OK so im trying to grill because for my birthday I got a charcoal grill and I have never used a charcoal grill
So tonight I went out, threw some briquettes into a pile, followed the directions for lighting and it said wait 15 minutes...Well it's been thirty and the coals aren't even halfway ashy...If anything only a few of the pieces are white and the other 50 are still black, do I just wait longer or did I totally fuck up
get a chimney and throw awy the briquettes
do you have old newspapers?
press them and put them into the pile, you just need one coal and "he" will save you exchanging his heat to the rest of the coals
I have one trick but i wont tell you
>chimney
This.
Lighting fluid is fucking garbage
this
but don't get one made with aluminum, shit's full of carcinogens and xenoestrogens
My mom always used to use a small metal tray, bring a bunch of the briquetted into the kitchen, and ignite them using our gas stove. Then carry them out and distribute them onto the grill with a pair of tongs.
Lighter fluid sucks, and those pre-lighter-fluid-soaked briquettes suck even more.
A more modern approach would be to use a propane torch, like the ones plumbers use for brazing or soldering copper pipes together.
>use a propane torch
THIS. That's what I use and it works brilliantly. Turn it on the coals for 60 seconds and ten minutes later you will have perfect coals for barbecue without any fuss.
BTW I mean a really big torch, like those that are offered in hardware stores for burning weeds.
Tiger torch
if you're using fluid make sure you let it soak for about 10 minutes prior to lighting.
also let it burn until all the fluid is burned off or you'll get shit flavors in your food and probably dick cancer.
i've never had a bad experience using lighter fluid using the method my dad taught me.
2 layers of coals covering half or 3/4 of the charcoal grate. you definitely want to leave at least a little room for indirect heating. a space that isn't directly over coals in case you have things getting done at different times.
experiment and use google/youtube. these dicks aren't going to help you.
The non matchlight briquettes are ok (kingsford blue bag). If you want better flavor use lump charcoal or all wood.
A good widely available lump charcoal brand is royal oak lump charcoal. Use a charcoal chiminey with an oily paper towel. I dont like the newspaper because of the ash it produces.
If you have access to free hardwood or fruit wood i would grill using that. Takes alot longer to prepare the fire.
don't do this unless you enjoy garbage tasting cancer food
Use propane taste the meat not the. Heat
>Hank Shill detected
Theses electric hot air guns seem like a meme, but they really do work.
Starts my briquettes without much hassle.
careful with charcoal, though, sparks everywhere.
What even is this?
No. Lighter fluid is fine. It's a 100% volatile and combustible chemical at relatively low heat that the charcoal will greatly exceed.
If you can tell a difference between food cooked with charcoal started in a chimney or one started with lighter fluid; it's because the lighter fluid one didn't burn long enough before cooking
....with all of that autism said; lump charcoal in a chimney burns better, hotter and more consistent and is much better
dumbass, just because it's "100% volatile and combustible" doesn't mean in doesn't leave residue
you don't have to use retarded, outdated cooking methods just because that's how your stupid old man did it
>petroleum based smoke is really good with my smoked meat. It imparts a real heightened flavor profile that reminds the BBQ judges of a combination of gasoline and motor oil.
Yeah, just like Monsanto's 1950's propaganda convinced you to dump several tons of chemicals a year on your postage stamp yard so it looks "pretty." Idiot.
What is this "chimney" meme you people are spouting?
see
A metal tube with a grate in the bottom and a handle. Heaping the charcoal vertically like that, with good air flow from below, allows you to easily light the charcoal and get it ready for use.
Once the charcoal is ready you just dump it into the bottom of your grill and move forward.
I'm not sure if it's the thrill if igniting shit or what but it always surprises me when I keep meeting people who've never even heard of a chimney starter.
gas is best
When using newspaper make sure to put some olive oil on the paper before stuffing it in the chimney and don't cram a whole newspaper in the damn thing, use at most two pages.
>olive oil
don't add retarded pointless extra steps. it doesn't make you come across as wise and knowledgeable as you think it does
lol, fuck the laws of chemistry and physics right.
Fucking retard
>the laws of chemistry and physics
enlighten us, user
Butane burns off into water and carbon dioxide and that only. If not completely burned (e.g. putting food on grill too early), it's possible to get a ton of carbon dioxide on your food which gives a "sourish" type taste.....but once you've waited the appropriate amount of time, there will be nothing left whatsoever....
you may get some left over methane, ethane, propane,x-ane.....but again, letting it burn long enough will get rid of all of these.
So basically you are fine if you use lighter fluid as long as you aren't directly cooking on the charcoal
Any miniscule amount of leftover residue will not make it to the food or have an impact
>letting it burn long enough
it's like the "cooking burns alcohol away" meme
sure, letting it burn long enough to turn to ash will get rid of it
just fucking no....again, fuck chemistry and physics though; you fast food posters know way more
>burning butane in a glass tuber is the same as burning dry as fuck wood soaked in butane
kek.
You can smell the fucking lighter fluid even after the coals are white hot. How in god's name do you think that doesn't influence the flavor of the meat when it's simple enough to detect the subtle difference between applewood smoke and hickory?
You have to just be playing the game of contrary faggot today.
BECAUSE CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS!!!!
>You can smell the fucking lighter fluid even after the coals are white hot
Are you using 28 gallons of lighter fluid and spilling it all over the fucking place you retarded dipshit?
they just dont know what their doing/had one bad experience due to inexperience/never had a father to teach them, so they take it out on people they don't know to get their jollies.
>my retard dad told me an inferior way of doing something but i'm too sentimental and stupid to accept that, so i'll just lash out
>cooking food over burning coal
>worried about carcinogens in the chimney
I mean dude, come on. If you want to avoid carcinogens that much you shouldn't go nowhere near a grill to begin with.
coal is insanely porous, it's going to absorb a huge amount of the fluid
during combustion, part of the absorbed fluid will be drawn out, but the less volatile components that make up the residue will trail behind and only be vaporized when the coals shed away outer layers as ash
this means during the whole combustion there's going to be a constant stream of low amounts of residue
stop being lazy and use paper or pinecones to light your coals
lighter fluid is stupid. it takes just as long as a chimney to get working and leaves a taste in your food
anyone who says otherwise hasn't tried both
Wow op, you're dumb. Charcoal grilling is easy to do and is fun.
>Not using the superior electric coil to light your coals.
>lash out