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

dl8860 said:
@PlacidCasual Feast your eyes on this https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/callow-smoker-review.259901/

The OP, Wade, has done a great job exploring what the smoker can do, and what mods can be done. Post #11 shows the ring of foil trick. It's a good forum besides, the UK section isn't booming but there's some good discussion.
Click to expand...

Street said:
The Country Wood Smoke Facebook group is worth joining.
Click to expand...

If you want a more UK centric forum, give this forum a try: http://www.woodsmokeforum.uk/

Wade who wrote the review on the meatsmoking forum is one of the people who set it up in conjunction with Country Wood Smoke, it's relatively new so not hugely busy at the moment but it's a good source of help, and Wade seriously knows his stuff so will be able to answer any questions! :)
 
Struck up the bbq tonight and used the chimney. Omg
They are so easy to use and get the charcoal red hot. Pleased I got one now.
15 mins and was ready to go
 
I haven’t read the entire thread so apologies if it’s been asked but where is best online for good large steaks, ribeye or t-bone is my preferred I can’t seem to get anything decent in supermarkets which doesn’t surprise and so just briefly looking I don’t see much online either.
 
schnipps said:
I haven’t read the entire thread so apologies if it’s been asked but where is best online for good large steaks, ribeye or t-bone is my preferred I can’t seem to get anything decent in supermarkets which doesn’t surprise and so just briefly looking I don’t see much online either.
Click to expand...

Turner and George do some cracking steaks. I bought one of their Galician ribeyes the other week, expensive but delicious!
 
CHokKA said:
Your biggest issue was not having the top vent open. It kills the fire, so your temps would have dropped quite rapidly with that closed. Don't ever use lighter fluid, stay away! It will make whatever food you cook taste awful! Use a chimney starter as already mentioned. Load it up to the top with a mixture of lumpwood and briquettes, light some paper under the bottom, and leave it for about 20 minutes. You'll know it's ready because the coals ash over with white. Then you put them into the bottom of your Weber (use the charcoal dividers if they came with the BBQ) and then you can cook both direct and indirect.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't use both lumpwood and briquettes. however you are spot on with leaving all vents open for a hotter burn. leave the lid on at all times too. you don't need to check the food every 30 seconds.

lumpwood is ready to go in a chimney within 10 minutes. briquettes can take up to half an hour. using both won't work right unless you have 2 different starters.

cheap briquettes are useless also, i've used everything to get them to burn and nothing. i've found weber to be in the middle to better range. i personally use big K and buy from waitrose. you can buy the stuff in blue bags off ebay for a decent price. 12kg and 24kg bags of restaurant grade is what you are looking for if you don't have a waitrose nearby.

i'd either use 1 on it's own or use 2 different chimneys to get you started with the lumpwood burning for 10 minutes and briquettes for 30 minutes. briquettes will take a lot of paper, firelighters and kerosene to get going. i tend to pack it all in layers. paper, firelighter, briquettes, kerosene, paper, firelighter, briquettes, kerosene until you hit the top and light at the bottom and leave in a place which isn't windy (in-between 2 wheelie bins and a wall usually).

the hassle of briquettes i tend to exclusively use charcoal and lumpwood now. still yet to find a decent brand or source of cheap briquettes.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
I wouldn't use both lumpwood and briquettes. however you are spot on with leaving all vents open for a hotter burn. leave the lid on at all times too. you don't need to check the food every 30 seconds.


i'd either use 1 on it's own or use 2 different chimneys to get you started with the lumpwood burning for 10 minutes and briquettes for 30 minutes. briquettes will take a lot of paper, firelighters and kerosene to get going. i tend to pack it all in layers. paper, firelighter, briquettes, kerosene, paper, firelighter, briquettes, kerosene until you hit the top and light at the bottom and leave in a place which isn't windy (in-between 2 wheelie bins and a wall usually).
Click to expand...

Briquettes really don't need to be a hassle like you describe. I put one of these in the bottom of my chimney and then fill it with briquettes. Nothing else needed, just light the firelighter (all natural, wood shavings dipped in wax) with a match and you are off!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flamers-F5...d=1526469873&sr=8-3&keywords=firelighters+wax
 
Psycho Sonny said:
I wouldn't use both lumpwood and briquettes. however you are spot on with leaving all vents open for a hotter burn. leave the lid on at all times too. you don't need to check the food every 30 seconds.

lumpwood is ready to go in a chimney within 10 minutes. briquettes can take up to half an hour. using both won't work right unless you have 2 different starters.

cheap briquettes are useless also, i've used everything to get them to burn and nothing. i've found weber to be in the middle to better range. i personally use big K and buy from waitrose. you can buy the stuff in blue bags off ebay for a decent price. 12kg and 24kg bags of restaurant grade is what you are looking for if you don't have a waitrose nearby.

i'd either use 1 on it's own or use 2 different chimneys to get you started with the lumpwood burning for 10 minutes and briquettes for 30 minutes. briquettes will take a lot of paper, firelighters and kerosene to get going. i tend to pack it all in layers. paper, firelighter, briquettes, kerosene, paper, firelighter, briquettes, kerosene until you hit the top and light at the bottom and leave in a place which isn't windy (in-between 2 wheelie bins and a wall usually).

the hassle of briquettes i tend to exclusively use charcoal and lumpwood now. still yet to find a decent brand or source of cheap briquettes.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean by it not working right when using both. I've cooked using a mix of briquettes and lumpwood for years now and all I ever do is place the briquettes at the bottom of a chimney starter, fill the top half with lumpwood, then light two firelighters underneath the chimney starter vent and once lit, I leave it for 20 minutes and it's all ready to cook. I've never experienced any of the issues you describe, nor have I ever had to go through the process you use to light briquettes. I've certainly never had to use kerosene to light a fire, so I'm not sure why you have when using briquettes!
 
I buy cheap briquettes from Aldi, fill the chimney starter full and use 2 cheap fire lighters (from Aldi too) and that's it. Burning well after 20 mins!
 
dl8860 said:
Briquettes really don't need to be a hassle like you describe. I put one of these in the bottom of my chimney and then fill it with briquettes. Nothing else needed, just light the firelighter (all natural, wood shavings dipped in wax) with a match and you are off!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flamers-F5...d=1526469873&sr=8-3&keywords=firelighters+wax
Click to expand...

They look decent actually. I've only ever used the white block ones but would much rather use something more natural.
 
They well deserve their 5 star rating, they burn very long and it's nice to know you aren't using any chemicals. 50 lasts a surprising amount of time when you only ever need one to get you going.
 
Street said:
They look decent actually. I've only ever used the white block ones but would much rather use something more natural.
Click to expand...
I have three large dustbin bags full of pine wood shavings, if you wanna go natural? Free upon collection! :)
Actually, make that two - I have a birthday braai this weekend, so I might use some myself and finally get around to trying that chimney thing!

Also wondering, from the above posts, if hickory smoked duck would work....?
 
When I'm lighting either lumpwood or briquettes (I almost exclusively use heatbeads) I stick them in a chimney and light them using a portable gas stove lie this

FPMHZW4.jpg

Works perfectly. When I went on a smoking weekend last year pretty much everyone used these as they are so simple.
 
dl8860 said:
Briquettes really don't need to be a hassle like you describe. I put one of these in the bottom of my chimney and then fill it with briquettes. Nothing else needed, just light the firelighter (all natural, wood shavings dipped in wax) with a match and you are off!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flamers-F5...d=1526469873&sr=8-3&keywords=firelighters+wax
Click to expand...

must be the briquettes i bought. i swore never to use them again. they were out of homebase.

i stick to big k from waitrose now. it's night and day difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom