5 Helpful Hints for Anybody Who Uses a Charcoal Grill

 Charcoal grilling requires more "manual" effort than using an electric or gas barbecue. Fire and heat require more work to create, regulate, and sustain. You should also monitor your food constantly. Yet, once you've mastered operating a charcoal gyro grill, switching to another type will be child's play.

Take heed of these helpful hints for anyone who uses a charcoal grill:

To ignite a chimney fire, use a chimney starter.

Lighter fluid makes it easier to ignite a charcoal barbecue, but it can leave a lingering kerosene flavour in the meal if used improperly. Employ a chimney starter instead; a sheet of paper and a match will be all you need to light 100 briquettes in under 30 minutes.

Begin with a 6-quart machine, which is commonly found in hardware and home improvement stores.

How much charcoal you need to use

You will feel more at ease managing the grill's temperature once you've practised utilising a chimney starter. For a high fire, fill the starter with charcoal; for medium heat, fill it halfway to three quarters full; and for a low fire, fill it about a quarter full; all of these settings are ideal for smoking and grilling large cuts of meat such whole chickens, roasts, and ribs.

Modify the air flow via the vents to achieve the desired temperature.

Knobs on electric and gas grills let you fine-tune the cooking heat with ease. A charcoal barbecue can't do that. If you open and close the vents, you can influence the temperature of the coals.

By opening the vent, you can increase the amount of oxygen reaching the grill, so increasing its temperature.

Contain and manage flare-ups

Most grillers would use water from a spray bottle to douse flare-ups, but doing so would just blow ash into the food. The dripping of fat or sauces onto hot coals is a common source of flare-ups. You should instead put the meat in the "indirect" part of the strike zone (no fire zone).

Improve the taste with wood chips.

An advantage of utilising a charcoal barbecue is that you may season your food with wood to give it a more robust flavour. Apple and cherry woods, as well as the tried-and-true hickory and mesquite, will impart a delightful smoky taste to whatever you're cooking.

Charcoal grilling requires a lot of time and effort. If you put into practise the following advice for using a charcoal barbecue, you'll soon be a master of the grill.

Blogger and barbecue aficionado Adrian T. Cheng. He has years of experience in the barbecue industry and uses his blog to teach others what he has learned through reviews of various grilling accessories and the trial and error of delicious and unusual recipes. Visit Adrian's website for additional grilling-related items and content, including secrets, tips, recipes, and more.