Many barbecue beginners have some difficulty lighting and maintaining a lively fire, especially if they use charcoal. While this fuel may seem unstable, a good charcoal fire needs the same elements as all other flames: oxygen, time, and a compact source of heat that comes from other pieces of coal. With a few basic tools and some knowledge about charcoal, you too can light your barbecue like a pro.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Light the Fire
With an ignition chimney
Step 1. If you want a steady, brisk fire with minimal effort, then use a kindling chimney
It is a very useful tool that allows you to light the charcoal without the aid of flammable liquids. Put some paper on the bottom of the chimney and fill it with charcoal. At this point you can set the card on fire. The heat remains contained in the chimney and allows the charcoal to ignite quickly, before sprinkling it on the base of the barbecue you will use for cooking.
- Ignition chimneys cost an average of 15-30 euros, based on their size; you can find them online and also in hardware stores.
- Most professional barbecue cooks strongly recommend purchasing this device, as the use of flammable liquids alters the smell of the smoke and does not allow for even combustion.
Step 2. Place two or four lightly wrinkled newspapers at the bottom of the chimney
You have to crumple them just a little because a ball that's too compressed won't allow the flame to get enough oxygen. The paper works like a big, quick match to ignite the charcoal.
If your device does not have a firm bottom, then place the paper on the barbecue grill and then place it on top of the chimney
Step 3. Fill the rest of the cylinder with bits of charcoal or wood shavings
You can use whichever brand of charcoal you like or a mixture of charcoal and wood. Use enough for the size of your barbecue, as the chimney ensures that each piece of fuel burns evenly. For the classic 55cm barbecue, you will need at least 40 blocks of charcoal, but you can also just fill the chimney completely, it should be enough.
Step 4. Set the card on fire in two or three places
Use a long match or barbecue lighter to protect your hands. The paper will burn quickly, but the concentrated flame and hot air should ignite the pieces of charcoal at the bottom and thus ignite the entire contents of the chimney.
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Place your device on the barbecue grill or a heat-resistant surface while you wait for it to heat up. It will get very hot and could cause a fire if you leave it unattended.
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Step 5. When the pieces of charcoal at the top of the chimney are covered with gray-white ash, you can arrange them on the base of the barbecue
As the heat rises along the cylindrical device, the coal on top catches fire and begins to become covered with white or gray ash. This process typically takes 10 to 15 minutes. At this point you are ready to cook. Arrange the embers in the center of the barbecue, if you want the whole surface to be hot or accumulate them only in one half, if you want areas of direct heat and others of indirect heat.
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If you plan to cook for more than half an hour, then add several handfuls of charcoal at this time, so that they catch fire as soon as the others start to go out.
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Step 6. For a large fire, make sure the vents are open
This allows you to feed the flames with more oxygen and make them grow rapidly. Keep the barbecue lid open when setting the embers and browning the food, then close it to smoke the meat or simmer.
With a Flammable Liquid
Step 1. Open the lower vents of the barbecue and remove the cooking grate
When using flammable liquids you need to remove the grill, set the lid aside and open the vents. Your goal is to ensure the maximum possible amount of air, so that the charcoal catches fire and a lively combustion stabilizes.
Clean up any ash residue, otherwise it dulls the flames and prevents the charcoal from burning evenly
Step 2. Form a "pyramid" with the charcoal blocks, placing the vertex in the center of the barbecue
Empty the sack of charcoal in the base of the barbecue pointing it to the center of the same, the pyramid will form naturally. Then use your hands or a pair of long-handled pliers to stack the various pieces along the walls of the pyramid. Start with about half of the coal blocks listed below; once the embers have formed, you can continue adding 5-7 pieces of charcoal at a time until the barbecue has reached maximum heat.
- For small portable barbecues, 25-30 blocks of charcoal are enough to start cooking.
- For medium models, use 40 blocks.
- For large or professional barbecues, then you will also need more than a lot of charcoal to start cooking.
Step 3. Spray a small amount of flammable liquid in the center of the pyramid
You don't have to soak the charcoal, as it will take some time for it to catch fire; furthermore, the liquid will produce a dense and unpleasant smoke. Pour only the liquid you can spray in the time it takes to say the words "two Mississippi" and aim for the center of the pyramid to let the fluid flow in the middle.
- You can also partially form the pyramid, wet the inner blocks with liquid, and then complete the pile of charcoal by stacking it on top of the sprayed pieces. This way all the blocks will become hot.
- The mistake that most "stokers" make is to use too much accelerating liquid which transfers some of its oil-like odor to the food. You don't need a lot of fluid, just what is enough to ignite the combustion in a few pieces of charcoal. The rest of the pyramid will catch fire from the heat.
Step 4. Wait for the charcoal to absorb the liquid for two to three minutes
Do not ignite the fuel immediately. Wait for the fluid to penetrate the first layer of charcoal so it will burn evenly.
