BBQ Charcoal Briquettes
Discussion
I tend to use Weber's briquettes as they seem to burn longer and if there is any left in the bowl after cooking they are fine to use next time. These guys are good for Weber BBQ stuff http://www.bbqs2u.co.uk
Not wanting to hijack this thread but as we're talking about charcoal, I have a question about the Minion Method... does anyone use this when cooking pork shoulders long and slow? I'm planning on having a bash at this at the weekend but not sure on lit/unlit quantities of charcoal (I use the Weber stuff and have a 57cm One Touch).
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
escargot said:
Lumpwood isn't great for kettle barbecues like webers though. It's more difficult to regulate temperature and as it burns and breaks down, the bits fall through the grate at the bottom.
I used to think like this, however now I only use lumpwood. i cut some fine mesh chicken wire to the size of my charcoal grate and now the lumpwood doesn't slip through. i have found that (with the good stuff Big K etc) lumpwood actually burns just as long as briquettes, and is more sensitive to vent management meaning you can get it very hot or cool as you like it. i always find that briquettes wont burn hot enough for long enough for certain types of things unless you stack them high. For me the main benefit from using lump is that you can put it on unlit without tainting the food, meaning you can successfully do the minion method which will burn unattended for ~8hrs at the magic 225f-250f. I am yet to find a readily available/ affordable briquette that will burn from unlit without stinking.
Pete Franklin said:
escargot said:
Lumpwood isn't great for kettle barbecues like webers though. It's more difficult to regulate temperature and as it burns and breaks down, the bits fall through the grate at the bottom.
I used to think like this, however now I only use lumpwood. i cut some fine mesh chicken wire to the size of my charcoal grate and now the lumpwood doesn't slip through. i have found that (with the good stuff Big K etc) lumpwood actually burns just as long as briquettes, and is more sensitive to vent management meaning you can get it very hot or cool as you like it. i always find that briquettes wont burn hot enough for long enough for certain types of things unless you stack them high. For me the main benefit from using lump is that you can put it on unlit without tainting the food, meaning you can successfully do the minion method which will burn unattended for ~8hrs at the magic 225f-250f. I am yet to find a readily available/ affordable briquette that will burn from unlit without stinking.
spurred on by this thread i decided to check out where to get restaurant grade lumpwood as it is annoying when you get a bag and its only a couple of grades larger than dust. best value i found was this http://barbequick.net/store/index.php?main_page=pr... which has free shipping. so just over £1 per kg which is what you pay for the naff stuff from supermarkets. I've ordered a couple of bags (minimum of 2 per order) i'll let you know if its any good.
brissleboy said:
Not wanting to hijack this thread but as we're talking about charcoal, I have a question about the Minion Method... does anyone use this when cooking pork shoulders long and slow? I'm planning on having a bash at this at the weekend but not sure on lit/unlit quantities of charcoal (I use the Weber stuff and have a 57cm One Touch).
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Minion method is great for long, low temp cooking. Certainly helps keep the heat down, which is often the hardest part of slow smoking over several hours. I usually light about 1/4 of the briquettes and put them on one side, eventually they will light all the others over several hours.Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
calibrax said:
Minion method is great for long, low temp cooking. Certainly helps keep the heat down, which is often the hardest part of slow smoking over several hours. I usually light about 1/4 of the briquettes and put them on one side, eventually they will light all the others over several hours.
One thing to note is that it takes up a bit more space on the charcoal grate leaving you less indirect room for the meat. especially if you want a really long burn and run a fuse around the outside of the grate. I once (as an experiment with lamb shoulder) managed to keep the thing burning for 9hrs. started before work and was still burning when I got home. the results were great but this can be a bit risky as if it goes out (and it has happened to me in the past) it leaves your food sat in unsafe temeprature range for hours.Wickes currently have 10kg bags of Big K briquettes at £4.99 if anyone is interested. I picked up two bags today. The in store price showed. 9.99 but they scan (and website cofirms) they're now half price. I've used some tonight and they definitley burn hotter and longer than the billy basic stuff.
http://www.surreyhillscharcoal.co.uk/
It's produced from sustainable UK coppiced wood.
Most BBQ charcoal on sale in the UK comes from mangrove wood harvested in South America and SE Asia.
The Surrey Hills stuff is marginally more expensive - £5.99 for 7.5Kg at my local garage, but it burns hotter and lasts longer.
It's produced from sustainable UK coppiced wood.
Most BBQ charcoal on sale in the UK comes from mangrove wood harvested in South America and SE Asia.
The Surrey Hills stuff is marginally more expensive - £5.99 for 7.5Kg at my local garage, but it burns hotter and lasts longer.
smack said:
Mobile Chicane said:
The Surrey Hills stuff is marginally more expensive - £5.99 for 7.5Kg at my local garage, but it burns hotter and lasts longer.
Less than £1 per Kg is a good price!Worth it though, for the warm fluffy feelings.
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