Light coals, barbecue, grill? That's right, quickly light it, set it on fire. Kindling, ignition, liquid

Lighting the coals in the grill gas burner. Believe it or not, this is the simplest and most convenient way light quickly charcoal at the barbecue. (10+)

How to light coals in a barbecue? Correctly and quickly, without liquid

Lighting charcoal in a grill or barbecue is not so easy.

When I cook on the grill, I use charcoal. We used to rock birch firewood. They waited until they burned down to coals, then they cooked on these coals. But now prepared birch charcoal is available for sale. Despite some skepticism at first, almost everyone eventually switched to it. It is convenient to cook with such charcoal, since it has already been brought to the desired condition. There is no need to wait until the wood burns down to embers.

But the use of ready-made charcoal raises the question of its quick ignition. After all, it makes no sense to use ready-made coal and light it for two hours. There are two canonical ways.

Using liquids for ignition, lighting a grill, barbecue

This method, it seems to me, whole line shortcomings. Firstly, lighting a coal doused with this liquid in the wind is also not easy. Secondly, the coal flares up and heats up unevenly. In some places it burns well and heats up, in others it does not burn. You have to stir several times, wasting time. Thirdly, the taste and smell of lighter fluid lingers in the food, which is not at all tasty and probably not healthy. Fourthly, buying normal liquid is a problem. There are a lot of fakes. I constantly came across explosive compounds or completely non-flammable ones. As a result, I had to use household kerosene, but this only solved the last problem.

Lighting small wood chips

Well, this is no longer any good. When it’s windy, it’s no easier to light wood chips than it is to ignite coal. It takes a lot of time. Coal burns unevenly.

But there is a simple and quick way to ignite coal

One day I saw a neighbor lighting a barbecue with an autogen. Well, I think my uncle has gone completely crazy. Yes, he was always known as an eccentric anyway.

But I try to look at the world broadly, to notice the opportunities around me. And I have an autogen. I tried it. The result impressed me. The coal was ignited in 3 minutes. The coals burned evenly (for this purpose, I heat them with an autogen flame over the entire barbecue area), so there is no need to stir them. At the same time, the autogen ignites without problems in any wind.

You will say that not everyone has an autogen. And whoever has one, carrying two cylinders with gas and oxygen every time is not very pleasant. I thought so too and improved the idea. Now I light it with a simple manual gas torch. This can be purchased along with a gas canister at any hardware store. You can buy a simple one, which is ignited with a match or lighter, or you can buy one with electric ignition - a very convenient one. A burner may generally be needed on the site, so it won’t be superfluous. Just use it carefully, it's gas after all. This method of ignition does not leave any foreign odor in the food and heats the coals very evenly.

It is very convenient to light coals for a barbecue or barbecue with a gas burner rather than lighter fluid. Believe it and try it.

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It would seem that everything is so simple... Well, who doesn’t know how to grill kebab these days? Unless it's someone who doesn't love him at all. Although even such people roughly represent the process.

A slightly smaller number of people know how to make a fire correctly, because nowadays everything is sold almost ready for use: coals, lighter fluid, no special knowledge or skills are required. Although shish kebab, in principle, is also sold ready-made.

Well, let's not go to extremes. After all, most people (at least I want to believe it) enjoy what they do with their own hands. After all, you must admit, it’s nice when there is something to be proud of, even in small things, when the result of the work done is assessed positively, when praised.

Hiking and field option.

Although I can hardly imagine who and how burned and “preserved” so many selected birch coals, the option with ready-made coals and lighter fluid still has a right to exist (otherwise these products would not have been so wildly popular). I call it a field trip. This is when the decision to relax in nature and “fry something” is made quite spontaneously. In this case, the place is chosen according to the principle “it’s better to go closer, but it’s better to walk.” Most often this is the nearest suburban forest or city park (if it is allowed). When lighting a fire in a forest or park, be sure to make sure that there are no branches hanging over the fire that could cause a fire. If you light a fire on the ground and not in a grill, surround the fire area with stones in a circle. Lighting the coals is easy: place crumpled paper under them, pour lighter fluid on them and light it. The product most often chosen for frying in the field is semi-finished shish kebab, sausages, and at worst, sausages will do (be sure to try the “recipe”).

We do everything ourselves.

A dacha is a different matter... There is no rush here, no need to go or drive anywhere, there is fresh air all around, the birds are singing, and the soul is singing with them. And I want something like that! Marinate the kebab yourself, for example, according to one of the recipes in.

Choosing firewood.

