What's the Ultimate Campfire Fuel?

It’s summertime and people are out camping, barbecuing, and using FIRE! But what’s a better fuel to use for your summer activities? Wood or charcoal? There are pros and cons to both fuels, so check out this episode of SciShow to decide for yourself!
Hosted by: Hank Green
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Sources:
science.howstuf...
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web.anl.gov/PC...
virtual.vtt.fi/...
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www.sciencedire...
www.fao.org/doc...
www.greenpeace....
www.fao.org/3/a...
www.carbonbrief...
Images:
Charcoal: www.flickr.com...
Firewood: commons.wikime...
Glucose: commons.wikime...
Cellulose: commons.wikime...
Deforestation: commons.wikime...

[@megk761]

Summer is upon us- as I go back to school in a week

[@MrRishik123]

Really? I'm the UK I got till the 3rd of September. So about 2 weeks

[@rileyl4109]

Tomorrow. FML

[@cool2570]

+Mr Rishi The Cookie The 3rd of September is a Friday ?!

[@nskret4084]

I have three weeks

[@benjaminshields9421]

I started today

[@casualjoe2]

wearing that white and gold shirt again Hank

[@Kihidokid]

ha! i got the joke...

[@FreddyMercry]

Last year there was an image of a dress circulating the internet. It went viral incredibly quickly because some people perceived the dress to be coloured blue and black (like Hank's shirt) whilst others thought the dress to be white and gold. I think Scishow may have made a video about it. OPs comment about a white and gold shirt is just a joke referring to this dress meme.

[@kat465k3]

+Andrew James no! It's not black and blue! It's white and GOLD!

[@casualjoe2]

ok something more relevant.. charcoal, in combination with the use of bellows allowed fires to reach temperatures high enough to smelt iron from its ore, starting the iron age

[@flubs2298]

+Kat465k it was late shown to be made of blue and gray dyes. Other pictures of it showed it truly was blue and gray

[@kkonstantinosss2]

The best fuel is decaying radioactive materials...Constant and predictable heat for generations...

[@TorquemadaTwist]

And boy oh boy can you grill some burgers on uranium. Thanx dad.

[@zachxiong2657]

and when its heat signature is fading just toss it back to mother nature! (local stream nearby)

[@itchykami]

You have to put the bananas through a centrifuge first to get enriched bananas.

[@TorquemadaTwist]

itchykami Imagine the daiquiri you could make with that...

[@itchykami]

mmmmm... steak and banana daquiri

[@b1merio]

I use propane and propane accessories.

[@TorquemadaTwist]

And I'm sure Dale would tell you the Charcoal Illuminati paid for this podcast.

[@PinuyashaRPG]

Taste the meat, not the heat.

[@Mrbeecash]

Bwwaaaaaaaa!!!!

[@AlickzRider]

Well his name is Hank after all

[@zacharykeller4905]

Yep.

[@KokoMbella]

I had to play the part from 0:21-0:23 twice and got curious how KZbins auto transcription will cope with that line... so I switch on the subtitles...

[@TheRealSkeletor]

+1

[@clan741]

And it was hilarious!

[@Xenibalt]

LOL worth it

[@jkennedy299]

+

[@lankygiraffe4487]

And food shit got that fire!

[@Master_Therion]

This video is bitter-sweet for me. I used to work for a charcoal manufacturer... I got fired :(

[@SuperExodian]

hah, fired.

[@vmp916]

Why are you laughing he can't support his family anymore dick.

[@megasupergames]

Fire them too, if you catch my meaning. hahahahaha hahahahahahaha hahahahahaha. Arson.

[@Master_Therion]

vmp916 It's true, I used to be hot stuff at the charcoal plant, now all my dreams have gone up in smoke.

[@calvesman.willem]

+Master Therion Oh god

[@OOZ662]

Just keep in mind that most "big brand" charcoal briquettes are around 10% rock grindings, dirt, and other non-combustable waste instead of fuel, hence why they create such massive piles of ash compared to wood.

[@Deedeedee137]

Hank what do you mean summer is upon us? Summer is almost over.

