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charcoal cooking
so next to open flame cooking i like the easy ability this offers me.
what i have found with open fire is it takes about 2 hours of a good fire to get 1 hours worth of coals, and that can amount to allot of work to collect fire wood, also weather can affect this unless you build a shelter for your flame.
so with charcoal i can cook in a well ventilated area, like my garage as it is rather large and i keep the back door open along with the gargage door, the heat is very easy to regulate also i have learned that each peice of charcoal gives off about 40 degree of heat. in the fall charcoal usually goes on sale so i stock up and have about 10 large bags at all times.
one thing i have not experimented around with much tho is alternate ways of safley starting my charcoal, i just use the starting fluid, but lets say i run out, any ideas on safley getting my charcoal to light?
i also have found that if i take a tin can cut off botth ends and pop a few holes in it, it makes a nice little stove for my kettle or for putting another can on top to heat.
WE
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I use a charcoal chimney. This one is from Wall Mart. You just put a sheet of news paper at the bottom and light it. No lighter fluid so no fluid smell in your food. THey are usually large enough to get one layer in a Webber Kettle. If you are cooking with more then one piece of cast iron you will need two. I haven't done it but I suppose you could make one from a Gallon tin can by cutting out the top and bottom and putting vent holes around the bottom of the can like your stove. Just a thought.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Barbecue-C...arter/10879201
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I like cooking with charcoal, as well.
Have been known to buy, natural? non briquette oak charcoal to add to the fire pit......Looks like wood coals, but burns a lot longer and more even.
This is useful if making a pork loin or turkey on a spit, looks primitive but a whole lot less work.
If using a Dutch Oven, briquettes make it a lot easier to control the heat when baking and such.
A two pound coffee can with the bottom cut out, holes around sides at the bottom, with a beer can opener, works well as a "starter" (yeah I know, both of these objects are getting to be a thing of the past).
I wouldn't add bags of charcoal to a BOB, however.
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I use the chimney like Gryff shows.
I've been getting the lump charcoal. I swear those Kingsford briquettes have some kind of smoke flavoring in them. The lump stuff burns hotter if you let it, great for searing rather than slow cooking if you're in the mood for mooing meat. You can also smother it down for a slower cook but I think it still burns too fast to do something as big as a turkey.
I've been meaning to look around here to see if anyone has instructions on using a charcoal furnace to make their own. I took a bunch of pics of some 'backyard' models while over in England. Once I find a barrel I'll talk a buddy of mine into welding one up.
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