5 Mistakes Beginners Make When Using Charcoal
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2021
- Here are 5 mistakes that beginners commonly make when starting to use a charcoal grill. If you're new to cooking with charcoal or if you just want to sharpen your skills, try to avoid these mistakes!
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By the first three words, I have 100% faith in this gentleman's grilling knowledge.
His build told me instantly he knows a thing or two about greezy smoked meats bursting and oozing full of flavor lol
Same!
I put together?
“I put together”???
Same here!
I heard the accent and I was immediately like "You, this guy knows his grills for sure"
I just want to comment to say you have over 1M views on this video and you’re acting as a father figure to that many people out there who want to learn something. You’re amazing man
"If you're looking you ain't cooking" wise words!
I have no interest in this topic whatsoever, but I have to say this is a really well done lesson. I learned more in 4 minutes than I would ever have expected. A good teacher is a blessing to his students.
Couldn't agree more
Ive been a chef for over 25 years and all your tips are perfect. Happy Grilling
2 additional tips to mention.
1) use the vents on top and bottom to control how hot or cool you want cook at.
2) try hardwood lump charcoal that is real natural charred wood, it gives good flavor and cooks very well and hot.
Hope this helps someone.
I keep the bottom vent full open, and control the top vent to adjust the temperature. When I’m done, I shut both vents to make sure the charcoal goes out and I can reuse some of it next time
What do you think of the cube fire starters? I just started grilling with a a small portable grille and don’t yet have a chimney
@@erikgutierrez3613most of the bags of wood lump charcoal comes with a fire starter. I tried to use it by stacking the coals into a pyramid shape and sticking the “fatwood”fire starter out the side of the pile and it didn’t work. So I had to take the fire starter and sit it underneath the chimney and it worked great. I think a chimney is a must. My only complaint with the chimney is I have a grill with a top rack/ grate and when I dump the coals doesn’t matter if I use the lump wood or the briquettes when I dump the hot coals the ash from the outside of the coals gets on the grate so I have to wipe the top grate off because I can’t have people seeing ashes where their food is. But with the chimney my hands don’t get covered in coal dust trying to stack them up
thanks! this indeed helped me
I think lighter fluid is fine as long as you let it burn off. Once the coals are white all over. If you use lighter fluid and start grilling before the coals are ready is when you get lighter fluid taste.
Greats tips. I like to fill the Chimney about half, then i pour cold charcoal on the grill. When the charcoal in the Chimney are done, then on top of the cold ones. Then give it about 20 minutes. And you have a good stack of charcoal that last for a great while. That's how i do it.
I love it when you said----"Don't ever use lighter fluid...your feeod will end up tasting like lighter fluid; and nobody wants to eat lighter fluid." Move over Chef Booby Flay, a new man is in town! Thanx for your video cuz I know nothing about grilling and I just placed an order for myself from Butcher Box; you're a life saver!!!
"When you're lookin' you ain't cookin'." Love it!
I was making all of these mistakes for years! It wasn’t until I got a Weber and decided to really research how to BBQ I started to have better cooks. Thanks for the video!
I’m 58 and from 🇬🇧 and I’ve never used a bbq, I’ve been looking at quite a few training videos but this is one of the most comprehensive and informative one that I’ve found.
Thank you for taking the time to pass on your skills, it is very much appreciated 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 liked and subbed
I’m from Scotland and I started bbqing last year. If you haven’t bought one yet but a kamado
I'm from the United States. I've been cooking over coal for 40 years
As an intermediate charcoal griller, these are great tips! All that I've learned about charcoal grilling are from your videos. Just want to say thanks and wish you all the best. Cheers!
Thanks to you for watching and the best to you as well!!
Very good tips for beginners. I've been grilling for 40+ years and these are great basics for getting the best results.
Hands down the best and clearest explanation video I’ve been able to find on how to use a Weber kettle grill. Agree 100% with everything he says.
A tip I would add is only use as much lit coals as you need. If you’re trying to cook at 225-250, there’s no need to use a full chimney (which can be 70+ coals. it’ll take forever for that temp to come down.). I’ve figured out that if I want to cook at 225 to 250, I only need to start with 30 - 40 lit coals…but all grills are different, so be sure to take notes on how many lit coals you started with and what temps you were hoping to cook at and it won’t be long until you know how many lit coals you need in your grill to cook at different temps.
