Best Fuel To Use For BBQ? Lumpwood charcoal, instant light??
Best Fuel To Use For BBQ? Lumpwood charcoal, instant light??
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after_shock

Original Poster:

8,751 posts

250 months

Monday 18th May 2009
quotequote all
Im sure the title will have thrown a few on the best fuel bit so apologies lol

Having a BBQ in a couple of weeks and dawned on me not hosted one, well before and only had a few of them when was a kid but nothing to do with me.

Just wondering whats the best fuel to use for the BBQ itself? Their seems to be a huge array of stuff available in the local DIY places, Makro, petrol stations etc and im getting a bit confused. Theirs lumpwood, charcoal briquetts (or however its spelt!) Also instant light stuff, or is wood best getting a bit lost in it all!

Any suggestions or advice be much appreciated.

Hex

568 posts

225 months

Monday 18th May 2009
quotequote all
Gas wink

To be honest any of it mate, just make sure its ready to cook on first, dont rush it. Can take a good hour for charcoal to be really ready to cook on so make sure you light it well in advance.

Also where about in the pool do you live? Was up there at the weekend and was looking for you but never seen you frown

after_shock

Original Poster:

8,751 posts

250 months

Monday 18th May 2009
quotequote all
Hex said:
Gas

To be honest any of it mate, just make sure its ready to cook on first, dont rush it. Can take a good hour for charcoal to be really ready to cook on so make sure you light it well in advance.

Also where about in the pool do you live? Was up there at the weekend and was looking for you but never seen you


Gas pah thats cheating lol

Live in the west park area, took the car to work on Sunday so was out of town in it! You up this way often?

Hex

568 posts

225 months

Monday 18th May 2009
quotequote all
Ahh west park... Posh area smile

Not up home as much as I used to be, business wont allow me to get away too much.
frown

after_shock

Original Poster:

8,751 posts

250 months

Monday 18th May 2009
quotequote all
Hex said:
Ahh west park... Posh area

Not up home as much as I used to be, business wont allow me to get away too much.


Which part you from? Will have to let me know when your next up will drag the car out have a mini meet lol

pad58

12,549 posts

211 months

Monday 18th May 2009
quotequote all
Lumpwood is very popular, in the bag that you light but you got to wait untill the ambers are white ,thats supposed to be the max heat to start cooking.

Enjoy

iacs_hsv

167 posts

260 months

Monday 18th May 2009
quotequote all
These grills are worth a look...

http://www.gizmag.com/go/5962/picture/25571

JAG-R8

272 posts

227 months

Monday 18th May 2009
quotequote all
charcoal briquettes - nice even burn and not so many small bits to fall through the grates at the end of a bag! Easily available from most petrol stations or garden centers.

highly recommend one of these for easy lighting...

www.garden4less.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=1087886

after_shock

Original Poster:

8,751 posts

250 months

Monday 18th May 2009
quotequote all
iacs_hsv said:
These grills are worth a look...

[url]www.gizmag.com/go/5962/picture/25571[/url]


Haha will take the one out of my car and turn it into a bbq for the night!

after_shock

Original Poster:

8,751 posts

250 months

Monday 18th May 2009
quotequote all
JAG-R8 said:
charcoal briquettes - nice even burn and not so many small bits to fall through the grates at the end of a bag! Easily available from most petrol stations or garden centers.

highly recommend one of these for easy lighting...

www.garden4less.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=1087886


Thanks good advice, will try hunt out the briquettes.

That looks like a good idea in the link, not to sound daft but how does it actually get used, do you put it in the middle of the bbq then remove leaving the heated up fuel?

JAG-R8

272 posts

227 months

Tuesday 19th May 2009
quotequote all
Hi,

The chimneys are great. Remove the food grill, place chimney on the charcoal grill underneith with 2 fire lighter blocks in bottom section. Fill chimney with briquettes/lumpwood and then light the 2 blocks. Wait 30 mins or until top coals are glowing hot....then take chimney by the handle and pour coals to the back of the grate! Simple but works every time. Keep coals at back of bbq and cook at front with the lid down.

eliot

11,995 posts

284 months

Tuesday 19th May 2009
quotequote all
I drag the blow-torch out the shed:

It will also cook a burger in around 10 seconds for those desperate salad dodgers who cant wait 30mins for the BBQ.

after_shock

Original Poster:

8,751 posts

250 months

Tuesday 19th May 2009
quotequote all
JAG-R8 said:
Hi,

The chimneys are great. Remove the food grill, place chimney on the charcoal grill underneith with 2 fire lighter blocks in bottom section. Fill chimney with briquettes/lumpwood and then light the 2 blocks. Wait 30 mins or until top coals are glowing hot....then take chimney by the handle and pour coals to the back of the grate! Simple but works every time. Keep coals at back of bbq and cook at front with the lid down.


