fire pit cooking

[wareagle69]

ok this thread will be hand in hand with my ongoing fire skills as that is how i start my fire pit, at this point my pit is just a circle surrounded by rocks built up around to help sheild the fire and keep in warmth then i have a folding grill that i cook with, it has served me ok so far i am working on a different style to help though. What i have noticed is that about and hours worth of burning will give me an hours worth of coals now how to manage that.
What i learned to night is good i was doing chicken and then some pork chops, the chicken needs about 40 minutes to cook and the chops only 20, after about 30 minutes i noticed my heat slowing up my concern would be not enough heat for the pork sop i put them on and not very much searing no sizzle on the grill, so i stirred up the coals since all the white was on top and got the black coals fired up, immediatley the heat increased for a good 20 minutes kept sizzle.
also i use pine alot don't but i am using heat not flame to cook and i haven't had a problem with that, stay tuned folks

[Rick]

Try a higher BTU wood. The heat should last longer. Here's a chart you can use to determine which is best for you.

http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/sendIt/g1554.pdf

[wareagle69]

i understand that rick but i use what is easy dry and dead, what allen teaches is to find your camp site near a fire tree so i use what i can, with the pit here in the back yard i use what is on the ground that i am trying to clean up i have birch, tammarack, white pine, red pine, red oak, red maple, elm, and aspen, and oh yeah cedar and juniper

[Gray Wolf]

Great link Rick!

[Rick]

WE - By knowing what BTU each of the woods offer you might be 1) better prepared in the wild and 2) be able to make some comparisons between the available woods while you are home. Just thought it might help.

[wareagle69]

i agree rick
the one thing i have gained great insight into this past year is wood, with heating my house with a wood stove i have learned about btu values and how to tell what kind of wood just by the bark in my wood pile, i hope to get some better books for christmas on trees nt just the basic books but some good dendrology books

[rebel]

We've been planning a fire pit dinner for about a week. Hot dogs on a stick, baked beans and fried potatos.

[Rick]

Same with me. I happened upon that link several years ago researching wood for my fireplace.

I have a really ancient hand book on trees. It's from the old Golden Guide series. I have a bunch of those. Insects, Flowers, Trees and Birds. Great little pocket guides. Sadly, they aren't published any more. I have the paperback versions. I'm sure you can still find them at rummage sales or even used book stores. If you run across any, grab them. The tree book is great for identifying trees.

[wareagle69]

We've been planning a fire pit dinner for about a week. Hot dogs on a stick, baked beans and fried potatos.

tell me how you plan on doing it especially the fried taters

[rebel]

tell me how you plan on doing it especially the fried taters

I put the taters in a cast iron skillet with some oil, onion and seasoning. Then put it over the fire on the grate.

[jrock24]

I like to cook taters wrapped in foil right down by the coals.

[chiye tanka]

WE, when I tend fire at our sweat lodge, I use pine to get the fire going. The pine gets it good and hot, then I use oak, it doesn't burn as fast but burns longer and the coals stay hot longer.

[rebel]

Our cook-out was great. It started with some good news. Then a 1 hour hay ride down a country dirt road to enjoy the fall colors. Then I started the fire with my home made blow torch. (Why wait all day). The hot dogs were how ever you like 'em. That was our anniversary. It couldn't have been better.

[rebel]

I like to cook taters wrapped in foil right down by the coals.

I do that some too. I put some liquid smoke in the foil.

[crashdive123]

Well Happy Anniversary!!!!!!