Beware the Flare-up!

Ah yes, the ol' "Flare-Up" - a common dilemma when you're learning how to fry brats. Just when you thought things were lookin' good, all hell breaks loose and you got yourself a full-blown Flare Up. Now you see what happens when you turn your back on the grill - even for just a moment. (Thought you could just run inside and grab another brew real quick, right?) Don't worry. Even us old folks still run into this when we're engaged in intellectually stimulating Brat Fry Ferg conversation and are no longer paying attention to the fire.

Here are some tell-tale signs of a Flare-Up in the making: 1) when volatile brat juices start erupting from the surface of the brat, you got yourself a slow leaker (just had to poke 'em, didn't you? naughty-naughty!) 2) when Titanic-sized gashes in the hull split your brat wide open and you see the innards guzzling away before your eyes, that's a sure sign of impending doom 3) when flames suddenly engulf your brats and apocalyptic visions of mayhem and destruction send you into panic mode, you got a Flare-Up.

The problem is that your coals are too hot. A time-proven remedy is to always have a sauce pan of water next to the grill. If flames shoot up, simply dip your hand in the water, and just sprinkle those tender little water droplets onto the coals. But watch out for a burst of smoke when you do this. In other words, don't stand downwind. You could also put the lid on the grill asap (with those air holes closed, of course), and deny the coals some oxygen, thereby suffocating the flames. But the water method works best to eliminate quickly both the flames as well as lower the heat. (It also makes you look like a professional.)