BBQ

Raggie

Davesnave said:

EssexExile said:

Cook food in the kitchen, it's what it's there for.

What I do with the chicken before it goes on the BBQ. 30 mins in the oven first and no one gets salmonella or notices it's been pre-cooked. People get impatient and often risk under-doing food when they've had a few.

May I suggest that instead of the oven you use a pan of simmering water..

It will draw the fat out of the chicken skin, pat the chicken dry and then on the bbq you will get a nice crispy skin. The poaching also resists the drying out of the chicken you can sometimes get with pre-cooking in the oven.

Sandtree

SUPERGIRL2020 said:

Davesnave said:

Ordinary non-treated charcoal is available, usually in larger bags, but it usually costs less per kg.

I use a gas weed burner to start my BBQ, but others may have other ways without using accelerants.

I keep seeing bags of lumpwood charcoal in shops is that non treated? 

Lumpwood charcoal will be better... some are described as "restaurant grade" which tends to be better still... the top tier will be from smaller producers which will actually say what wood the charcoal has been made from. To be honest, for quickly cooking a few burgers etc probably a bit overkill to search out the best, its more important if you're doing a 8-12hr low and slow whole pork shoulder etc.

elsien

SUPERGIRL2020 said:

Sandtree said:

SUPERGIRL2020 said:

Sandtree said:

Instant light are full of accelerants so generally avoid if at all possible unless you enjoy the taste of petrol.

If you are going to use one then yes, you put it on, light the bag, as soon as its burnt down enough to enable you to, put the grill on to heat up. Once the charcoal chips have a reasonable coverage of white ash then is normally time to start cooking. Instant light tend to burn fast so don't plan on being able to do hours of cooking off one bag.

As above, wouldn't want to be trapping the fumes from this stuff so lid off all the time. Lid is generally to capture smoke and so if decent charcoal or adding wood chips you'd put the lid on. Closing the vent obviously makes this effect greater but also slows the burn and so reduces temperature (unless you go too far in which case the fire goes out). With a bigger BBQ those with experience can closely control the temp of the BBQ through use of the two vents if they want low and slow for a smoked pulled pork or hot as hell to char a steak at the end.

Some good advice! Thanks 
You say the instant bags don't last long how long do you reckon? Can I put 2 bags in? 

Two bags at the same time won't make it last much longer, and with a mini BBQ you are unlikely to fit it anyway. Its more a case of maybe needing to light one and then the other but again because of the accelerants you'd really want to have a second place to safety get it going before adding the new hot charcoal the the BBQ.

Most claim to give you 90 minutes of cooking time but I'd argue that its optimistic. With a little BBQ and having to cook things sequentially for a load of people would be challenging on one bag... a few burgers and sausages though you'd be fine.

I'm cooking for 4 people! I have a mini incinerator bin should I light the 2nd bag in that and once its burning pour it in my bbq? Do I get rid of the 1st bag of coal or just pour on top of the used coal?

I wouldn’t want to be trying to pour hot charcoal from one receptacle into another. 

If your charcoal doesn’t last long enough, have something to hand to take the hot grill off, relight and carry on. Or finish off the cooking indoors. 

Ply people with a bit of alcohol and waiting a bit longer for a third burger shouldn’t be an issue.  
Anything that says easy light has probably had something added, your standard bag of lumpwood will be fine with enough fire lighters. Not the squirty on stuff, that’s also a recipe for unplanned fires. 

Just give it a go and enjoy it. Your guests are there to have a good time. I’m sure they’ll forgive if all doesn’t quite go to plan. 

Davesnave

Raggie said:

Davesnave said:

EssexExile said:

Cook food in the kitchen, it's what it's there for.

What I do with the chicken before it goes on the BBQ. 30 mins in the oven first and no one gets salmonella or notices it's been pre-cooked. People get impatient and often risk under-doing food when they've had a few.

May I suggest that instead of the oven you use a pan of simmering water..

It will draw the fat out of the chicken skin, pat the chicken dry and then on the bbq you will get a nice crispy skin. The poaching also resists the drying out of the chicken you can sometimes get with pre-cooking in the oven.

Yes, perfectly good suggestion, but I always put some aluminium foil loosely over the chicken to stop it drying out (and because I have an aversion to oven cleaning.) Worse still, I have a 'smart' oven that tells me when it needs cleaning too.

SUPERGIRL2020

elsien said:

SUPERGIRL2020 said:

Sandtree said:

SUPERGIRL2020 said:

Sandtree said:

Instant light are full of accelerants so generally avoid if at all possible unless you enjoy the taste of petrol.

