How to light a barbecue

With the onset of the warm season, many people rush to their dachas or go out into nature. This is a wonderful way to relax and escape from the drabness of everyday life. After all, what could be better than communicating with loved ones and friends in the fresh air, which is complemented by delicious food cooked on coals?

But many people face difficulties when lighting a barbecue, which is an indispensable attribute of every picnic. In this article we will tell you how to quickly, correctly, and most importantly, safely start a fire, and what you will need for this.

How to light a barbecue

Difficulties caused by starting a fire can cause a lot of trouble or completely disrupt the planned picnic. To prevent this from happening, you need to know how to light the coals:

1. Special liquid. On the shelves of hardware stores you can find special means for starting a fire. It can be liquid or gel. Many people believe that it is enough to pour liquid over the wood fuel and throw a match on it. This is incorrect because you will only get a bright fiery flash and a few small flames. The liquid must be applied evenly to the entire surface of the fuel and left for some time so that it saturates the combustible material. After this, you should set fire to the coal in several places. If you hear popping noises, it means the product has not been completely absorbed.
2. Newspaper. You can use the old fashioned method and light the coals using ordinary newspapers.For this you will need some newspapers and a bottle. The paper needs to be wrapped around the bottle. The resulting structure is placed at the bottom of the brazier, and wood fuel is poured around it. After that, the glass container must be carefully removed, and the newspapers must be set on fire.
3. Dry firewood. One of the easiest ways to start a fire is to build a small fire using dry wood. To do this, you need to prepare dry wood chips. They should be placed in the corner of the grill or placed on top of the fuel. When the wood chips burn well enough, you need to pour flammable material on top. To speed up the process, you can use some kind of “fan”. This will increase the air flow and the wood chips will burn faster.
4. Burner. It is a popular option for lighting a barbecue. The burner is easy to use, does not emit any foreign odors, and wood fuel burns quickly. The disadvantage of this method is the cost of the burner.
5. Dry alcohol. The substance should be placed at the bottom of the grill, and then covered with coals. The downside of this option is that dry alcohol is quite difficult to obtain.

Important! It is strictly prohibited to use gasoline, alcohol or other flammable liquids to start a fire. During combustion, they release dangerous volatile substances that will not only spoil the taste of the food, but can also lead to poisoning!

How to light a barbecue correctly

The taste of the finished product is directly affected by properly prepared coals. To light the grill, follow the algorithm:

1. Coal should be poured into the grill. To do this, you will need pieces no larger than 5 cm. If you come across large pieces of fuel, they should be crushed.
2. To start a fire, you should use one of the options described above.If you are using a special liquid, follow the instructions on the package.
3. After some time, the flame will go out. This does not mean that the coal is ready and you can start cooking barbecue.
4. Using tongs, the coals are collected into a pile and fanned using a “fan”. So-called gray ash should appear on the coals.
5. If after this the fire does not arise again, and the coals burn quite brightly, they need to be crushed a little. The smaller the size, the stronger the heat will be.

Reference! If the coal has been properly prepared, then in the daytime it appears to be extinguished, but as soon as you blow it a little, it turns bright red. If you pass your hand over the grill, you will feel a uniform and intense heat.

After this, you can begin to thread the meat onto skewers or place it on a special grill and begin the culinary action.

Reference! To add piquancy to the finished products, you can put several sprigs of herbs on the coals just before frying: mint, sage, tarragon and others.

Choosing charcoal for barbecue

The most common type of fuel for cooking barbecue is charcoal. It has a number of advantages: it does not smoke, produces even and intense heat, and does not emit harmful substances. In addition, it can be purchased at a regular grocery store or purchased in bulk.

High-quality fuel must be made from wood - it can be birch, aspen, oak and have the following characteristics:

• dense structure, hardness - does not crumble when squeezed in your hands;
• dark, almost black color - high-quality coal should not have an ashen tint;
• dry - the slightest ingress of moisture is not allowed.

The size of the pieces should not exceed five centimeters.If large pieces are found, they need to be crushed.

The product packaging must contain complete information about the manufacturer, composition, and country of origin. Before purchasing, check the expiration date of the fuel.

You can learn how to light a barbecue correctly only through practice. But gaining the necessary experience in this case will be quite pleasant, because the process will take place in the company of friends. If you follow simple recommendations, you will be able to please your loved ones with delicious, juicy barbecue.