[T.G]

You're describing it right, Brad.

You don't get the big cloud of noxious gas like when you first light off a chimney of charcoal. While maybe not completely avoided, it seems that, in the MM, these fumes are significantly reduced.

It's a slower ignition, the briquettes are packed in there, so when a burning one is in contact with the unlit one, it's more like a half lit briquette burning from the from the lit to the unlit side, so it's only a small amount lighting off at one time, unlike a chimney where there is a huge volume of charcoal touching off all at once. Also, because it's happening slowly in a hot chamber, you're getting a more complete combustion. It's also possible that some of these noxious gases are being vaporized due to the heat of the chamber, something that is severely lacking when you first light off a chimney. If I still had access to stack gas analysis equipment on the ships, it would be a fun thing to test.

Think of a chimney of briquettes - when you first light them, you get the cloud of crap, then within a few minutes, they are burning clean, even if not all of them are lit. The smell when the chimney is half lit and the smell when it's fully ashed over are the same.