What is the proper way to start charcoal?

Julie

I have had trouble keeping the temperature elevated on my new large egg. I am using Barbeque Galore's Lump Charcoal. I fill the fire box up over the air holes and light the charcoal and wait until all of it is gray, then regulate the temperature down. When I open the egg and put the food in, the temperature drops and I cannot regain the temperature necessary to cook the food even when the vents are opened to the maximum. This is really a problem when cooking a pizza that only requires a short cooking time. Any suggestions? Should I not wait until all the lump is gray? Perhaps I am using up all the fuel before I even begin to cook.[p]Thanks!

QBabe

Julie,[p]I always fill the firebox to the top, past the holes, but not into the firering. I've never waited for the lump to grey, but begin adjusting the vents as the temps come up. The temp will falsely read high while your starter cube is flaming, but should drop back down to the 100's as soon as that stops. Then, as the temp start coming up, I begin to close the vents until I reach a stable temp. It's much easier for me to ease into my target rather than trying to do it the other way and bring it back down. If you have nothing but grey coals when you start, sounds like you're using up your fuel before you even get started. I always have lump left that doesn't burn and can be reused on the next cook.[p]QBabe
:~)

GaDawg

Julie,
It sounds like you're used to briquettes. You have to
let them ash over to burn off the chemicals that help
them ignite. No such thing with lump, it's pure fuel
so once it's burning you're ready to go. Make sure your
firebox is aligned with the bottom vent and that the air
holes aren't obstructed. With the top and bottom open
you should get 700+ degrees in 10-15 minutes. Also, use
lots of lump as it doesn't go to waste. You can burn it
again next time.
Chuck

Julie

Thanks for the help. Now I realize I was using up all the fuel before getting started with the cooking. I couldn't understand why I had already used up 1/3 of a 20lb bag of charcoal in 2 nights without any left in the firebox.

Patrick in Minnesota

Julie, It's always interesting to read postings on how to start your BGE...everyone seems to have a slightly different experience. I own a medium-size BGE, and I have found that, when starting the coals, I have to OVER-shoot my target temperature by about 100 degrees before I start shutting the top and bottom dampers. For example, if I want to cook at 250, I wait until the thermometer reads 350, then I close the dampers a bit, and the temperature coasts down to 250 and stabilizes there. This may have something to do with the way I light my charcoal...I always light it from underneath, using two of the white Weber charcoal starter cubes.

Julie R

Julie,
Since you are just posting under Julie, it has been pulling up my information from the visitor's profile. Would you please e-mail me for the e-mail I received for you?[p]Thanks,
Julie