The taste and smell of the chemical accelerator used to ignite a barbecue more quickly can ruin the flavor of preparations and, of course, contaminate meat and vegetables with the harmful chemicals it contains. Ingesting or inhaling these types of products may also be unsafe for human health. Fortunately, there are many other ways to light a barbecue fire and keep it alive, all of which require nothing more than a little bread bag paper or other unprinted paper, an ignition chimney (if you have one) and, of course, matches or lighter. Never use newspaper to light the fire, because the black dye in the print contains heavy metals such as chromium, which are very toxic.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Use an Ignition Chimney
Step 1. Know that using this very affordable barbecue accessory is the best way to start a great fire in minutes
Normally, an ignition chimney is sold for around € 30. Its operation is based on some unprinted paper and on the principle of thermal convection of heat to ignite the charcoal to perfection. Once the embers are hot, you can empty the contents of the chimney into the barbecue and be ready to cook in 15-20 minutes.
Step 2. Insert lightly balled sheets of plain paper into the bottom of the ignition chimney
Depending on the size of the latter, 2-4 pieces of paper will be sufficient. Do not crumple the sheets of paper with too much force, create simple spheres in which hot air can easily circulate inside the empty spaces. It is the paper that will ignite the charcoal in the chimney.
If the kindling chimney you are using does not have a closed base, place the crumpled paper directly inside the barbecue, then place it on top of the chimney
Step 3. Fill the top of the chimney with charcoal
Choose the type of charcoal you prefer, then use it to completely fill the ignition chimney. You should be able to light the paper by using one of the ventilation holes on the lower side of the chimney or on the bottom.
Step 4. Light the paper in several different places, then place the chimney on the bottom of the barbecue
The paper will ignite very quickly and, together with the heat produced, will ignite the charcoal starting from the bottom. Once the paper is completely burned, the lit pieces of charcoal present at the bottom of the chimney will begin to ignite those above, helped by the hot air that enters from the ventilation holes in the lower part.
The contents of the ignition chimney will ignite very quickly, so it is best to place it on a surface that can withstand the intense heat of the burning coal. The bottom of the barbecue, ready to accommodate the glowing embers, is the perfect place to place the chimney (alternatively, you can place it on a brick surface, often present near outdoor barbecues, but in this case it could leave marks. of burns due to intense heat)
Step 5. As soon as the surface layer of charcoal has ignited (recognizable by the presence of a layer of gray ash), pour the embers into the barbecue
Normally, a full power up takes 10-15 minutes. Once you've poured the embers into the barbecue, you'll be ready to start grilling your food. Most ignition chimneys can be emptied from above by simply flipping them over the grill or bottom of the barbecue. However, the more expensive models are emptied from below, by pressing a special release button. Instead of pouring the lit charcoal into the middle of the grill and then spreading it evenly, empty the contents of the chimney directly to the desired spot, as moving the embers too much will cause a waste of heat.
If you have programmed a cooking time of more than 30 minutes, add another 2-3 handfuls of charcoal to ensure sufficient fire duration for your needs
Step 6. If you need a nice, very hot fire, open the air vents on the barbecue
In this way the greater flow of air and oxygen will ensure a quick ignition of all the charcoal and a very hot fire. While placing the embers and browning all the foods that require a violent cooking, keep the lid of the barbecue open; later, you can close it to give the meat its characteristic smoked flavor and aroma or more simply to switch to slower cooking.
Method 2 of 3: Start a Fire with the Card
Step 1. Open the ventilation openings on the bottom of the barbecue, then remove the ash residues from the last ignition
To ensure a hot and strong fire, you need a constant flow of air as oxygen is the essential component of the coal burning process. Check that you have removed any ash residue as it could block the flow of air; also, remember to fully open the air vents on the barbecue.
Step 2. Gently ball 4-5 sheets of paper, then place them in the center of the barbecue
Make a small pile of paper exactly in the center of the barbecue. If you wish, you can also directly use the paper bag in which the charcoal is normally contained. The paper catches fire very quickly and the flames produced will favor the ignition of the small pieces of coal.
If you have trouble starting a fire using only paper, wet half of it with olive oil or another vegetable oil. The oil will slow down the burning of the paper giving the coal more time to ignite, but it makes smoke. This "do it yourself" solution, while far from the perfect one, has many supporters who call it the natural alternative to the chemical accelerator that is normally used to light the embers of barbecues
Step 3. Place small pieces of dry wood on top of the pile of paper
Dry sticks have a higher ignition point than paper, so they will favor the burning of the charcoal. Place a handful of dry twigs on the pile of paper trying to create a kind of small nest. The paper will ignite the sticks, which in turn will trigger the burning of the charcoal.
- If bending with your hands, the sticks break easily and emit a loud and dry snap, it means that they are perfect for your purpose.
- Have another handful of twigs on hand in case you need to give the fire another little boost.
- If you can't find dry sticks in your area, simply use more paper. You may need to add more paper to allow the charcoal to ignite properly, so keep extra sheets of paper handy.
Step 4. Place 3-4 pieces of charcoal on the pile of paper and sticks
They will serve as the ignition base for the rest of the charcoal. Place them near the center of the paper pile, on top of the dry pieces of wood. Since the paper will quickly reduce to ashes, you need to always have open flames underneath the charcoal briquettes.
Although charcoal briquettes burn for a long time, the embers generated directly from dry wood are easier to ignite and, initially, generate higher heat
Step 5. Turn on the card in several different places
To do this, use a match or a barbecue torch lighter. Light more points of the paper stack so that you have a nice live fire. You should notice that the small pieces of wood ignite immediately thanks to the fire generated by the paper.