Been cooking exclusively on coal for about 10 years now. My $200 charcoal grills have out lasted all of my $8-900 gas grills. Great tips here. Also, I have always said, if you are in a hurry for BBQ then go to a restaurant or use your microwave.
I can second everything this man has said. Don’t forget to keep practicing and experimenting. As with all great skills, becoming a grill master takes a lifetime.
"When you lookin, you ain't cookin"
I never thought of having a safe zone on my grill. Thanks for the tips, I really appreciate your channel. You talk about all the issues I’ve had grilling. Thank you
Same here. I'm going to try it next time
Clear, concise, and to the point. Really well done video. I've been charcoal grilling for decades and it's easy to forget that someone new to it doesn't know these things.
Tip no. 3 is a life (and meat) saver!
HEY, MAN, I thought I knew how to use a charcoal grill. Thanks to you for the re-education, and best wishes.
Several things to add. Grill size is also something to think about. The little kettle grill I use for hamburgers hotdogs and fish. You just have to remember to stay with the grill and sear then put the lid on an cook for a few more minutes. And the lid is very important for smoking and indirect cooking moving the vent’s opposite of the food will draw smoke and heat over the items you are cooking. Have fun cooking with charcoal it’s the only heat source I use.
Great video! Straight and to the point. Hit all of the key points without a lot of unnecessary banter. Well done.
We went back to charcoal a few years ago and love the chimney method using lump charcoal. The local smart ass used to say that the coals were perfect by the time the food was cooked, he was right! Have patience!
Thank you brother. Been at it awhile and I've become complacent but this little lesson not only put me back on track but got me thinking of some strategies to take advantage of my coals. Happy grillin
Great tips! As a first time charcoal bbq'er, these helped me a lot, especially using a chimney instead of lighter fluid. Thank you.
Great and clear explanations on charcoal uses and its temperature control. I've been watching for about 3 months and love all your videos. Keep up the excellent work!
This was a very informative and helpful video! Straight forward and gives us reasons! I appreciate you
I could listen to this dude all day lol
Thank you so much. I am guilty of all 5 mistakes at 1 time or another. I also have to admit that I only recently learned that you could cook on the grill without lighter fluid. I have been to cookouts where everyone has gone running because they were out of lighter fluid. Thank you for this information. I look forward to your next video.
Never owned a BBQ but looking into now, this video has really helped me and made things really clear. Thank you
Hat alone told me everything i need to know about his grilling expertise
"Nobody wants to eat lighter fluid" You got that right brother! You video is great! love it!
I usually use my chimney - what a great purchase! - but it is okay to use lighter fluid if you let all of it burn off before starting any meat. I use lighter fluid on my offset to get a nice big bed of coals (the chimney just doesn't hold enough to really get the offset going) but it is usually at least 45 min to an hour before I put wood on top of that. Now I could of course just start with wood but it takes a lot to get it up to temp which gets expensive so charcoal is perfect for getting the coals then wood for the smoke. Anyway, the point is that lighter fluid is okay IF you let it COMPLETELY burn off before adding anything else. I can't imagine much of a use for it on a kettle smoker, though. (One bottle will last me an entire barbecue season.)
Hey, these are excellent tips, though! I am thinking back to when I first started and I made every single one of the mistakes that you mentioned in the video! EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Ha!
Thanks so much I really appreciate you taking time to make this video, I did not know about the cooling zone, and not waiting for the charcoal to ice over. Keep up the good work. Thanks again.
I needed this video to get better at grilling
Always your biggest fan! I am so proud of you!
I love you my sunshine and thanks for all your help!!!
Great to have support like this. Team Alpha baby!!
Hank would be upset to see your not using propane, but il tell ya what there Bobby. These tips are exactly what i needed to hear! Im pretty patient with my cooks but i wana get a coal cooker and this gives me the confidence to take the leap! Much appreciated 🙏
you are awesome and im so glad that you don't use lighter fluid or firestarters of some kind
This was extremely helpful and Iappreciate how straight to the point you were. Thank you so much.
