Let's Talk BBQ
Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Charcoal Grills => Topic started by: Pappymn on August 17, 2013, 06:10:22 PM
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Just finished a couple of tenderloins on my Weber. They were on not even an hour. Still have a full basket of coals burning away for the next few hours. :(
I have this paranoia of running out of heat.....so I always fill up the chimney. Is their a rule of thumb on how much charcoal for certain times/temps?
I would like to get to the point where I can better match charcoal quantity to what I am cooking. Whether hot and fast or low and slow.
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You need a small charcoal grill for doing high temp searing cooks or a small fire ring to place in the Weber to put coals in and direct grill.
Or just use a disposable aluminum tray with some hot coals then lay a grill grate over it ;)
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Well, the more charcoal and air, the hotter the fire. I found when I had a 22.5 kettle with the charcoal baskets, with each basket filled with 20-25 briquettes the kettle would run around 350. One basket filled with 20-25 un-lit briquettes with -6- ignited briquettes added, you will be around 250. Just add about -8- briquettes and hour and it will go all day. I would keep the lid vent all the way open and the bottom vent just cracked...your mileage may vary.
The same principle was used when I had the big quality grill. If I wanted a lower temp, I would start with a smaller fire. If I was roasting whole chickens, I would have a stack of lit coals on each side with the chickens in the middle for a 375 smokey cook.
If you get your Weber vents shut down, it should extinguish the lit coals. Now they will be past their high heat curve and are best re-used to light your next batch of unlit coals.
Hope all this helps...... :)
Oh, and don't fret about losing heat. Briquettes burn around 900 degrees and are know for their uniform steady heat. If you start with too large a fire (especially in a Kettle), you will never get the heat down to the mid to high 200's. Start off with a smaller fire and add more briquettes and open the bottom vent up a tad more if you desire more heat..........
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I have only used Lump Coal in my primo, Don't know if it is good to use in a weber but maybe give it a try sometime. Its totally reusable once it has gone out. Anyone feel free to correct me with the use of L/C in a Weber :)
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I always start w/ a full chimney also. when I get done cooking I just shut down the vents. I use the left over cold coals for the start of my next cook. left over coals go in the chimney first then new fresh coals on top. ;)
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Lump is fine in a kettle..no problemo....
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I always start w/ a full chimney also. when I get done cooking I just shut down the vents. I use the left over cold coals for the start of my next cook. left over coals go in the chimney first then new fresh coals on top. ;)
Ahhhhhhhh. Great tip
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If I have residual heat, I just start rumaging the house for stuff to cook. :D