Lighting charcoal for the barbeque is real trouble most of the time!
You have to care about several things, such as avoiding the spread of fire, protecting your clothes, and keeping the food safe from the smell of ignition fluid.
Using a charcoal chimney is the best solution to this problem. However, now your big concern will undoubtedly be how to start a charcoal grill with a chimney.
Don’t worry! This post will tell you everything about using a charcoal chimney. We will answer the queries such as why use the chimney for lighting coals and how to do so?
Why You Need a Chimney to Start a Charcoal Grill?
Why do you need to use a chimney for starting the grill when you can keep it simple by lighting the charcoal directly in your grill?
If you are thinking the same thing, here is the answer.
Reason#1: The Smell of Lighter Fluid
The first reason to use a charcoal chimney is the smell of lighter fluid. When you try to light your charcoal directly on the grill, you must use lighter fluid or another ignition fluid. The smell of this fluid will enter your meal and ruin its flavors and aroma. Therefore, you must use a charcoal chimney to light the coals.
Reason#2: Evenly Ignited Coals
The next reason for using a charcoal chimney is the uniform burning of charcoal. When you ignite them on the grill, they will not burn evenly. As a result, the heat distribution will not be uniform, and you will get undercooked or overcooked meat. So, the best way is to use a charcoal chimney.
How to Start a Charcoal Grill with a Chimney?
You have to grill different things on various occasions. Here is a stepwise guide to using a chimney for lighting your charcoals for your grill.
Step#1: Clean Your Chimney
The first step is to clean your chimney. Dust is not the main reason behind this cleaning. However, there are chances of specific materials stuck inside the chimney, causing black smoke and a foul smell upon burning. It will ruin your whole experience, so clean the chimney before using it.
Step#2: Pour Coal into the Chimney
The next step is to pour charcoals into your chimney to set the temperature. Always put them in the upper portion and keep an eye on their quantity, as it is the best way to set the temperature for your grill. Here are some general calculations.
- A one-quarter chimney full of coals will give you a temperature of 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
- A half chimney will give you a temperature of 275 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- A fill chimney will give you the best perfect temperature, 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step#3: Putting Wood Chips above the Coal
After pouring coals into the chimney, you have to put some wood chips over them. These wood chips will act as indicators of ignition. If they get burned completely, it means your coals have ignited completely. Otherwise, you have to give them some extra time.
Step#4: Introduce Fire Starters
You have to put some easily combustible material in the bottom portion of the chimney. We call them fire starters. Fire starters are usually wax-covered weeds. However, you can make your own fire starters by using some useless paper and dripping some oil over them. Firestarters will burn quickly and provide the activation energy to coals for ignition.
Step#5: Lit the Fire Starters
As fire starters are easily combustible materials, you can light them using a matchstick or lighter. Make sure that they manage to activate the fire in the coals present above. Otherwise, add some more fire starters unless they do their job.
Step#6: Shifting Coals from Chimney to Grill
The last step is to shift coals from the chimney to the grill. Make sure that you have burnt the coals completely. Usually, it takes 20 minutes to get them combusted completely. However, you can use wood chips trick or smoke trick to find the shifting time. A clear smoke is an indication that your coals have burned completely.
Preventive Measures
You have to be extra careful whenever you are working with fire. Following are some preventive measures that you must follow to prevent any mishap.
- Though there is a handle to grasp the chimney, you still must use oven gloves to protect your hands from burning.
- Wear close shoes, as there is a chance for charcoals to drop down during the shifting process and burn your feet.
- Never place the Chimney on the bare floor. It will result in damage to the upper layer of the floor. Therefore, it is better to put the chimney on the bricks.
- Don’t overcrowd the chimney; there will be a significant risk of charcoals dropping down and causing a fire.
Bottom Line
We believe that this guide on how to start a charcoal grill with a chimney has done the trick to solve all your queries.
Ensure that you have cleaned the chimney and poured an adequate amount of charcoal into it as per your requirements. Also, pay special heed to the combustion time, don’t try to shift them unless the smoke vanishes.
Follow all the safety precautions as well to avoid mishaps. Now it’s time for you to do some quick grilling.
Still there? Head towards your lawn and start grilling.