Thanks for the lesson bro. I am a beginner and this helped me a lot . I was making several of these mistakes. thanks again
That’s a deep southern accent there brrrooother. 😂
That actually really helps. I have watched other grilling videos. But they don't go into details explaining things the way you explain them. I'm only experienced with gas but want to start smoking so your videos will really help me. Thanks again
Excellent points for a beginner with charcoal. When I got a Weber Grill, I wasn't expecting it to be so complicated. I used small grills and cheap steak and was never disappointed, but it was simple and cheap. Well done or undone. His points are valid and will help out anyone looking to use a larger grill to cook their food. Almost makes me want to get another charcoal grill just because it can produce better results than a gas grill.
I grill year long. I have made all of the mistakes you mentioned. The patience is worth it. I haven't cooked over a gas grill for 2 decades. I firmly believe gas grill impart a bad flavor. Propane and natural gas have additives so a leak can be detected. If a grill is burning efficiently and combustion is complete there's no problem, just an absence of extraordinary wood flavor. 99 percent of outside grills do not burn efficiently. The food has the taste of the additives meant to help detect leaks.
Great tips, thank you.
In defense of lighter fluid it will get burned off of the coals eventually. If you put your food on grill before it burns away, then it will certainly taste like fluid. Can usually smell when the scent of burning fluid is gone. HOWEVER, I like the idea of not using any!
I've learned this as well. Wait for the coals to turn all white (no black) and you're good to go.
I don’t like using a chimney with news paper all my food taste like ink
@@johndavid3674 They have kindle that you can use
@@johndavid3674 paper towels work well.
Ok what’s all this about the chimney, paper towels, ink newspaper... I thought u just fill it with coals and match the coals? Never did it but ordered 14 inch small Weber and coals and fluid. Now I will order chimney but how do u start it? Thank you!
Excellent information. He makes the whole process more relaxing and at the same time more efficient.
After your tutorials and knowledge sharing, I went straight to being a pro. Completely bypassed the BS and got to grilling w/ charcoal safely and properly. I’ve been telling everyone I know how you’ve helped me. Thank you chef.
Thank you so much for these videos sir! Dad wasn't around much growing up so I'm just now learning these things. Thanks for helping us out! ❤
Keep learning the joys of charcoal, it’ll be your favorite!
Ryan, this is awesome! Great tips for the beginning griller, hope more people would watch this. Now, if only I can convince my girlfriend to follow these tips! 😂
She has a gas grill but many of these tips apply.
Good to hear from you and hope your homesteading is going well.
Thanks so much,
Rob
This is very clear, straightforward, and exceptionally helpful. You have definitely saved me time and emotionally energy.
Thank you. I appreciate this a lot,
Keep it coming you're doing wonders for young men like me everywhere. You're a stand up guy and gentleman worth the meet. Thanks
I made all those mistakes when I first bought my Weber years ago! I have a pellet grill now but one more tip I can add is you can close off the vents when done cooking to kill the fire and save what is left of the charcoal.
Great tips and it aligns with what I do. The only thing I do differently is use lump coal vs briquettes. I stopped using briquettes years ago and don’t miss them one bit. My reasoning is that I like using all wood instead of using a by product of it and the flavor is much better in my opinion, especially when I add my hickory, grape, etc. wood chunks.
Lump is good, and tastes better, and it does burn a bit differently, and faster , usually. I am always a little more concerned when burning lump about the embers or sparks that pop out/ fly out from my grill smoker, and make sure I am there the entire time, until it burns down, after getting it going.
One guy with a chanel who has several cookers including a King Kamado. They offer and he uses a plain and a coffee flavored coconut husks or shells as fuel that are offered either at Home Depot, or Lowes. I looked for those once and found them, but haven't tried them yet
Great I have yet to try lump, but I've heard good things. Great comment! I went over to your channel expecting cooking videos, but found a skilled musician instead. Keep rocking sister.
Royal Oak for me. Absolutely love it. I even use it as the fire base when I smoke briskets. I start with Royal Oak and pecan chunks then keep a blend of both going the whole time. It's absolutely fantastic.
You mean lump charcoal right? Not lump coal surely.
Thank you for sharing the facts! It is nice to see a good old fashioned charcoal grill being used still!
Excellent tips for beginners in charcoal grilling! Regarding mistake two, I got a chimney starter that has a drop out bottom, so I dump when the top coals just start turning white on the edges (or just below the top). Since you don't invert the coals when they're added, the not quite lit coals stay on top and give you a longer cooking time, as they'll continue to ice on the grill. I usually use this extra time on the front end, to get my grill plates nice and hot for easier cleaning and a better sear.
I agree with everything you said except for not using lighter fluid. By the time it’s burned off, it has no bearing on the taste of the meat if you know what you’re doing with tips 2-5. It’s a matter of splitting hairs of course. Good video for beginners. Currently teaching my daughter and her roommate on how to use gas and charcoal grills at their home. I’ve given them the same tips. Great video.
I agree completely. Although, is you are using a chimney, you don't need lighter fluid (and I think that's the bigger picture he is going for).
I really loved this video and your beginners video. Still hesitant to try but I do feel a little more certain that I could maybe do it! Will report back when I finally do it! Thanks for taking the time to explain everything. You make it look easy and your explanations are simple!
Good instructions for beginners using charcoal grills. Been using my Weber kettle for over 40 years. Never been disappointed.
Very sensible tips, over the years I've come to the same conclusions. Especially the chimney (that I first saw at a friend's in Denmark in 2001) has guaranteed consistent results each and every time ever since I started using it.
All the best from the Netherlands!
As an English person, I have to say how impressed I am that the subtitles translated everything this fine Gentleman said.
Just started my first spring of grilling ever and this is PRIMETIME BBQ content thank you!
Good luck. I hope all goes well.
Loved the video. Short and straight to the point.
You definitely are the most helpful grilling guy I have found on the internet about grilling. Thanks very much for sharing your knowledge with charcoal grilling tips- Tim in MI
Great tips as always Ryan! I just celebrated my one year anniversary of switching to charcoal. Your channel was instrumental in helping me learn and I continue to learn from all your content!
Thank you sir! Teaching my 6 year old how to grill and I was determined to show her the correct way! My mom taught me and I’m passing it on! There were a couple tips I knew and a couple I learned! Had to use lighter fluid this time but we’re going to be purchasing a chimney for the next time!
That is awesome!
We love cooking over charcoal and appreciate your tips, especially the stainless steel Weber cooking grate!
These are very useful and straight-to-the-point tips! GREAT JOB!
Another suggestion: Regulate the temperature with the air intake and not the exhaust vents. I follow this rule whether using the Weber kettle or my offset smoker. On both I leave the exhaust fully open if there's a fire in the cooker. Regulating at the exhaust can cause a creosote buildup on the food if there's hardwood in the fire.
Damn thanks for this comment. I'm very new to grilling and want to do it as cleanly as possible. The less creosote I consume the better. Cheers.
This guy gets it and is super cool.
I've been grilling for a little while . . . but I like to always refresh with the basics.
This dude's got a great demeanor & a very good delivery, unlike 90% of the yoyo's here in California.
This cat makes you wanna get out and grill ! That's what it's all about 1
Thank you Sir !
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!!
These are great tips. With lighter fluid and pre-soaked charcoal, you can use it without letting your food taste like lighter fluid, but you have to give it plenty of time to burn off. That's when you get in trouble. And like you said in this video, people tend to rush things. Grilling is a relaxing venture for me. It's weekend labor of love. I cook with a 22-inch Weber as well. You can't go wrong. It's so versatile. I'm using apple wood to smoke some jerk chicken this weekend. Pimento wood is traditional, but that is too pricey for my blood. Good luck to all, and happy grilling!
He sounds like the king of the grill!❤
I grill twice a week for the last 20 years, you are right 100% ! Well done brother.
You trying to kill yourself?
1- Don't use lighter fluid.
Use cooking oil. Slowly soak your charcoals with cooking oil. There are numerous videos explaining this process.
There are also " tumbleweed " fire starters on the shelf. Use the cooking oil method.
2 - Get a good thermometer.
You can get a nice wireless 4X thermometer for $50 that will give you the grill temp and 3 meat probes
If you're smoking or slow cooking - you really need a thermometer.
3 - When smoking or slow cooking you will need to feed the fire with charcoal.
Put the desired amount of charcoal in your chimney and place it on top of your grill.
This dehydrates, preheats and prepares the charcoal to catch quickly with much less foul smoke.
Loved you got straight in, was clear and concise. So many people just ramble and waste time. Fantastic. I learned a lot rreal quick. Thanks1
Best video I have seen for beginners. Straight to the point and helped me a ton.
