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s1962a
Original Poster
935 posts
31 months
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Just getting into BBQ'ing myself and have got a Weber one touch with the chimney starter and some other accessories. I wanted to find out what charcoal you guys recommend - especially for me as a beginner.
I have bought a bag of Weber's own, but it's quite pricey. Is there a good price/quality brand out there thats available quite easily?
Ta
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escargot
15,936 posts
86 months
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Big K has a good reputation amongst PHers.
Make sure you stock up on wood chips too, I find Weber's own stuff to be pretty good value for money.
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Seight_Returns
805 posts
70 months
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Prefer lumpwood charcoal to briquettes - has to be be big chuncks though - the small stuff burns up in no time. As above Big K sell the good stuff.
Good call on the chimney starter - it took me years of paraffin tainted burgers to work out that a chimney is the way to do it.
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escargot
15,936 posts
86 months
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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.
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Cotty
24,926 posts
153 months
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s1962a said: I have bought a bag of Weber's own, but it's quite pricey. It depends how often you are going to BBQ. I have not even used mine yet this year so. I don't use it enough to be bothered by the price difference so just go for Webers own
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s1962a
Original Poster
935 posts
31 months
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Seight_Returns said: Prefer lumpwood charcoal to briquettes - has to be be big chuncks though - the small stuff burns up in no time. As above Big K sell the good stuff.
Good call on the chimney starter - it took me years of paraffin tainted burgers to work out that a chimney is the way to do it. I used to have a local DIY chain chimney starter and compared to that the weber one is massive and quite well engineered. I just wish i'd gone for the heatproof mitts as well now. Damn, this hobby looks like it's going to get expensive, and I haven't bought any meat yet!
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s1962a
Original Poster
935 posts
31 months
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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. That is useful information - thanks. I've got some easy-light-in-the-bag lumpwood charcoal as well and I was reading another PH post that you can get the best of both worlds by having a layer of briquettes with a layer of lumpwood on top. Not sure how well that would work.
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caymanjames
633 posts
27 months
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the weber briquettes are slightly more expensive but they certainly last longer than anything else I have tried, i can normally get 3 bbq's out of a one bag.
i tried lump wood last week as my local shop was out of weber and they were OK but did not last long enough for doing large joints of meat the in-direct method, but fine for direct cooking
if you see the uber expensive jack daniels charcoal then stay well clear, didn't burn long enough and noticed no difference from using wood chips on standard coal.
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itsnotarace
3,660 posts
78 months
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Weber's own briquettes as well here
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Bri957
229 posts
92 months
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I was going to try some Australian heat beads next.
Anyone here used them?
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escargot
15,936 posts
86 months
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s1962a 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. That is useful information - thanks. I've got some easy-light-in-the-bag lumpwood charcoal as well and I was reading another PH post that you can get the best of both worlds by having a layer of briquettes with a layer of lumpwood on top. Not sure how well that would work. It'd work, for sure. I suppose it's only worth doing if you're grilling stuff though and for that, you can get away with a cheapy barbecue with a height adjustable grill. The beauty of the weber is in its ability to cook indirectly and for which, briquettes are the only real choice.
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s1962a
Original Poster
935 posts
31 months
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escargot said: s1962a 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. That is useful information - thanks. I've got some easy-light-in-the-bag lumpwood charcoal as well and I was reading another PH post that you can get the best of both worlds by having a layer of briquettes with a layer of lumpwood on top. Not sure how well that would work. It'd work, for sure. I suppose it's only worth doing if you're grilling stuff though and for that, you can get away with a cheapy barbecue with a height adjustable grill. The beauty of the weber is in its ability to cook indirectly and for which, briquettes are the only real choice. Indirect cooking is the next step for me - i'd love to be able to get anywhere close to the amazing joints you guys come up with!
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escargot
15,936 posts
86 months
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Half the fun is in experimenting mate, just get a couple of racks of ribs from the butcher, chuck up a post on the barbecue thread and let nature take it's course 
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Zaxxon
4,057 posts
29 months
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Big K here, I tried a Homebase 10kg bag but they burn up pretty quick.
Big K will last for 2 rounds of meat and then warm your hands for a couple of hours after.
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shakermikee
286 posts
24 months
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What's with the wood chips?
Do you just add these to the charcoal and do they really make a difference?
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escargot
15,936 posts
86 months
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shakermikee said: What's with the wood chips?
Do you just add these to the charcoal and do they really make a difference? Soak them in water for half an hour, drain, put into a bowl fashioned out of tinfoil then put them directly onto the coals. They make a serious difference.
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pugwash4x4
5,186 posts
90 months
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Zaxxon said: Big K here, I tried a Homebase 10kg bag but they burn up pretty quick.
Big K will last for 2 rounds of meat and then warm your hands for a couple of hours after. big K for me too, but its not the easiest to get hold of!
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nelly1
4,917 posts
100 months
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Bri957 said: I was going to try some Australian heat beads next.
Anyone here used them? Not much in it between them and the Weber ones TBH. They used to do them in the local cheapie shop for about 1/2 the price of the Weber, but they soon got wise to that one 
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Russ T Bolt
559 posts
152 months
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Best charcoal I have used is Makro's restaurant charcoal
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smack
8,282 posts
60 months
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Cotty said: It depends how often you are going to BBQ. I have not even used mine yet this year so. Go sit in the corner, face the wall, and ponder what you have done wrong...
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