Can a charcoal grill maintain a constant high temperature?

Question

In the example in this question I mention getting the grill to 400 Fahrenheit. This example is not in a vacuum. I really do need to roast my brussels sprouts at 400 Fahrenheit and I won't necessarily have oven space as it is Thanksgiving. So my question has evolved. Most charcoal grill recipes I have read involve temperatures in the 200 to 300 Fahrenheit range. Can I get a charcoal grill (for this example consider a Weber kettle grill) to 400 Fahrenheit and keep it there consistently?

Also, if I add smoking wood, will that change a lot? I am glazing brussels sprout in black pepper, bacon, and maple syrup if it matters and I will smoke them with whatever is available at the house. The recipe I am using involves roasting them in a pan, so I would prefer to keep it that way (lest I have to clean the grill).

Answer 1

The recipes you are referring to are probably for BBQ/smoking, rather than grilling, which happens at a much higher temperature. It is fairly easy to get a kettle-type grill to reach 400 F (and well beyond). The challenge will be maintaining your desired temperature. However, that is what the vents are for. There should be a vent on top and a vent on bottom. With a little practice, you should be able to manipulate the vents to maintain the temperature. Try to overshoot your mark by 25 - 50 degrees F before you reduce the airflow. You will get some smoke flavor from the charcoal, particularly if you use hardwood. The addition of smoking wood will add stronger smoke. For vegetables, I would stick with fruit woods.

Answer 2

The simple answer is yes. No different than trying to smoke a piece of meat 250 F for 6 hours, you can keep a grill at 400 F under the same principles.

Any wood you add in the form of chips or blocks as used in smoking will inevitably burn and burn hotter than the charcoal causing spikes in temperatures. Don't add too much at a time.

You will have to play with the vents to see what your grill wants. I would start your grill and let the temperature normalize and adjust the vents to attempt to get it down (or up) to the correct temperature.

Why does it have to be 400 F out of curiosity? I've roasted sprouts on my grill before and never cared about temps unless it was extremely low or extremely high. I cook them usually between 400-600 and just keep an eye on them. I'll put them in some aluminum foil, olive oil, salt and pepper and close it up then throw on the rack. The highest you can get it off the flame the better.