If you experienced summer resident who regularly cuts down old trees in the garden, then you will probably have the most the best firewood for the fire on which the shish kebab will be cooked - plum, apple, or any other fruit trees. If you are a young summer resident (or you have a young garden), it doesn’t matter, use birch firewood, they are also good.

Never use conifers trees, as well as rowan, acacia, ash, alder, poplar, elm and aspen. When burned, they release carcinogens that will settle on your kebab. In addition, conifers give meat a very unpleasant bitter taste.

Firewood should be dry, but not rotten. Do not use damp or rotten firewood.

We make a fire.

To start a fire, split one of the logs into small pieces and several very thin wood chips. Use paper or dry grass and birch bark, placing them in the middle and covering them with different sides with wood chips so that there is room for air to enter (instead of wood chips, you can use thin twigs). When the fire starts to flare up, add thicker pieces of split logs, and then whole logs.

Do not use lighter fluid if you have the time and opportunity to use it. in the classic way. Although manufacturers claim that liquid vapors dissipate quickly, many people say they smell an unpleasant taste in the cooked meat. To make the flame flare up better, you can use regular food table salt, throwing a handful into the dying fire.

Let's add some spice.

To give the shish kebab a special piquancy, just before it gets hot, throw dried aromatic herbs(mint, tarragon,
sage, lemongrass, etc.). Never throw polyethylene or any plastic into the grill in which you will barbecue. This will not only kill the taste of the kebab, but can also be very harmful to your health.

When the firewood has completely burned out and only red hot coals remain in the grill, slightly touched by a white haze (as in the picture), it’s time to put on the barbecue.

Deciding what to fry on.

All that remains is to decide what to fry it on. The taste and juiciness of kebab fried on skewers and on a grill are really different. It is more convenient and faster to fry on a grill, but the kebab is still juicier on skewers. If you are cooking on a grill, heat it first, then grease it vegetable oil, and only then lay out the meat. This way the meat will not stick to the grill and pieces will not come off.

Our family, for example, always fries juicy boneless pieces of meat and vegetables on skewers, and meat on the bone or meat and fish steaks on the grill.

We also really love potatoes and fish baked directly in the coals. The fish must first be wrapped in foil, or you can try “wrapping” it in clay (in this case you don’t even need to clean it!).

You can find out how to make a barbecue with your own hands from improvised means or fry shish kebab without a barbecue at all.

Kebabs and other dishes cooked on the grill have long become an integral attribute of many holiday feasts. However, lovers of outdoor recreation and dachas know firsthand how difficult it can be to light a barbecue and how ignition methods differ depending on the type of fuel used, weather conditions and other factors. We will tell you how to properly and safely light a fire in a barbecue, what means you can use for this, and which it is better to avoid.

In contact with

The most common charcoal is charcoal. With a relatively low combustion intensity, it emits a lot of heat, practically does not smoke, and does not emit unpleasant odors. You can buy barbecue charcoal packaged in portioned packages at any supermarket, or you can stock up on large quantities of loose goods in advance.

In any case, high-quality coal has the following characteristics:

made of medium or hard wood, such as birch or oak;
hard, relatively heavy, does not crumble in your hands;
has a dark gray or almost black color, but not ashen;
dry, without signs of moisture;
with a fraction of about 3-5 cm (larger ones can subsequently be crushed to the desired size).

If the coals you purchase meet these requirements, you should not have problems lighting them.

How to light a barbecue?

Unfortunately, difficulties with lighting a barbecue are quite capable of ruining the entire picnic. There are several ways to light charcoal. The choice of one or the other depends only on personal preferences and capabilities. We invite you to take a closer look at some of the options and get acquainted with their advantages and disadvantages.

Method 1. Newspaper without lighter fluid

Coals can be diluted with newspaper without the use of odorous chemicals. To do this you will need several large newspapers, they need to be rolled into a tube. They are then wrapped around a round object, such as a bottle. The resulting structure is placed in the grill, covered with coals, the bottle is pulled out and set on fire. Details in the video:

Method 2. Dry firewood

Practice has shown that you can easily do without liquid if you know a few simple secrets. The easiest way to light a barbecue is by lighting an auxiliary fire. This method will require pre-prepared dry chopped wood chips. small size. They are placed on the bottom of the grill (or directly on the coals) and lit. After they burn well, a layer of coal is placed on top of them.

To speed up the ignition process, you can increase the flow fresh air to the fire. The easiest way is to use an improvised “fan”, but often more is used complex designs like a pump or hair dryer. It is known from a school physics course that the more oxygen supplied to the combustion site, the more intense the flame, but do not overdo it so as not to burn the coals ahead of time.