[@rubikfan1]

depents on your country made. dutch holiday ends at sept first. so still some time left. oh and they probalbly filmed it befor the holidays. but these People desirve some time off aswell

[@SuperExodian]

there's no such thing as 'time off' when you're freelance artist/youtuber noone pays you when your on vacation then, except for views coming in on older video's/someone buying your music if you're a musician/etc

[@Deedeedee137]

well, I head back to university next monday, so for me summer is almost over.

[@StoneGarage]

+Bart De Bock These guys run a business not a small independent channel. They have staff and clear huge dollars between paterion and subscribers. Plus they run Paterion. I think they are doing just fine.

[@Tfin]

Summer is about half over for Hank. It runs from June 20 to September 22 this year. So yes, it's a bit late.

[@phantasm1234]

Can you do one on cerebral aneurysms? I had one rupture at 19 and would love to learn more!

[@cyrenecai]

I use wood for grilling, typically hardwood branches between 0.75" and 1.25" in diameter; works pretty well. High heat at the start from the pyrolysis gas combustion for the sear, then the lower heat from the coals for the remainder of the cooking. It took a bit of practice to get used to it, but I've found it rewarding. It helps that for me the fuel is free (it's all stuff that would otherwise be bundled and put on the curb for lawn trash pickup).

[@itchykami]

Or if you want to directly answer the question: Wood is good if you want a really smoky flavor in your food. You can experiment with types of wood for different flavors.

[@grayswandir47]

My personal experience grilling tritip in a Weber is that charcoal briquettes supplemented with chunks of mesquite made a more controllable and smokey fire than mesquite charcoal. Since the smoke is what imparts the flavor to the meat I'll use the briquettes with embedded mesquite and add chunks of mesquite to supplement the fire.

[@andrewb1870]

Well it depends. Do you want a quick and easy cooking fire or a large flame to gather round. Fuel just takes more time to get to the same place-coals

[@MrNicholas20]

summer is over...

[@9ED6F5E1]

definitely tomorrow is the first day of my second year of high school

[@sr71blackbird71]

not til September 22nd

[@PureGold197]

+Doc Ice I feel bad for you; I don't start school until the 30th

[@zetsumeinaito]

Summer is only over after the September equinox.

[@caruzo9631]

+zetsumeinaito winter is coming...

[@DCDevTanelorn]

I think you could've gone into more detail with this. There's a lot more to say about the differences between these two fuel types. Especially if you think beyond their use for grilling only.

[@papapumpass2121]

Propane is the best fuel I'll tell you hwat

[@frankschneider6156]

try potassium (lots of it) and water for comparison

[@TorquemadaTwist]

Dang it, Bobby!

[@aajjeee]

thermite is better

[@budmeister]

Thermonuclear explosions are best

[@dismissing]

it's non renewable

[@Meleeman011]

i plan to use fire as my main heat source, so this answers my question. definitely using charcoal

[@josephsaunders6649]

I recently went on a college trip to China where various professors presented their research on environmental topics and one of those was on the production and applications of Biochar. A good bit of the lecture went over my head, but I understood from it that combustion of biomass at different temperatures and oxygen level yield different products and one of those is Biochar, which is useful in environmental remediation. I would be very interested in the in depth mechanic of why different oxygen levels and temperatures yield different results.

[@coolbiscuits6301]

In the beginning he said summer is upon us... What my summer is halfway done XD

[@Ngamotu83]

My Spring hasn't even started, let alone Summer.

[@cobaltstar_8281]

+Michael Gibb Australian?

[@HickoryJ]

+Michael Gibb guys I found the Aussie

[@Ngamotu83]

CobaltStar_ Jobey Travel in an easterly direction for 1,500 kilometres.

[@Ngamotu83]

Jobey They sure do make a nice mug of Frogmorton ginger beer at the Green Dragon.

[@vanrozay8871]

Burning dry, foraged wood and enjoy the stages: watch the colors change, embers glow; feed it from the side; the smoke usually smells better than charcoal (try fruitwoods). Just as easy to clean up after, and FREE.

[@MunicipalityCity]

This is a beautiful feeling.

