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| Get my pies outta the oven!  |
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Frangas non Flectes |
There’s definitely some technique to it, but it isn’t the ideal solution for every situation. For getting the coals going faster, a hair dryer is invaluable. If you really wanna get nuts, an electric leaf blower will have you up and running in no time… or so I’ve heard. ______________________________________________ Endeavoring to master the subtle art of the grapefruit spoon. | |||
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| Member |
1st year I've been charcoal grilling and when I was doing my research just about everyone says to never use lighter fluid as it'll taint the flavor of the charcoals. I bought a Weber grill for $80. Then I bought the Weber chimney on Amazon for $40. The way I look at it is like pairing a scope to a rifle. There's no point in buying a $3000 rifle if a $150 scope is going on it. The chimney works great. 10-15 minutes and the coals are ashy and ready to go. Stack the coals high on one side to sear then move to the other to cook indirectly with the lid on. For chicken I spread the coals thin and the grill temp gets to be around 250-300 degrees which takes a little longer for the chicken to cook but they're never burnt and are cooked to 160-165 degrees when I take them off. The only downside is that I'm cooking for me and I'm torn between cooking in volume vs. as needed. BBQ doesn't taste the same reheated. | |||
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| Savor the limelight |
ShopVac with the hose on the exhaust port works as well. Can also be used to blow up inflatable pools toys, floating islands, air mattresses, etc. | |||
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paradox in a box |
Charcoal and gas both have their place. Burgers or chicken after a long day at work then use gas. Friends over on a weekend for beers, socializing and cooking, charcoal. Can’t beat the flavor of charcoal but for a small cook without wanting to waste time then gas is better. These go to eleven. | |||
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Member |
I've been cooking with charcoal for 35-40 years. I use an old PK or Weber most of the time. I've never tried the newer ceramic Kamodos or anything similar. I have a gas grill that I use for quick cooks (burgers, sausages, etc). If I was using charcoal for something that cooks quickly like boneless chicken breasts, one chimney should be more than enough for any regular size grill. It should not take anywhere near an hour to be ready. For boneless chicken breasts, I'd probably cook them over direct heat with enough coals to sparsely cover the bottom of the grill in a single layer. For chicken pieces with bones or whole birds, I'd cook it over indirect heat with the coals on one side, enough to keep the grill at roasting temps. I don't do much smoking. 十人十色 | |||
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| Member |
Haha - I figured I'd catch some flak for the lighter fluid  It has worked for me (and millions of others) and I don't believe it has any impact on the flavor if done correctly. I just suggested it because it seems to light faster and is easier which was part of your grievance with charcoal (not getting it to light fast enough). I can have a full load of charcoal ready to grill in 20 minutes using lighter fluid (I am sure people that have mastered the chimney can also achieve similar results). . | |||
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Alienator |
Hank Hill would agree with you! I do propane for quick grilling and the BGE when I want to do something nice. SIG556 Classic P220 Carry SAS Gen 2 SAO SP2022 9mm German Triple Serial P938 SAS P365 FDE P322 FDE Psalm 118:24 "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" | |||
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quarter MOA visionary |
I do the same. The BGE is a fantastic tool but for quick short cooks it just doesn't work. That includes hamburgers (unfortunately) unless you are cooking a lot of them or a bunch of other stuff at the same time. For burgers a flat iron griddle on my gasser works very well for smash burgers, no flareup and not getting stuck on the grille bars during the cook. Pick the right tool for the job. Longer cooks smoke with the BGE and shorter ones the gasser. It is not that difficult to figure out. FWIW, you can's beat or duplicate great smoke flavor. Coals are the only way to go there. | |||
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Optimistic Cynic |
One of the very first viral videos on YouTube was "Lighting a charcoal grill with liquid oxygen." I've been a gas grill guy since then. | |||
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| Member |
I'm also a fan of charcoal for the flavor of the food. I have a large air compressor and a 120 psi blow gun. This really helps get the charcoal ready faster although a shop vac or hair drier also works as previously suggested. | |||
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Ammoholic |
There was your mistake. It shouldn't take more than a full chimney to cook chicken. If for some reason you are cooking 20 breasts, maybe then yes it would. You should be piling charcoal on one side, searing then moving to indirect heat for cooking breasts (or most things). If you are in a hurry just use your leaf blower and speed up the process. If I want I can have coals ready in just over five minutes. Jesse Sic Semper Tyrannis | |||
