full to cut the time you're getting smoke in half.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

Yep. That's a great idea!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SMOKE FREAK]

My next door neighbor was selling his house...Had an open house...People coming and going all day...I had beef on the smoker...He said the smell probably helped sell his house...

[Thrillho]

As I'm watching my chimney smoke I came up with an idea. You could just rock two chimneys and load them about half full to cut the time you're getting smoke in half.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

Dueling chimneys! That's pretty good idea. 


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[TheDude]

That's two full chimneys though.

Seriously though. As others have said. Cook for them. Everyone thinks I'm crazy for having all these grills... Till I cook for them.

[Thrillho]

Grilled for first time since... the incident.

Tried starter cubes for first time, and move my grill back into my deck. That's the neighbors house way back in the distance behind the fence and trees.


Hard to say if smoke was less than when using newspaper, but wind was blowing away from neighbor today (which is the norm). Coals burned clean smoke within 13 minutes, ready by 20 minutes.




Most importantly, neighbor did not show up at my door!


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[HoosierKettle]

Oh my gosh. First thing you need is a weber chimney. Holds more coals and will probably light faster and easier.


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[Thrillho]

Oh my gosh. First thing you need is a weber chimney. Holds more coals and will probably light faster and easier.


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

How does a larger chimney that holds more coal light faster? Also, I'm Assuming faster means from lighting to ready to cook?


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[TheDude]

And one cube will do the trick.

[JordanW]

@Thrillho it's not the quantity of briquettes, it's the design of the Weber chimney that makes it work way better... pretty decent (I consider must have) upgrade for $15 and usually on sale for less.


Sent from my iPad using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[Troy]

Ask the guy what her favorite meal is, grill it up and invite them over, or take it to them.

This.
Also,  all the ones above too. Skip the paper.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[indy82z]

I personally don't have one of these but know someone who does and he says the charcoal is ready much quicker (especially with the blower).

https://bbqdragon.com/

I just got new neighbors and was going to look into these if they complained. I am thinking I am good as I see a little 18" Weber Kettle on their back porch now.