If you are going to use one then yes, you put it on, light the bag, as soon as its burnt down enough to enable you to, put the grill on to heat up. Once the charcoal chips have a reasonable coverage of white ash then is normally time to start cooking. Instant light tend to burn fast so don't plan on being able to do hours of cooking off one bag.

As above, wouldn't want to be trapping the fumes from this stuff so lid off all the time. Lid is generally to capture smoke and so if decent charcoal or adding wood chips you'd put the lid on. Closing the vent obviously makes this effect greater but also slows the burn and so reduces temperature (unless you go too far in which case the fire goes out). With a bigger BBQ those with experience can closely control the temp of the BBQ through use of the two vents if they want low and slow for a smoked pulled pork or hot as hell to char a steak at the end.

Some good advice! Thanks 
You say the instant bags don't last long how long do you reckon? Can I put 2 bags in? 

Two bags at the same time won't make it last much longer, and with a mini BBQ you are unlikely to fit it anyway. Its more a case of maybe needing to light one and then the other but again because of the accelerants you'd really want to have a second place to safety get it going before adding the new hot charcoal the the BBQ.

Most claim to give you 90 minutes of cooking time but I'd argue that its optimistic. With a little BBQ and having to cook things sequentially for a load of people would be challenging on one bag... a few burgers and sausages though you'd be fine.

I'm cooking for 4 people! I have a mini incinerator bin should I light the 2nd bag in that and once its burning pour it in my bbq? Do I get rid of the 1st bag of coal or just pour on top of the used coal?

I wouldn’t want to be trying to pour hot charcoal from one receptacle into another. 

If your charcoal doesn’t last long enough, have something to hand to take the hot grill off, relight and carry on. Or finish off the cooking indoors. 

Ply people with a bit of alcohol and waiting a bit longer for a third burger shouldn’t be an issue.  
Anything that says easy light has probably had something added, your standard bag of lumpwood will be fine with enough fire lighters. Not the squirty on stuff, that’s also a recipe for unplanned fires. 

Just give it a go and enjoy it. Your guests are there to have a good time. I’m sure they’ll forgive if all doesn’t quite go to plan. 

Ok well wish me luck I'm about to poison my guests in about an hour 🤣 

Rosa_Damascena

getmore4less said:

The great thing with any BBQ over the kitchen is less cleaning up, just leave the gunk on the grill and burn it of next time. 

That sounds most unhygienic

Davesnave

Rosa_Damascena said:

getmore4less said:

The great thing with any BBQ over the kitchen is less cleaning up, just leave the gunk on the grill and burn it of next time. 

That sounds most unhygienic

If the concept of hygiene is considered to involve the avoidance of contact with with harmful organisms, (germs)  setting fire to them would seem to satisfy that requirement by rendering them harmless.

The question arises, however, whether there might be chemical risks in the ash and residues from the charred 'gunk.' It's a fair bet that could be a carcinogen, but then so are burned bits on burgers.

It's a toughie, but in my world the washing up is still minimised!

getmore4less

Davesnave said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

getmore4less said:

The great thing with any BBQ over the kitchen is less cleaning up, just leave the gunk on the grill and burn it of next time. 

That sounds most unhygienic

If the concept of hygiene is considered to involve the avoidance of contact with with harmful organisms, (germs)  setting fire to them would seem to satisfy that requirement by rendering them harmless.

The question arises, however, whether there might be chemical risks in the ash and residues from the charred 'gunk.' It's a fair bet that could be a carcinogen, but then so are burned bits on burgers.

It's a toughie, but in my world the washing up is still minimised!

It gets brushed off and the grill is clean when you start the next lot, for the odd stubborn bit a spray of water usually sorts it.

getmore4less

SUPERGIRL2020 said:

Davesnave said:

Ordinary non-treated charcoal is available, usually in larger bags, but it usually costs less per kg.

I use a gas weed burner to start my BBQ, but others may have other ways without using accelerants.

I keep seeing bags of lumpwood charcoal in shops is that non treated? 

ok too late now(how did it go?)

With charcoal  if you line it up and light one end it will burn over time all the way to the other end(snake method loads on youtube)

you can use this feature to keep a supply of fresh coals making the total burn go longer

What you can do is get the instant light bag going and as it burns down feed in some fresh lumpwood at one side/corner and it will catch then move it over to the cooking area and add a bit more if needed.

if going to be a regular thing look at a chimney starter
Just keep an eye out for a cheap one (hard to find one this cheap but see them under £10)
https://www.diy.com/departments/blooma-bbq-chimney-charcoal-starter/1559035_BQ.prd

I have an old hairdryer that makes it a very quick job even just a pile in the grill
(lumpwood should catch from a match light blow to get it going then the hairdryer, briquets can be a touch harder to start