Method 3. Starter

The starter is a hollow metal cylinder with a grill inside it. conical shape. The cylinder body contains ventilation holes, and at the bottom there is a window for igniting its contents. The operating principle of the device is based on the physical law of movement of air masses - cold air goes down, and the hot one rises higher, displacing it. Thanks to the simplicity and reliability of the design, using the starter is easy and convenient:

The top of the cylinder is filled with small coals and installed in the center of the grill.
Several tablets of dry fuel are placed in the lower window, which are then set on fire with a match. If dry fuel is not at hand, you can use paper, cardboard and wood chips, but this does not always give the desired result.
When the dry fuel or other fire source ignites, the lower coals will begin to smolder. The heat will intensify and rise higher, obeying the law of mass movement, until all the coals ignite.
The starter is taken by the side handle, having previously put on special gloves, and tipped into the grill. The spilled coals are evenly distributed over its surface with a spatula or metal rod.

Many craftsmen independently make barbecue starters from sheet metal, steel pipes or other available materials. This allows you to save on purchasing the device, but factory designs are in most cases more efficient and safer.

Method 4. Lighter fluid

The most important task in in this case– choosing the right liquid. It is strictly forbidden to use flammable household substances, such as gasoline, kerosene, alcohol. When burned, all of them emit extremely toxic gases, which will not only spoil the taste of the future dish, but can also poison your body. It's better to spend a little more money and buy a reliable one, safe remedy based on paraffins.

Attention! The disadvantage of this method is strong smell paraffin The meat may have an unpleasant taste. Professional grillers never use such liquids.

Using the liquid correctly can also be difficult. The most common mistake is to pour coals on top and immediately throw a match. In this case, the only result will be a bright flash and a few lonely flames that quickly die out. To ensure uniform ignition of the coal, you need to do the following:

The liquid is poured in a thin stream onto the surface of the coal, trying to cover as much area as possible. The coals should not “float” in the liquid - the optimal amount is 50-100 ml per 1 kg of fuel.
The fuel should absorb the liquid so much that it is almost invisible. This will take some time, so be patient.
Now all the coal should ignite even with one match, but it is better to light it in several places. If combustion does not begin, and pops and flashes are observed at the ignition points, the liquid has not been absorbed well enough.

IMPORTANT! Particular care should be taken when working with liquids. Do not lean over the grill under any circumstances, do not hold your hands over it, and, if possible, use long fireplace matches to ignite the fuel. Protective gloves are a good idea; by the way, they will help you hold barbecue skewers and other hot objects.

We hope that the information presented in this article was useful and helped you understand how and with what to light a barbecue in every specific situation. We wish you good luck and delicious kebabs!

The key to a fragrant and tasty barbecue is the right coals. Their quality affects the taste of meat, but the process of burning them also plays an important role. This article describes recommendations on how to properly light barbecue coals to prepare a delicious dish.

Barbecue charcoal - type of fuel

Firewood made from birch, ash and oak is used to fry food on the grill. Pine trees emit resins when burning, which spoil the taste. ready-made dish, as well as a barbecue. But there are two disadvantages of their use: the formation of coals requires a large amount of them, as well as a lot of time. Therefore, firewood is often purchased in the form of briquettes.
Charcoal is difficult to light, but then you get great heat on long time. He also comes from different types trees, but birch is considered one of the best.
You can also find coconut charcoal on sale, which is made from the shell of a coconut. Coconut shell charcoal is heat-resistant, smolders longer, and less of it is required for frying shish kebab.

How to light charcoal for barbecue - choosing the right coal

When purchasing coals, you should take a close look at the packaging. On quality product must be indicated full information about the product, its name and manufacturer.
Pay special attention to the weight of the coals. Often, to confuse customers, the volume of the product is indicated on the packaging, not the weight.
It is worth avoiding dubious places of sale, such as budget supermarkets, gas stations and markets. Product good quality buy in chain hypermarkets.
Birch coals can be distinguished by their rich charcoal color with glossy tints in the sun. While pine and aspen have a matte and faded color.
If you are going on a picnic with a large group, then choose oak coals. They are much heavier than all the others and have more a long period smoldering.
Choose calibrated coals. This means that the pieces in the package are the same size.

How to light charcoal for barbecue - fuel calculation

Coals from aspen and pine, no matter how high quality they are, quickly turn into ash. Therefore, they are only suitable for frying chicken.
Birch coals smolder longer. For 1 kg of meat you will need 4 kg of product. In most cases they are used for small companies.
More economical charcoal made from coconut shells. You need 3 kg of it for every kilogram of meat.
Oak charcoal has high heat transfer and long-lasting smoldering. For 1 kg of meat you will need a little more than 3 kg of coals. But such a product is purchased for a large company, when it is necessary to fry a lot of meat.