If the bits of wood have not ignited completely and the paper is running low on its thrust, gently ball up another 1-2 sheets of paper, then place them on the sides of the small fire
Step 6. Wait for the charcoal to ignite
If the embers are wrapped in a layer of gray or white ash and you can clearly see the smoke escaping, you have done a great job. Lighting a fire in this way is a very slow process, but it is guaranteed to be successful. Let the paper and dry branches burn until the charcoal briquettes have generated an outer layer of ash.
Step 7. At this point, slowly feed the fire with more pieces of charcoal
Once the first pieces of charcoal have ignited and started to smoke, you can add more material - one piece at a time. A fire generated with charcoal is not visually similar to the one obtained with wood. When the charcoal embers are wrapped in a layer of white or grayish ash, it means it's time to start cooking. In this type of barbecue it is very difficult to see naked flames as it happens in a wood-burning fire.
- Continue adding charcoal until you have a sufficiently large base of embers in the center of the barbecue. For now, the fully lit charcoal briquettes will only be the initial ones. You should notice smoke escaping from the center of the charcoal pile. Depending on the size of the cooking grate, you will need to use a different amount of embers:
- In the case of a small barbecue, usually 25-30 pieces of charcoal are used.
- For a medium-sized barbecue, such as the most common ones that adopt a grill with a diameter of 55-60 cm, about 40 pieces of charcoal will be needed.
- For large barbecues you may need 1-2 bags of charcoal. In this case, lighting a fire of this size with the method indicated will take a long time to reach the degree of heat useful for cooking.
Step 8. Before distributing the embers and starting to cook, wait for them to be wrapped in a layer of grayish-white ash
The center of the heap of charcoal should be glowing, a bright red hue, thanks to the heat released. This means that the time has come to take off your "stoker" clothes to put on the chef's coat. If the resulting fire seems too small, add more charcoal, then distribute the embers where you want them using long kitchen tongs. The whole lighting process takes between 30 minutes and an hour, depending on the size of the barbecue.
Method 3 of 3: Create and Keep Alive a Fire
Step 1. To get a burning fire, don't scatter the embers but keep them close together
The goal is to have a nice compact pile of embers so they can best retain heat and keep burning. With this concept in mind, another fundamental component of good combustion is oxygen, so it is necessary to ensure good air circulation so that the embers burn at their best. It is best not to pile up the embers too much, forming a single simple layer. A pile of free embers is perfect. There are several methods of cooking using a barbecue:
- Direct cooking: the embers occupy the entire surface of the bottom of the barbecue and are made up of two layers of charcoal. In this case there are no empty spaces under the grid; all the embers are added at the same time and evenly so you will have a constant temperature in every point of the barbecue. This method is suitable for quick and easy cooking of large quantities of food.
- Indirect cooking: in this case the embers occupy half of the area below the grill, creating a section dedicated to indirect cooking of food or suitable for keeping ready-made ones hot. To create a low temperature zone, it is necessary to place the embers in 2-3 layers only in one half of the barbecue, the one for direct cooking, where the temperature of the grill will be considerably high (if desired, you can place a little of embers also under the "cold" section of the grill according to the temperature required for preparation).
Step 2. Add more charcoal regularly to keep the fire temperature constant
The embers must be hot enough to keep the fire alive, so they must be glowing, red in color, wrapped in a light layer of white ash. To add more coal, do not wait until the one already present is completely consumed. Continue adding it when half of what is present is completely burnt. You may have to wait 5-10 minutes for the new charcoal to be fully lit and for you to resume cooking; however, this is a better solution than having to re-ignite the barbecue from scratch.
If you plan on grilling a large amount of food, you should add 2-3 handfuls of new charcoal every 30 minutes or so after the first coals are ready
Step 3. To get as much heat as possible, open the air vents on the bottom and top of the barbecue
The greater the air flow, the hotter the embers will be. Remember that fire needs oxygen to burn, so the more oxygen you can provide, the hotter the embers will be. If you need more temperature control, close one or all of the suction ports; normally, only the upper one tends to be closed.
Step 4. As the ash is created, remove it from the bottom of the barbecue
At the bottom of the barbecue there should be a small lever, which allows you to open and close the air valve. This same lever also allows you to remove the ash formed by combustion through the air intake. The ash reduces the flow of air by suffocating the embers and consequently lowering their temperature.
Step 5. Consider adding pieces of wood to add more flavor to the food and at the same time get a warmer fire
Pieces of walnut or apple wood will give the ingredients an excellent smoky flavor. In addition, the wood should ignite very quickly thanks to the glowing embers. Although wood burns faster and at a higher temperature than charcoal, using a combination of wood and charcoal is often the most popular solution among barbecue professionals.
Step 6. Seal unused charcoal
If there is any charcoal left after the barbecue is finished, seal the bag or package using a clothespin or paper clip. The additives with which the barbecue charcoal is treated could evaporate over time, making subsequent ignition more difficult, especially without the use of the appropriate chemical accelerator.
Advice
You can create your own personal lighting chimney using a large metal tin (for example the one for coffee in the bar format); in this case, you can drill the ventilation holes in the lower side with a simple can opener
Warnings
- One of the most common mistakes is pressing the paper too hard.
- Start by lighting an easy-to-manage amount of charcoal, later you can add more as soon as it has lit up completely.
- Once lit, never leave the ignition chimney unchecked.
