*****Official BBQ Thread - Suns out, Buns out!*****

Milkybk said:
I BBQ just as much if not more with a charcoal one. Can’t beat the flavour and it adds 20 mins max to the actual time taken. 10 mins for a chimney, 5 mins heat up, brush down for 60 secs and food on. Worth the tiny bit of extra effort :).
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I keep struggling with the chimney starter I've got as I'm a bit of a rookie. The biggest time waster is getting the thing properly lit, this normally takes two, three or four attempts to get it lighted. Any tips?

The other one is how long do you guys leave it once you have it going? I've left it until the coal on the top starts to go grey but once I spread it out I don't seem to have heat for that long. Perhaps I am leaving it too long?
 
wildest_jjk said:
I keep struggling with the chimney starter I've got as I'm a bit of a rookie. The biggest time waster is getting the thing properly lit, this normally takes two, three or four attempts to get it lighted. Any tips?

The other one is how long do you guys leave it once you have it going? I've left it until the coal on the top starts to go grey but once I spread it out I don't seem to have heat for that long. Perhaps I am leaving it too long?
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Get a camping stove and stick the starter on it. It gets it going in no time! :)

What charcoal are you using? I've found different brands behave differently.

Beer_MonsterUK said:
Gas is the way forward. No fuss, no muss. We're eating on the BBQ 2-3 days a week, rain or shine.
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So do I on my charcoal Weber. The ease of gas vs charcoal is massively overstated in my opinion. I'm not saying gas doesn't have a place, but I can get a chimney going and by the time the prep is done the charcoal is ready to cook with.
 
I'm still waiting on my Kamado Joe Kettle but have also purchased a small gas tabletop grill (Nexgrill) from a friend for when I fancy something quick. He was away to sell it elsewhere and agreed to selling to me for £40 so why not.
 
Do any of you have a bbq shack? I'm thinking about building one so that im not standing out in the Scottish rain while I cook. Ill dress it up as a bar so the missus doesn't object to it.
 
siezar said:
Do any of you have a bbq shack? I'm thinking about building one so that im not standing out in the Scottish rain while I cook. Ill dress it up as a bar so the missus doesn't object to it.
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I've got a car port at the side of the garage which I'm going to turn into a cooking area I think. Just a little unsure how at the minute.
 
Smoking hot wings adds an amazing flavour to one of my favourite dishes. And Frank's hot sauce mixed with butter and honey is so addictive...
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siezar said:
Do any of you have a bbq shack? I'm thinking about building one so that im not standing out in the Scottish rain while I cook. Ill dress it up as a bar so the missus doesn't object to it.
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Yeah I’ve got one it’s a bit of a random shape due to location but It’s enclosed at two sides by fences and open on two sides. Metal roof but should really get a flue for the pizza oven but at the moment it’s got about 40-50cm gap between that and roof. Had it for ~3 years and used throughout the year. Been great in the last year.
 
wildest_jjk said:
Thanks to everyone for the chimney lighting tips!

It's one of the things that always put me off of having too many bbq's, looking forward to trying this now.
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Buy the largest chimney starter available. Ive found that mine isn't big enough and at least with the larger one you have the option of putting in less coals.
 
michty_me said:
I've been looking at getting one of these actually. How is it in terms of quality? I would probably be keeping it under a car port anyway along with my BBQ.
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Skiprat said:
keter? Keter Unity XL Barbecue Accessory Trolley Stand Double - Anthracite - £275 | Garden4Less UK Shop Looks good but I'd worry the top would end up rusting. @Shaz]sigh[ are you using a cover with it?
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No cover. The unit is solid but you are right about the top, it's starting to go - less than a year old so not impressed. It's still usable for what I bought it for but it's got some pitting. Going to contact Keter to see if I can get a replacement as only 9 months old or so but might do something with it longer term.

I was originally going to build an outside kitchen but would have had to go Kamado to keep costs down as the built-in gas BBQs were hilariously expensive.
 
Shaz]sigh[ said:
No cover. The unit is solid but you are right about the top, it's starting to go - less than a year old so not impressed. It's still usable for what I bought it for but it's got some pitting. Going to contact Keter to see if I can get a replacement as only 9 months old or so but might do something with it longer term.

I was originally going to build an outside kitchen but would have had to go Kamado to keep costs down as the built-in gas BBQs were hilariously expensive.
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Thanks for the feedback. I'll give it a try and it will likely remain under my car port. May look at getting a cheap BBQ cover for it also.
 
Are all chimney starters created equally?

I've just a non branded one i got from B&Q for about £7. In my head it should take around 10-15 minutes, but on Saturday i'd say it was closer to 30 minutes before the coals at the top were white.

Not a huge issue if i plan for it, but as i say, in my head it always takes less so i i end up delaying food longer than i need!


EDIT for clarity, i tend to stick 2 wooden firelighters underneath and it's Big K Charcoal briquettes.
 
It will probably make some difference but I would guess that air flow dictated by the quality of the fuel is a bigger determinant. When I use briquettes for instance it is much better than cheap small bits of charcoal because their is more airflow space. If your fuel is very tightly packed which is possible with briquettes that will also affect things I often stick a few bits of kindling in which helps lever the briqueetes apart and provides something hot burning in the heart of the starter.
 
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