How to light charcoal for barbecue - ignition rules

Prepare your tools:

coal tongs or spatula;
mahalo or flat tablet;
gloves, matches;
paper, lighter fluid.

Pour it out required amount coals in the grill. If you bought uncalibrated charcoal, then you may have large pieces in the package.

For uniform heat, small coals are needed. Wear gloves and break large pieces into pieces.

Coals take a long time to light if you use paper or wood chips. Special paraffin-based lighter fluids will help speed up this process.
Carefully read the instructions for use of the liquid. The result of ignition will depend on its accurate implementation, and you will also get rid of unpleasant odor when smoldering.
Pour the product onto the coals in a very thin stream. Leave them to soak for the time strictly indicated on the solution label. An unpleasant taste and smell on the meat is obtained if the coals are lit immediately. With this action, the coal does not have time to flare up, and you will have to pour more and more liquid, and this will ruin the meat.

When the solution is completely absorbed, light the coals. The flame ignites evenly, without sudden flashes or pops.

After some time the fire goes out. But this does not mean that the coals do not burn.

If you look closely, you will be fishing for bright spots.

On at this stage It is important to maintain the heat on the coals. Using tongs, gather them into a pile and start fanning the fire with a wave.

The fires are transferred to the remaining coals, the flame hums and the first ashes begin to appear.

It is a mistake to think that it is time to fry. Some pieces are still black, which means the liquid has not completely burned. It is these coals that lead to a specific smell. Keep fanning the fire.

A clear sign that the coals are not yet ready for frying is a high fire without the use of a mahal.

Even when the pieces begin to turn whitish, they are not ready yet.

Stir up the fire again. The flame level is already lower, but it is still there.

When the coals are completely covered with ash, you can skewer the meat.

Before placing skewers on the grill, check the heat again. If there is no fire when fanning them, the coals bright color and burn strongly, they are almost ready.

Now use a spatula to split the coals into smaller pieces. small pieces and distribute evenly. You can start grilling kebabs on these coals.

This method of igniting coals involves uniform heating of all pieces, obtaining high temperature for frying, and will also allow the flammable liquid to completely evaporate.

The taste of a flammable liquid can ruin your barbecue. In addition, such liquid contains chemicals that penetrate into the meat and grill, while it enters the body at large quantities unsafe. Luckily, there are plenty of other ways to light your grill and keep the fire going, and it requires little more than a few newspapers and a charcoal starter, if you have one.

Steps

Using a starter to light charcoal

Use inexpensive charcoal starters as the easiest way to build a strong fire. Such starters cost less than 1,500 rubles. To ignite charcoal briquettes evenly, you will need newspapers and heat convection. After this, you can safely place them on the grill, and you can start cooking in 15-20 minutes.

Cover the bottom of the starter with crumpled newspaper. Depending on the size of the starter, 2-4 sheets of paper are sufficient. Do not crumple the paper too much, but simply make a few balls of newspaper to allow the hot air to penetrate inside. This is the material for igniting coal.

Fill to the brim top part starter with coal briquettes. Select the most suitable coals and fill the starter with them. Do this so that you can easily reach the paper at the bottom of the starter.

Light the paper in several places from the very bottom and place the starter on the grill. The paper will quickly ignite, and the hot air along with the burning paper will ignite the coals below. Once the paper has burned, the coals will ignite on their own as hot air passes through the bottom of the tube and through the coals themselves.

The starter will heat up quickly, so place it on a non-flammable, hard surface once the coals are lit. A grill prepared for coals or lined with bricks is suitable for this. patio(although in this case there will be traces of burning).

Add charcoal to the grill when the top coals are covered in ash. This usually takes 10-15 minutes. After this, the grill will be ready for use. Many starters can simply be turned upside down on top of the grill, but recent models come with a trigger mechanism that will allow the coals to be released from the bottom. Don’t just dump the coals in a heap on the floor, but immediately put them in Right place, since they can break and lose heat in the process of transferring them from one place to another.

Vents should be left open to keep the fire going. Through open vents, the fire will be saturated with air and oxygen, that is, it will grow quickly. Keep the lid open when adding charcoal while grilling, then close it to smoke or cook meat more slowly.

Pack unused briquettes. If you haven't used the entire bag of coals, close the top of the bag with a special clamp. The additives in the coals can evaporate, making it harder to start a fire the next time, especially without any kindling liquid.