[@zeromailss]

Summer 24/7 all year round here ,its never too late for summer video

[@agentwashingtub9167]

Summer is not upon us it's almost gone. Little late with the posting.

[@colechitwood3244]

yep

[@xguitarist_]

Ikr my summer break is already done I went back to school two days ago

[@agentwashingtub9167]

XGuitarist Same.

[@naota3k]

Summer is currently happening, therefore: *summer is upon us*. Going back to school has nothing to do with geological seasons.

[@Romanticoutlaw]

the term "____ is upon us" is almost always used to describe the beginning of something. I've never heard someone say that towards the middle or end of a season. Weak argument is weak.

[@lostperfection05]

I mostly use propane for the convenience. Forget waiting for charcoal to be cook ready. I go from raw meat with no fire to eating in ten minutes. There might be some flavor gained by the slower methods, but is it worth it, I don't think so.

[@LegoJamTrain567]

Wow we are early, Keep up the great work Sci Show you are excellent.

[@rileyb1799]

Its almost the end of summer, Hank. Fall is about to be upon us.

[@Caseyuptobat]

"Grill up some barbecue" Oh Hank, if you only knew how much that phrase hurts to hear.

[@TorquemadaTwist]

I was wondering if anyone would call out on that mistake.

[@budmeister]

Yup, barbecue is slow-cooking for hours over a low flame, right? Otherwise it's just grilling.

[@ThisOldSkater]

Yeah, that was painful. Can't tell if he's joking or serious. He's a smart man, so I'll lean toward joking.

[@frankschneider6156]

The ultimate campfire fuel ? Napalm

[@TorquemadaTwist]

Ah you boyscouts really know how to make smores.

[@jerotoro2021]

Napalm? No... The corpses of your enemies.

[@frankschneider6156]

Lars Lars Pantsonfars Well, and if you burn them, what are you gonna eat ? Not smart

[@Philw94]

Newbie... Use phosphor.

[@PinkFloydBootlegs]

I do love the smell of napalm in the morning.

[@3800S1]

I use Volkswagen crank and transmission cases for my fires. They are made from magnesium alloy :)

[@aselrahc]

7 years later... A fun thing you can do is tomato char cloth. Cut up an old T shirt into little squares, put them in an Altoids tin, toss the tin on a campfire, and when smoke stops pouring out of the tin, pull it off. Look inside and you've basically made char coal, just in a thin sheet that you can now use as a fire starter!!

[@ride0RgetR0DE0n]

Forget summer I'm ready for winter

[@VeryBeowulf]

Do a vid on the potential applications of bamboo, or hemp to make stuff like charcoal or other widely consumed products. Such as in, construction or...whatever you can dig up.

[@Xavi_Shado]

+SciShow. You can make your own charcoal by putting wood in an old paint cans or something like that, sealing it, poking a SMALL hole in the lid, and then lighting a fire underneath it.since there isn't an easy way for the oxygen to get into there won't be a lot oxygen and you basically make your own charcoal!

[@epps8686]

Wood is always the best feul. infact u can make charcoal with wood... plus that wood burning smell is amazing

[@bungpasta4759]

What about regular coal? I just recently found some real natural coal in the ground while doing yard work around my house and I was hoping I could use it to cook some stuff or at least make a campfire for my family.

[@Felled-angel]

What? dude your rich!

[@LiveLNXgaming]

Wood is better because the smoke adds flavor. you can add some grasses to it to change the profile but all in all its that smoky flavor we love.

[@shmowen]

The most from a lot of types of wood add a smokey flavor that I love

[@bigperk345]

"You get got that fire there." Truly a man of science that Mr. Greene.

[@scanerang]

dude the summer is going and winter is comming up!

[@faragar1791]

Could it be possible to make synthetic charcoal without using wood? Or can we make charcoal from faster growing trees that we could farm and could be renewable?

[@tacticalultimatum]

On the next video can you determine if wood or charcoal is better. You didn't here

[@ralynedin]

Recieve the wrath of Hank Hill!

[@ItsZorroDood]

Feels like I haven't seen Hank in ages.

