How many of you love grilling? It’s probably one of the most popular outdoor activities in the country these days. And for good reason…grilled foods taste so much better than when they’re cooked in other ways, like baked or boiled.
But with so many different types of grills out there, it can be kind of a hassle to know how to effectively and safely use your grill. Even if you already know how to use your grill, it never hurts to learn new tips and tricks that make using your grill even more enjoyable.
Luckily, this article will go over everything you need to know about how to properly stack charcoal in your grill. Let’s get started!
What Is the Difference Between Stacking Charcoal And
Stacking briquettes? Stacking charcoal and stacking briquettes are two different methods of how to fuel your grill. With a charcoal grill, you put the charcoal briquettes in first, then add the unlit charcoal later on. With a briquette grill, you can start with the unlit briquettes or with a small amount of lit coals in the fire grates.
How to Stack Charcoal in A Grill
What you’ll need:
- A charcoal chimney or a metal mesh basket to hold the charcoal
- Charcoal lighter fluid – A lighter – Long tongs or a spatula or two long, thin metal spears
- Newspaper
Tips for Successful Charcoal Stacking
When it comes to stacking charcoal, there are a few basic tips that can help you avoid any mishaps and get the highest quality barbecue possible. The first tip is always to make sure that your grill’s vents are open before you start placing charcoal in the grill.
This is vital because opening up the vents gives oxygen to the coals, which speeds up their combustion and ensures faster cooking times. Plus, when you have a lot of air flowing through your grill it helps prevent any flare-ups from happening on the surface of your food.
Another important thing to remember when stacking charcoal is not to overcrowd your grill with more than one layer of coals on top of each other. Doing so could result in a fire because too much heat builds up quickly.
And if there’s too much heat, then the coals will be unable to provide an even heat source, which may cause some parts of your food to become overcooked while other parts are undercooked. Lastly, when stacking charcoal, make sure there is at least an inch between each layer so that they burn slowly and evenly without any flare-ups occurring.
So now that we’ve gone over a few helpful tips for successful charcoal stacking, let’s move onto how exactly you should stack your coals for best results.
Why Is Stackable Charcoal Important?
First, let’s start by explaining what stackable charcoal is. It’s charcoal that can be stacked on top of one another without making contact with the grill grates. Stackable charcoal allows you to make your grill up to five times larger than it would normally be and also allows for more even cooking.
Stackable charcoal also has a lot more surface area than normal charcoal, which means it will last twice as long before needing to be replaced. This is especially important because most people don’t have enough space in their backyards to store a lot of grilling supplies like gas tanks and propane tanks, so having a way to cut down on the number of supplies needed is always good.
And finally, if you use stackable charcoal in your grill, you won’t risk burning your food as much because there won’t be as many hot spots or hot spots that are too hot. There’s an easy rule when it comes to grills: if there are too many hot spots, food tends to burn faster and not cook evenly.
How to Keep Charcoal from Smoldering Down
There are three ways to keep charcoal from smoldering down in a grill. The first way is to put a grate on top of the coals before adding the charcoal. This will make sure that the coals aren’t going to fall through the grate and start a fire in your house or backyard.
The second way is to use an ash catcher when you light up your grill. A good ash catcher will ensure that no ash falls into your food, which can cause it to be burnt by too much heat in one area. The third way is to use ground charcoal over time.
So if you have a big enough grill, you can collect all of the spent coals over time and just light them up again when you want more heat for grilling.
Conclusion
If you want to get the most out of your grill, make sure that the coals are completely lit and hot. When stacking charcoal in a grill, it’s important to have it tightly packed. So you don’t need many briquettes, just enough to fit on one side of the grill. The most common mistake when stacking charcoal is not having enough space for air to flow through. A general rule of thumb is that you should stack 2 layers of charcoal on top of each other