Step 5. Apply a second thin layer of liquid
Just spray the pyramid with a couple of splashes of fluid in several places waiting for them to be absorbed for a few seconds. This is the liquid that will "catch" fire, so do not soak the coal, otherwise dangerous flames could be generated. You only need to moisten a few points to trigger the combustion.
Step 6. Set the pyramid on fire safely using a long match or electric lighter
Although the liquid has been formulated to prevent flare-ups, you must always be very cautious. Light the pyramid in two or three places where you sprayed the lighter, aiming for the central area of the pile if possible. At this point, large flames will develop and sway around the charcoal, but be aware that it is the flammable liquid that is burning and not the charcoal.
Once the flames have subsided, the center of the pyramid should begin to smoke and turn gray-white. This means that the charcoal has caught fire
Step 7. Place the embers on the bottom of the barbecue once they are almost completely covered with gray-white ash
When you can barely see any trace of black, then you can start cooking. The pieces of charcoal in the center of the pyramid should be glowing. Arrange the embers as you like, add more if you have to cook for a long time. As a general rule, you should add a handful of charcoal every 30 minutes if you plan on continuing to prepare food.
- The ideal would be to have one or two layers of charcoal all over the base of the barbecue and avoid areas where there are isolated or exposed pieces. Charcoal is only able to retain heat if the embers are well compacted, just as an ice pack retains more cold than separate cubes.
- When adding charcoal blocks, wait five or six minutes for them to catch fire. Since the heat emanating from the rest of the embers is very high, it won't take long for the cold ones to ignite.
Step 8. Put away unused blocks carefully
Use a clothespin to close the charcoal bag if there are any leftovers left. Preservative products that have been added evaporate and next time it may be more difficult to light the fire, with or without flammable liquid.
Part 2 of 2: Triggering and Maintaining a Lively Fire
Step 1. Gather the pieces of charcoal to create a zone of intense direct heat
As you cook, use tongs to keep the embers compact, as the insulated blocks dissipate heat quickly and do not help maintain the fire. You don't have to pile up the blocks to the point that they can't breathe, but at the same time they don't have to look like "islands" lost in heat. Here are two ways to arrange the embers, based on how you want to cook:
- Uniform heat: arrange the embers on the entire base of the barbecue, taking care to form two layers. In this way the whole grill will receive constant and uniform heat. If you need to prepare dishes that cook quickly and do not need indirect heat (as is the case with large cuts of meat), then this is the best solution.
- Two-zone heat: move the embers creating an even heap in one half of the barbecue and leave the other empty. This allows you to quickly cook some foods in direct heat right on top of the charcoal, but you can also cook some dishes on a low heat on the opposite side, in indirect heat. You can also use this area to keep food warm or to smoke it with the lid closed.
Step 2. Add handfuls of charcoal regularly to keep the burning steady
Don't wait until most of the embers are extinguished, but incorporate five or ten pieces when at least half are still burning (about every half hour). Wait five to ten minutes for the new charcoal to burn and cover with ash before starting to cook again.
If you feel like you need more charcoal, add it. More embers means a hotter barbecue. However, pour in a little at a time, no more than 5-6 pieces, until the grill reaches the temperature you want
Step 3. To turn the temperature up to maximum, open the lower and upper air vents
The greater the amount of air that reaches the embers, the higher the cooking temperature will be; for this reason the vents are the key element for a lively and very hot charcoal fire. The more you expose the burning charcoal to oxygen, the hotter the barbecue will be; to check the cooking temperature, partially close one or both of the ventilation holes. If you close both of them completely, you will suffocate and put out the fire.
You can close the upper air vent to smoke food because it lowers the temperature inside the barbecue and holds the smoke around the food
Step 4. Empty the ash frequently from the barbecue
There is a small lever that allows you to manage the lower air intake and you can also use it to remove the ash through the same opening. The ash occupies the space that would be for the air and dampens the embers as it accumulates.
Step 5. Use hardwood charcoal to flavor the food and make the barbecue hotter
Wood generates more heat than pellets and compressed blocks; gives foods the classic smoky aroma and allows them to be browned quickly. However, it also burns faster, which is why most cooks prefer to use a combination of blocks and wood. This allows for a long-lasting but very hot fire and to smoke and brown steaks or large cuts of meat.
If you want to create a very lively fire and give your food the classic barbecue aroma, try oak or apple charcoal
Advice
- Practice keeping the fire alive as much as possible by adding charcoal regularly. Pay attention to changes in temperature when you put in fuel or partially close the vents.
- Purchase a barbecue thermometer to monitor the fire.
Warnings
- Never spray flammable liquid on the embers, you could be seriously injured. If you follow the instructions in this tutorial, you won't need to rekindle or rekindle the flame.
- Never use gasoline to light a fire. Products such as diavolina are instead designed to initiate slow and controlled combustion.
