No shortage of barbecue masters and backyard chefs detail how best to arrange charcoal in an Apyce grill. Whether you’re just starting out with an Auplex Kamado or just looking for new and different ways to master your charcoal barbecue, finding the right way to do this part can seem overwhelming. Here’s how, using a charcoal basket and following a few tips, you can grill easily!
Fill the charcoal basket. This applies to almost any type of barbecue or smoking you are doing. Remember: You can have too little charcoal, but not too much. What’s more, simply by closing the grill vents and letting the fire die out, any leftover charcoal can be saved and used by the next cook.
“The smallest amount of charcoal you should use (except for ultra-low temperature smokes like cheese) is enough to fill the firebox.” He goes on to point out some best practices:
Fill the firebox to the top when cooking steaks and other foods at high temperatures.
For low and slow cooking, fill it halfway up the ring of fire so it lasts a long time (e.g. overnight)
Use leftover charcoal when lighting the grill for the next cook
Barbecue torches will make life easier. But it’s best to use charcoal left over from the last cook to keep burning. After shaking out the ashes from the charcoal basket, reserve some of the burning charcoal and place it in the top center of the charcoal pile. Then use it to start a fire.
Charcoal fresh out of the bag tends to spark, or may have accumulated some moisture, making it difficult to ignite. Your semi-burned charcoal can avoid these problems without having to buy a starter.
Mix it up
Make sure your charcoal is evenly mixed: you don’t want the chunks to be next to each other. This is to avoid what is known as “bridging”, when one piece is burning and the other does not burn because it is too big. When pouring charcoal into the basket, mix the small, medium and large pieces together.
Be careful when you smoke on your Auplex Kamado
If you are using smoked wood, there are two main methods: layering or ring.
If you are layering the smoking wood, you will want to alternate between a layer of charcoal and a layer of smoking wood as you fill the basket. Think of it as building a pyre, except you’re burning it from top to bottom.
If layering seems too complicated, place the smoking wood in a scattered circular arrangement at the top of the pile. Avoid placing smoking wood in the center of the fire. Use wood blocks, such as two inch by two inch whiskey barrels smoked wood blocks, and line them up around the center. This way, when the charcoal burns, the wood blocks will fall into the center, allowing your bacon to remain consistent throughout the cooking process.
Be prepared for 24/7 activities
The weather does not affect the way you arrange your charcoal when you use an Auplex Kamado. “That’s the beauty of using a ceramic grill: they barely care about the weather because of the physical nature of it being airtight and creating a chimney effect.”
Post time: Dec-15-2022