Cheers for that, popped into my local garden centre on the way home from work today and they have them in so may get one from their this weekend, or get one off that website not decided yet as dont know what the postage is (dont want to soend £50 on crap I dont need!)

Elliot that blow torch looks a bit naughty!

wolfracer

2,074 posts

236 months

Tuesday 19th May 2009
quotequote all
Instant lighting lumpwood charcoal in a bag. for a family BBQ use 2 bags, light the corners, sit back with a bevvy and let the flames do the rest, 30 mins later you're ready to go.
Remember no flames or smoke. coals must be white/ashy (later than you may tink. More fuel is supplied from the fat out your food so don't worry about it burning out......
tried real wood - too smokey
tried briquettes - burn away to nothing/light ash too quickly


enjoy!
ps
oh and if you're cooking chicken thighs/legs, boil them for 10-15 mins first to cook them and retain the juices before putting on bbq.....

after_shock

Original Poster:

8,751 posts

250 months

Tuesday 19th May 2009
quotequote all
wolfracer said:
Instant lighting lumpwood charcoal in a bag. for a family BBQ use 2 bags, light the corners, sit back with a bevvy and let the flames do the rest, 30 mins later you're ready to go.
Remember no flames or smoke. coals must be white/ashy (later than you may tink. More fuel is supplied from the fat out your food so don't worry about it burning out......
tried real wood - too smokey
tried briquettes - burn away to nothing/light ash too quickly


enjoy!
ps
oh and if you're cooking chicken thighs/legs, boil them for 10-15 mins first to cook them and retain the juices before putting on bbq.....


Excellent advice thank you, why do the briquettes go away so quick? Probably giving the chicken a wide berth to be honest, seems to easy to not cook it right!

wolfracer

2,074 posts

236 months

Tuesday 19th May 2009
quotequote all
after_shock said:
wolfracer said:
Instant lighting lumpwood charcoal in a bag. for a family BBQ use 2 bags, light the corners, sit back with a bevvy and let the flames do the rest, 30 mins later you're ready to go.
Remember no flames or smoke. coals must be white/ashy (later than you may tink. More fuel is supplied from the fat out your food so don't worry about it burning out......
tried real wood - too smokey
tried briquettes - burn away to nothing/light ash too quickly


enjoy!
ps
oh and if you're cooking chicken thighs/legs, boil them for 10-15 mins first to cook them and retain the juices before putting on bbq.....



Excellent advice thank you, why do the briquettes go away so quick? Probably giving the chicken a wide berth to be honest, seems to easy to not cook it right!

Briquettes are pressed, crushed wood or other product and as such don't have any structure, so when they burn they do flake apart very quickly.
Trust me on the chicken, as long as it it looks all white in the pan of boiling water, it'll be fine once browned up on the bbq, if in doubt leave to boil for a few more mins!
Another tip is sprinkle salt on the skin of chicken to crisp it up, avoid flour/sauces as these tend to burn, lots of oil and salt gives the tastiest meat.

after_shock

Original Poster:

8,751 posts

250 months

Tuesday 19th May 2009
quotequote all
Thanks again, was going to use the briquettes best avoid them!

Do you bother with the wood chips for extra flavour?

porrohman

180 posts

251 months

Tuesday 19th May 2009
quotequote all
Shell V-power is good. It will also allow you to advance the timing on your BBQ but you will need a light gun to do this.

wolfracer

2,074 posts

236 months

Tuesday 19th May 2009
quotequote all
after_shock said:
Thanks again, was going to use the briquettes best avoid them!

Do you bother with the wood chips for extra flavour?

No, have tried them but just add loads of smoke and kill the heat of the wood. The "smoked" taste comes from the fat burning, producing that white smoke, which then coats everything including your clothes and hair in true bbq smells!

after_shock

Original Poster:

8,751 posts

250 months

Tuesday 19th May 2009
quotequote all
porrohman said:
Shell V-power is good. It will also allow you to advance the timing on your BBQ but you will need a light gun to do this.


Have you tried this? lol