Nice vid. One other rookie mistake I made in the beginning was when trying to lower the temp on a low and slow cook. I set the vents so close that the coals starved for oxygen for a while. The food ended up tasting like unburned hydrocarbons, or raw fuel. Unfortunately it was for my in-laws. It would have been much better to let the temp run higher and take the food off earlier.
After a lifetime of using charcoal lighter fluid, I prefer to use it with my charcoal to get it lit and up to temp quicker. I have never found that my food ever tasted like light fluid so long as I never started to cooking on the grill before the coals are fully up to temperature. By then any lighter fluid has cooked off. All the other recommendations apply. Cooking over a charcoal grill is not rocket science so don't be afraid to try it and learn as you go as well. We've all been there.
That's because you are following on of the other tips...letting the charcoal get up to temp. Lighter fluid is not a bad thing if you give it time to burn off...which really isn't that long.
That being said, I LOVE my chimney. I have been using one for 25 years. I haven't bought lighter fluid in forever, which save a few pennies.
We should be teaching this in school, great job!
Well done video! As a gas griller I didn't even think about watching anyone who actually knows how to charcoal grill. I didn't have the patience to learn charcoal grilling and with this video I have learned more than I could ever imagine because again I've been gas grilling for so long I don't even think about charcoal grilling but now I am thinking about it. I have gotten pretty good at gas grilling I still may not change over but you have got me thinking. Thank you
Good content. Great advice for newer grillers to zone their charcoal. There's definitely a difference between smoking, grilling, and cooking.
I have a chimney, but often use fluid instead simply so I can "fire clean" the grilling surface. As long as I let the coals (Kingsford Blue) fully ash over (about 20 - 25 minutes) I don't get any lighter fluid taste at all.
Nobody wants to eat lighter fluid- Kitchen Alpha.
Great 100% tips....this man knows his grill!
Thank you for the tips! I especially appreciate creating zones with charcoal. God bless you
Nothing wrong with lighter fluid, but thanks for trying to help.
I have to add another one, learn a cooking style before trying something new.
Cooking steaks is not the same as cooking hamburgers or fish. Learn how to cook 1" steak but doing it several times. Then try something different, and get good at that.
(Note: I but a slab of NY Strips, and have the butcher cut them to 2 thick, 1 normal, and 1 thin. This way all the steaks are done at the same time. Yes, I usually have 18oz steak, while my wife likes an 8oz. My daughter listens to her piece of meat for moo echos and my son, well I am not sure he actually tastes it.)
I must reiterate about fast cooking of meat, 3-6 minutes a side. Figure out your heat and guess at a time to cook based on the thickness of the meat. Do not open the lid as that will always increase the cooking time. Then flip the meat. If it looks a tad underdone, add a minute, overdone, subtract a minute. Get your meat cut the same thickness. (I love pork steaks on a grill, actually, I only like them on a grill. I talked to my butcher about why they were 1/2, and he said because that is what sells in this store. Next time I got them 1" thick. For me, that was too much so next time I will have them cut 3/4".
Those are some good points! Thank you for your input!
@@KitchenAlpha I do need to watch a few videos on specific techniques. I think my next one will be doing a wet sauce on some meat.
Thank you Sir! I bought my chimney yesterday and can't wait to give it a shot.
Appearance and tone is everything! LOL! As soon as the intro finished, I knew - "This guy knows how to grill."
Learned a ton in a very short amount if time! Great video!!!
Hank Hill using "Charcoal"?
I kept running into this problem. Thank you for the advice.
Cool! Thank you so much! I'm up in Pennsylvania, and my neighbor and I got a charcoal grill. We both work/worked in the business... but, it's different territory being out of the kitchen. So these videos are helpful! Especially, because we are probably going to be doing Thanksgiving and Christmas outside, with all the snow, so the more we learn, the better we can do. Thank you!
I know these steps may sound like common sense but I want to thank you for the reminders. I love your advice and will take a look at your other suggestions.❤
You put it perfectly: PATIENCE! It makes all the difference in the world.
I didn't know about putting the lid on the top with the vents fully open to warm up the grill before putting the food on. All great tips!
Great video, very helpful with clear concise instruction! Thank you for posting this!
Great summary of all the bbq tips you need and i also use. Thanks.
You may not know it friend, but outside of the beginners, you’re helping people like me who think they know a little too much. Humbles me to watch your content. Glad I discovered it. Keep rockin.’ 🤘🎸☮️