[@ABitOfTheUniverse]

The fuel loses mass, as it turns into a gas. When the next change is through, the atoms shine blue. When the process is complete, it gives off heat. Extra carbon will glow, red, orange yellow. The fuel loses mass, _pyrolysis_ as it turns into a gas. When the next change is through, _chemiluminescence_ the atoms shine blue. When the process is complete, _oxidation_ it gives off heat. Extra carbon will glow, _incandescence_ red, orange yellow. *Pyrolysis* *Chemiluminescence* *Oxidation* *Incandescence*

[@jetaddict420]

dear god

[@r4ndom445]

Hanks' roast yourself is the ultimate fuel

[@Kongolox]

if its for cooking some type of woods gives a very nice flavor to the food

[@JedoDre]

I spent a whole week in Sweden trying to remember how to barbecue, biting into raw meat because the coals did not generate enough heat. The answer I found out the hard way is as follows. You need to burn a whole lot of wood in order to leave enough coals for long enough to cook anything. Charcoal actually stays intact and hot for a while, so you need less of it and it is less of a headache. But you may want the smokey woods to make your meat taste better. I ended up combining wood with charcoal. Of course for roasted marshmallows you actually need fire, but if you are using wood to light the charcoal instead of lighter fuel (which I was because we couldn't find any lighter fluid at the time) then you will have a small fire initially, which should be enough cook some marshmallows.

[@ScipioXII]

Jet fuel is the way to go, it burns fast and hot, sadly though, it melted my steel grill

[@CptZetox]

but jet fuel can't melt steel beams ? :^)

[@AwesomesMan]

Jet fuel wouldn't ignite in a camp fire situation.

[@ScipioXII]

omg guys, i was just kidding XD

[@shadowprince4482]

Pretty sure it would still ignite but would burn like shit...

[@PureVikingPowers]

What is the difference between coal and charcoal?

[@rileysgarages]

I use hardwood lump charcoal for my forge! ;)

[@zero11010]

Gas fuels sure are popular. Certainly for cooking which was mentioned. And fire features using gas are popular both inside and outside of homes.

[@Neontronique]

I love you Hank.

[@justinhalim9746]

What is that cracking sound when you bent your joints? And why does it feel good?

[@blinkx1070]

Can you guys make a video on the laxative effects of coffee?

[@bjbodner3097]

Pls do a video about the different ways to measure temperature:) lazer thermometers, mercury, etc..

[@Scottx125Productions]

Summer is nearly over.. but... WINTER IS COMING!

[@saviourscout6183]

Hank's logic, this is this and this also means this but this this this.... never mind check that, just have fun...

[@EebstertheGreat]

Charcoal fires are probably less likely to give you cancer, so that's nice. And it burns longer and more easily without smells and smoke and is much lighter and takes up less space and is easy to carry and stuff. Overall, charcoal is obviously a superior fuel for most purposes for the end user (and other people in the area), even if it isn't necessarily the best environmentally. The biggest downside is that you will never find charcoal just lying around on the forest floor.

[@Cadwaladr]

Obviously the best fuel for a campfire is wood, because if it's a campfire, you want, y'know, fire. Charcoal is great for cooking because it gives you more heat, but not much in the way of fire. But then again, cooking over a wood fire gives your food more flavour. I remember a hamburger I made one time on a grill in a Franklin stove over a cherry wood fire and it was delicious.

[@daniellbondad6670]

More eco-friendly option:Dried cornhusks and corncobs. If the fire doesn't burn big,add a (little) bit of fuel.

[@CptPandy-tj9ty]

nice that they are doing this video as summer is about to be over :(

[@smeggie42]

so by weight charcoal release more heat? ill still stick to wood cause it looks better but just trying to understand

[@LiviuGelea]

IDEA: Why don't YOU, your brother and the entire SciShow team go in a trip in nature drink some beers and make a video about science with help from another vlogger with a more hands-down approach. I'd love to see you guys having some fun while filming a video. It could be your team building event, an opportunity for us to meet your script writers and technicians and i'd really like to see some charcoal vs wood.

[@joshuamoon8899]

What is the science of chocolate milk?? How does mixing the powders or syrup in work?

