Many people new to charcoal grilling have a hard time starting to build a strong fire and maintaining it, especially if the charcoal sticks together. While it may seem impermanent, a good charcoal fire requires the same elements as any other type of fire-oxygen, time, and the proximity of the heat source of other pieces of charcoal. With a few key tools and knowledge of charcoal, anyone can have a professional BBQ party.
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Method 1 of 3: Using Chimney Starter
Step 1. Use a chimney starter to make a strong, steady fire with minimal effort
A chimney starter is the easiest way to get a good charcoal fire, and you won't even need liquefied petroleum gas (lighter fluid, such as butane, which is usually filled in lighters). Place the paper at the bottom of the chimney, fill the remaining space with charcoal, then burn the paper with a match. The heat in the chimney allows all of the charcoal to catch fire quickly before you pour it over the grill and use it for cooking.
- The price of a chimney starter usually ranges from Rp. 150,000, 00 to Rp. 500,000, 00 depending on the size, and can be purchased online or at hardware stores.
- Most professional BBQ chefs or cooks strongly recommend purchasing a chimney starter, as liquefied petroleum gas can affect the smoke aroma and is more difficult to use when making a fire with an even heat.
Step 2. Insert 2-4 pieces of lightly kneaded newspaper into the base of the chimney starter
All you need to do is squeeze the newspaper into a loose ball, as keeping it too tight will prevent the flame from getting enough oxygen. The paper will react like a big match that starts a fire.
If your chimney starter doesn't have a solid base, place the paper on the grill wire and lower than the chimney above
Step 3. Fill the top of the chimney with a few lumps of charcoal or wood chips
Fill the entire chimney with charcoal of your choice, or a mixture of charcoal and wood. Use enough charcoal for the entire grill, as the chimney starter will ensure that all the charcoal burns evenly. For a normal grill measuring ±56 cm that's about the equivalent of 40 briquettes (boulder the size of a fist), but filling the chimney to the highest limit should be close enough to that estimate.
Step 4. Light the paper on the bottom at 2-3 points
Use long matches or grill lighters to protect your hands. The paper will burn quickly, but the concentrated fire and hot air will ignite the bottom of the charcoal, and then burn off any remaining charcoal.
Place the chimney starter on the grill wire or on a heat-resistant surface as the chimney heat will increase. The chimney will be very hot, and can cause a fire if left alone
Step 5. Pour the charcoal over the grill, some of the charcoal chips at the top will be covered in white/grey ash
As the heat in the chimney increases, the charcoal at the top will burn and begin to be covered by white/grey ash. The process usually takes about 10-15 minutes to get enough heat. Next, you are ready to start baking. If you intend to maintain the heat over the entire surface of the grill, pour the charcoal into the center. Meanwhile, if you want to separate the area for direct and indirect cooking, pour the charcoal over half the surface of the grill.
If you intend to grill for more than half an hour, add a few handfuls of charcoal so that it starts to burn while the rest of the charcoal starts to die
Step 6. Make sure the vent is open to enlarge the fire
The open vents will circulate more air and oxygen towards the blazing fire and help it to expand quickly. Leave the vent cover open while you position the charcoal and burn whatever you want to grill, then close the vent to smoke the meat or cook it more slowly.
Method 2 of 3: Using Liquefied Gas
Step 1. Open the vent at the bottom of the grill and remove the grate
Move the grille to the top side, and open the vent at the bottom of the grill. You need as much air as possible for the charcoal to start burning on a strong, even flame.
Remove any ash, as it has the potential to cover the fire and prevent the charcoal from burning evenly
Step 2. Arrange the charcoal briquettes to form a "pyramid" with the top in the center of the grill
Aim the open bag towards the center of the grill as you pour the charcoal briquettes to form a natural pyramid. Then use your hands or a long-handled tongs to arrange each piece of charcoal along the edge of the pyramid. Start with about half of the amount of briquettes outlined below to start your grill. As soon as the parts are hot, add the charcoal, 5-7 pieces at a time, to get the grill at full power.
- For a small portable grill, you will need 25-30 briquettes, or a few pieces of charcoal, when you start cooking.
- For a medium to medium sized grill, you will need about 40 briquettes.
- For industrial or large grills, you will need 1 or more bags of charcoal.
Step 3. Spray a small amount of liquefied gas at the center of the pyramid-shaped pile of charcoal
You don't need to soak the charcoal, as this will take a long time to burn and create a thick, appetizing smoke. Spray a small amount of liquefied gas around the center of the pyramid for no more than 2 seconds, trying to get it right at the center.
- You can also start pouring liquefied gas onto the briquettes on the inside of the pyramid, then make a "top" of the pyramid on top of the wet briquettes to ensure the entire pile is getting hot.
- One mistake that many grilling people make is using too much liquefied gas, which then imparts a slightly kerosene-like color to their food. You don't need a lot of liquefied gas, just enough to make a few pieces of charcoal ignite. Furthermore, a few pieces of charcoal will burn the remaining charcoal in the pile.
Step 4. Let the briquettes submerge in liquefied gas for 2-3 minutes
Do not rush to turn on the grill. Waiting allows the fuel to seep into the top layer of charcoal, helping it burn evenly.
