Following these instructions will avoid charred corn, BBQ fires, and other unfortunate July 4th bloopers.
Fill a 5 gallon plastic bucket 3/4s full with clean cold water. Make sure to rinse out whatever had been in the bucket before first.
Break off the bottoms of the corn cobs. Some of the husk will come off with them. You want at least 3 layers of husk to remain on the cobs, but not the darkest green outer leaves.
Grab the silk at the top of the cob and gently pull it out of the husk. Remove as much of the remaining silk threads as possible.
Drop the ears of corn into the water and let them soak for 10 minutes.
Light your grill. You want it hot, but not intensely so. If you are using charcoal, you can grill the corn while it’s still too hot for anything else, but you want to wait 10 minutes or so after lighting. Put the ears of corn on it in a single layer. Covering the grill will increase the “smoky” flavor. Turn each cob 4 times, so that the husk gets nicely browned on all sides. Remove and allow to steam in the husks for 10 minutes before pulling them off and serving.