[@rastaking9547]

bbq is bomb man especially brisket omg

[@Twilord_]

Fun and safe time... See mummy, the modern version of your science guy says fire is safe AND fun! Let me play with it!

[@hazardousmaterial5492]

i use both

[@csaxena73]

Question: Why do your eyes cross if you stare at a screen for a while, and if you don't uncross them can they become stuck?

[@slorr55]

BUT WHICH ONE IS BETTER

[@topinfoproducts2754]

Can you do a video on Raynaud's Phenomenon? I have it and want to learn more about it, and have other learn as well.

[@reverseshotgun721]

Both green brothers in a single day? Sweet.

[@natedogop9487]

I use both in the winter and wood in the summer

[@donfolstar]

Wood's inefficient smoke and water vapor = flavor. BBQ and grilling are not interchangeable terms. Grilling is cooking with direct heat which works great with charcoal. BBQ involves indirect heat, longer cook times, and almost always the use of sauces or other flavoring.

[@CrispyChicken44]

That picture at the end looked like Charles Island in Milford, CT.

[@VK-sj1mi]

Really good camping video. I rate tent out of tent

[@Zeldaschampion]

Wish I had a list of which wood is safe to use for cooking.

[@jack22767]

"Summer is upon us" I STARTED SCHOOL 3 DAYS AGO!

[@GiannisMamalikidis]

1:24 Called "Char", or "Char, Char, Charmander" I'm sorry - I just, could not resist!

[@3Mogsters]

I don't know what Hank's been smoking, but last time I checked it's basically autumn already.

[@GryphonSkull]

how do you go on finding out the answers to the questions you cover / what process is behind a video? (how do you decide on questions?)

[@ZZelinaa]

Could you look into major unanswered questions in neuroscience at the moment? e.g free will, consciousness, motor behaviour etc..

[@jacobm8242]

I think we can all agree that propane and propane accessories are the best fuel sources

[@burnhamrobertp]

Aren't modern charcoal briquettes actually just coal dust + sawdust?

[@way2jaded1]

You forgot to advise on how different types of wood can add flavour to your barbecue through the smoke. I quite like apple wood myself.

[@MrMasterDebate]

dA FUCK!? Summer over yo

[@ricardovivas7686]

no it isn't it ends on September 22

[@caruzo9631]

+Ricardo vivas winter is coming.

[@Abhi21212]

+Steve theGerman +

[@ricardovivas7686]

Steve theGerman sure is

[@chainsawofdeath]

they're not late, they're just planning ahead

[@HannesChristensen]

Summer is upon us!..about 3 months ago

[@carsonbarlow348]

Pyrolysis: The next name for my fire mage.

[@dajosh42069]

Charcoal? Well I tell you what... Lady propane provides for us all. She is an efficient, and clean burning fuel. Why would anyone want the mess of charcoal or wood when they could use propane and propane accessories...

[@digitalatom6433]

So basically, wood if you want a big fire with a lot of smoke and charcoal if you just want things to get really hot without much smoke. Did I get that right?

[@gabriel300010]

You should do more videos about Tardigrades

[@Tytoalba777]

It's obvious that Wood is better, at least if you're making S'mores. It's not s'mores unless you got that nice smoky additive to it

[@1stGruhn]

ya'll should do an episode on the carbon cycle and whether or not wood burning for power plants is carbon neutral and or sustainable.

[@victorquadros1428]

Summer is upon us while I am going back tomorrow

[@grandmasterflash8710]

Summer is upon us - it's almost September

[@gabeseui1340]

can you talk about bionic bodys parts and how they work

[@nicholaskotlarczyk9083]

Pretty sure my mixtape is the best thing to make a fire🔥🔥

[@conduit64]

All you people talking about summer being over, here in Florida summer doesn't end until about mid December.

[@johncajka5424]

LPG is what i use if i can. if i need smoke i add a few wood chips like hickory

[@nicholastrombone9899]

I use Potassium Permanganate any Glycerin

[@Umbra_TuSlayer]

Wood smoke can be used to add flavor to your food, charcoal only adds heat...