Step 5. Apply a thin layer of liquefied gas a second time
Lightly spray the pyramid-shaped pile of charcoal at several points, and let it soak for a few seconds. It's the thin layer of liquefied gas that will "start to burn," so you don't have to flood the charcoal with liquefied gas or you risk a sudden, dangerous explosion. To start a fire, all you need is a small amount of liquefied gas.
Step 6. Light the fire safely with a long match or electric lighter
Although liquefied gases are not made to explode suddenly, they still need to be treated with care. Light the pile of charcoal at 2-3 points that have been sprayed with liquefied gas, then aim as much as possible towards the center of the pile. Most likely the fire was starting to grow, with huge flames leaping around the charcoal, but those flames were just burning liquid gas.
As soon as the flame dissipates, the center of the mound should smoke and expand to a white or gray color. These signs indicate that your fire has started to burn
Step 7. Remove the briquettes after most of the surface is covered with gray/white ash
As soon as you can barely see the black of the charcoal, the fire is ready to be used for cooking. The charcoal inside the pyramid mound should emit a red color. Spread the charcoal into the shape you want, adding more if you intend to bake for a long time. As a general rule, you should add a handful or two of charcoal every 30 minutes, if you intend to continue grilling.
- You will need 1-2 layers of charcoal over the entire grilling area, not separate pieces of charcoal or open charcoal. Charcoal holds the coals together by staying in clusters, much like packaged ice that stays cold longer than individual ice cubes.
- If you have added charcoal, wait 5-6 minutes for the charcoal to start burning. Since the coals from the remaining charcoal are already hot enough, the process shouldn't take long.
Step 8. Tightly seal any unused briquettes
Use tongs to seal the top of the bag if you still have excess charcoal in it. If left exposed, the additives in the charcoal will evaporate, making it more difficult to burn later with or without liquefied gas.
Method 3 of 3: Creating and Maintaining a Strong Flame
Step 1. Pack the charcoal together for intense direct heat
As you cook, use tongs to keep the charcoal together, as the separated briquettes lose heat quickly and there's nothing you can do to keep the coals burning. You don't need to hold the charcoal together so tightly that it can't get air, but you also don't need to separate it into small islands. There are two different types of charcoal placement, depending on how you want to cook:
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Evenly Baking:
Cover the entire bottom of the grill with two layers of charcoal. This method allows all parts of the grill to reach an even and constant temperature. This method is very suitable if you want to cook food quickly and do not require indirect heat (for example, for large pieces of meat that must be cooked slowly).
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Grilling with Two Areas:
Shred the charcoal stack into an even pile on one half of the grill, and empty the other half. This allows you to cook food quickly, directly over the coals, but also allows you to cook more slowly with indirect heat on the opposite side. You can also keep cooked food warm, on the empty side of the grill, or smoke it with the grill bars on top.
Step 2. Add charcoal regularly to keep the grill burning well
To add more briquettes, don't wait until the coals are almost dead. Alternatively, add 5-10 pieces of charcoal when you find that there is about half of the charcoal remaining, usually every 30 minutes. Wait 5-10 minutes while the new charcoal burns and starts to get a white/grey coating on the outside, before you start cooking again.
Add more charcoal if you need it. More charcoal means the grill burns hotter. Add slowly, placing 5-6 lumps of charcoal together, until the grill reaches your desired heat
Step 3. Keep the vents on the top and bottom of the grill open to get the hottest temperature possible
The more air you give the fire, the hotter the fire will cook. So, opening the vent is the key to creating a charcoal fire that burns strong and hot. The more oxygen you put on the flame, the hotter your grill will be. If you need to control the temperature, partially close one or both vents. Closing them both at the same time can cause the fire to run out of air and extinguish it.
Closing the top vent is also useful for smoking, as closing the vent lowers the flame temperature and traps the smoke in the grill around your food
Step 4. Repeat the ash discharge
There is a small lever that allows you to open and close the vent at the bottom of the grill, and the same lever can be used to remove the ashes through the vent. The ash takes up space for the air and will cover the charcoal as it grows.
Step 5. Add charcoal from hardwood (hardwood -wood from broadleaf trees, such as teak, keruing, etc
) to add aroma/taste and create greater heat. Wood burns hotter than briquettes, produces a more smoky aroma and burns more easily. While hardwood charcoal also burns faster than briquettes, many cooks have success using a combination of the two. This combination allows you to keep the embers longer while still getting a hot, smoky flame to burn steaks or larger cuts of meat.
For the best classic BBQ aroma and intense fire, try hickory wood charcoal or apple tree charcoal
Tips
- Practice maintaining the flame for as long as you can by adding charcoal regularly. Watch for changes in temperature when you add new charcoal or when partially closing the vent.
- Purchase a toaster thermometer to keep your eyes from getting closer to the fire.
Warning
- Never spray liquefied gas on burning charcoal. Doing so can cause serious injury. By following the steps above, you don't need to restart the fire or add any ingredients.
- Never use kerosene to start a fire. Liquefied petroleum gas is made to start a fire slowly and in a controlled manner.
