OT: BBQ - what did I do wrong?

[John Whitworth]

Just had the family round, to christen the new BBQ. I know - wrong end of summer and all that, but hey-ho.

Anyway - as far as actually BBQing the food, it was a total disaster. I ended up using the kitchen grill to do everything.

It was only a fairly simply BBQ I'd bought

But even so, I don't understand why it all went pear shaped. The instructions said that a 3kg bag of charcoal would last for 2 cooking sessions. So for my one cooking session, I simply put in 2 x 800g bags of Tesco instant lighting charcoal - i.e. the bags that you just light. It all went up perfectly - burnt fiercely for 10-15 minutes, then the flames settled - but adding the food some 15-20 minutes later (as per instructions), there was never enough heat to cook anything. I tried with lid up, lid down - vents open, vents closed - but it was just crap.

Only thing I can think of is that the charcoal was useless. Is that common? Or have I done something else totally stupid? BBQ is definitely built properly.

JW

[Andrew Gabriel]

Don't know what the bags have in them.

I light the charcol and pile it up as much as possible, so it's grilling itself to start with, self-lighting more and more of it. This takes time. Fanning it with a piece or stiff cardboard works well at this point. When it's mostly all alight (usually indicated by most pieces having a thin ash covering most of the way around), you can now spread it out more, so it can cook food.

It sounds like you didn't get enough of it alight. I think the lid would only make this worse, restricting airflow to the charcol. I never use a lid.

[John Whitworth]

> But even so, I don't understand why it all went pear shaped. The

Thanks - I think you're probably right - I reckon I spread the charcoal out too quickly, and should have left it burning in a heap for longer. Won't bother with the lid next time, unless I'm actually sure we're really cooking first! Might be able to get another try in before the weather really turns.

[...]

bought

But even so, I don't understand why it all went pear shaped. The

There is a can with a handle underneath the barby I believe(cant see it on the picture), which catches ash and makes it easy to clean. There is a vent on this can which must be open to allow air to flow up to the burning charcoal. If it is closed the barby wont stay lit.

[Steven Campbell]

>> But even so, I don't understand why it all went pear shaped. The

Once it has caught and is cooking nicely, I tend to close the lid as it prevents flames and the food burning on the outside before it is cooked on the inside.

[John Whitworth]

bought

> But even so, I don't understand why it all went pear shaped. The

Oh cripes. Do you know what. I think I've just twigged what I did wrong. Reading the instructions doesn't help - but your comment does.

The instructions say to place enough charcoal in the bowl to a depth of

3-5cm. Which I did, though it was in a bag, as I was just using the self-lighting stuff - but this BBQ consists of (from top to bottom):

- lid

- cooking grid

- charcoal plate

- fire bowl

The vent is above the charcoal plate - and would therefore breathe a lot more air onto the coals. Whereas down in the bowl, the only air they are getting is through the small grid of holes in the charcoal plate.

So I had:

- lid

- cooking grid

[Bolted]

Instant lighting stuff is hopeless - the bits are deliberately tiny so that the stinky petroleum stuff can actually work. It lights, unevenly, and then is exhausted in no time - and stinks throughout until too late.

Much better to go for big lump charcoal (or just wood) and do the effort of lighting with paper and kindling. It's barely any more effort really, just need to start the fire earlier.

[John Whitworth]

Must admit, it was very small bits. Being a novice, though, when I bought the stuff, I didn't actually realise I'd got instant lighting stuff. So I came away with lighting cubes and long matches, only to take them back, thinking I'd not be needing them! :-)

[OG]

The other thing to look out for is a charcoal chimney - these are steel cylinders that you fill with charcoal and scrunch up a couple of sheets of paper in the bottom. Light the paper and leave it; within 20 minutes you'll be able to tip out perfect charcoal for cooking over, with no unlit coals around the edge.

My tip to ensure 100% success in lighting them with 1 match is to put a small amount of lumpwood charcoal in the bottom and top up with briquettes; it gives the perfect combination of easy to light and long cooking time.

If you want to see what one looks like, Amazon sells them as "Chimney Starter" at a rip-off £20; but every year at the start of the season Aldi seem to have them for about £5.

[John Whitworth]

Thanks - another good tip - I'll keep my eyes peeled for one.

JW

[The Natural Philosopher]

my tip is to use a blowlamp. Never fails to get a BBQ going.

[The Medway Handyman]

Hallelujah!!

Self lighting & briquettes are useless. Start fire, wait till all turns grey, start cooking. Or go gas.

[Andy Burns]

Or save 19 minutes and 30 seconds

[brass monkey]

IMHO that's the best idea every time.

[OG]

[Jim S]

Absolutely! What's good about cooking stuff (badly) outdoors, in the wind and midges when you have a perfectly good cooker, table and chairs indoors?

[geoff]

[geoff]

I think that the answer to that is

if you don't know, you never will

Its a bit like dennis and his speed limits

[Lobster]

Have to say I reckon barbecues are a real "emperor's new clothes" thing.

I do enjoy the whole eating al-fresco-in-the-garden-on-a-nice-summer's-day bit, and yes we have a barbie becuase that's what's expected: but what I don't get is why I need to spend ages preparing and lighting the thing after which a load of perfectly good food gets shagged to bits. What's wrong with cooking all the stuff in the kitchen as normal, properly, and carrying it outside to eat?

David

[Tim Watts]

So you can get in touch with your "inner caveman"...

or your "inner Guido" if you enjoy more lighting it with 1/2 gallon petrol in this year's annual "take out the sparrows in the tree with the fireball" event.

I quite enjoy it. Sit with beer, lob something on, drink beer, eat.