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Member |
I'm with you. It's such a pain in the ass. I like the convenience of walking out and flipping the grill on. Going back in side. Especially since I had it piped for natural Gas. Never ever have to buy a propane tank again. Train how you intend to Fight Remember - Training is not sparring. Sparring is not fighting. Fighting is not combat. | |||
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Fighting the good fight |
Lighting charcoal can be nearly as convenient. Here's my routine: Walk outside, top egg off with some more lump charcoal (if needed), hit charcoal with propane starter torch for ~1 minute, then go back inside until grill gets up to temp. Considering that's just 1-2 minutes worth of "prep", it's damn near just as convenient as simply flipping a switch to ignite a burner. Even when there's enough ash accumulated in the bottom that you have to spend an additional couple minutes to scrape the ash out through the bottom vent before lighting (roughly every 3-4 cooks), 3-5 minutes of prep is still far from a pain in the ass. | |||
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Member |
I've been using the 22" Weber kettle for decades, with a chimney. Yeah it's kind of a hassle to get it lit up and ready to cook on. I frequently mitigate that by cooking a bunch more stuff than I'm going to eat at the time. I'll put on a good steak for that night, and also some chicken breasts or thighs or some brats that all become lunch for a few days. I've even smoked salmon on it a couple of times using indirect heat. Lots of times I've griped about how long the charcoal takes to heat up and tell myself it's time to break down and get a gas grill, but somehow I never seem to get around to it. I've tried the hot cast-iron skillet + oven method to cook steaks, and it works OK but always sets off the smoke detectors. My Dad has a small gas grill at his place, and does some good cooking on that. His ribs are killer. My brother now, he's an animal. At his place in Idaho he's got two different gas grills plus a Traeger. He's a truck driver but when he's home he's always cooking on those, even when it's sub-freezing in the winter. | |||
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| Member |
Love grilling over charcoal and I use Jess Pryles JKF method with excellent results. It can be steak, chicken, pork or whatever. Nothing beats the taste of charcoal. I do own a Weber natural gas grill after replacing my brick patio with all concrete. I had the line ran purposely to accommodate a natural gas grill. I do use it once in a while but it's mainly charcoal. Kingsford, chimney, starter block and I'm good. I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I'm not. | |||
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Age Quod Agis |
Best of both worlds is the Weber Performer. Has a 5 lb. bottle of propane attached to a burner that starts your charcoal, has a stainless "shaker" basket underneath to clean out used coals. These things are the bomb. All the flavor of charcoal, with most of the convenience of gas, with the quality of a Weber. Pretty good option. https://www.weber.com/US/en/gr...ill-22/15501001.html "I vowed to myself to fight against evil more completely and more wholeheartedly than I ever did before. . . . That’s the only way to pay back part of that vast debt, to live up to and try to fulfill that tremendous obligation." Alfred Hornik, Sunday, December 2, 1945 to his family, on his continuing duty to others for surviving WW II. | |||
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| Gone but Together Again. Dad & Uncle  |
Ingredients: 1) Weber Kettle Grill 2) Two Weber "Char-Baskets" 3) Kingsford charcoal and Lighter Fluid 4) A good, cold, beer. 5) Your Choice of Meat Preparation 1) Fill both Char-baskets ahead of time Instructions 1) Take cover off your prize Weber 2) Spray lighter fluid on pre-filled charcoal in the char-baskets 3) let fluid soak in for 1 minute, 4) light charcoal 5) open your nice cold beer 6) sit down, shut up, enjoy your nice cold beer 7) get up after 20 minutes and your charcoal should be ready 8) leave the charcoal in the char baskets so you can both sear and indirectly cook as well 9) go get and serve yourself another nice cold beer 10) grill your meat  11) when perfectly cooked to your desired temperature, remove, place on plate to rest, 12) remove and empty the char-baskets into your outdoor fire place, 13) eat dinner, accept the compliments from your spouse for all your hard work despite the fact you enjoyed your relaxation and grilling time, 14) your grill will have safely cooled off while you ate, so refill the char-baskets so your ready for next time 15) re-install your grill cover | |||
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| Get my pies outta the oven! |
This is what I have and used for this, the propane assist lighter is great, I liken it to built-in blowtorch, which is what I USED to use. I put a couple chunks of old lump in my large Weber chimney and got them going nice and hot, then dumped that out onto the charcoal grate and poured in about a 1/3 of a bag of Kingsford Competition briquettes on top of that and arranged all the briquettes into a pile with the lit lump underneath. That took much longer than I had planned to get to the hot white ashed over stage which is why I think I can't do this much anymore for anything other than special occasions or parties. | |||
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I Deal In Lead |
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