How to light a grill with Thai charcoal?

[Rorri]

krisb, on 25 Apr 2014 - 10:21, said:krisb, on 25 Apr 2014 - 10:21, said:

They use plastic or get a small wood fire going first. If you want to fan the charcoal a hair dryer works well.

Yeah, I find a small fire works well, and yes, definitely good airflow from underneath. My good lady also collects some resin from trees, sorry I don't know the name of the trees, it works really well, small amount burns for a few minutes..

Edited April 25, 2014 by Rorri

[Rorri]

KhunBENQ, on 25 Apr 2014 - 10:51, said:

Stinking,. but working: a piece of an old inner tube from a scooter or bicycle lights up small wood sticks under the coal.

Thats how the Isan folks do it (my 65 year old neighbour granny does it daily on sunrise to steam her sticky rice, If winds are bad I get the stinky smoke ).

Wish I had a cleaner alternative!

I direct a normal fan just above the grill to blow away the smoke (from a few meters away).

You can also use it to blow the fire.

The fumes are also toxic and carcinogenic.

[Bpuumike]

the best thing to light up charcoal is vodka for sure because anything else would left smell in it, specially oils

Come on, that's a step too far!

[spiritrace]

^{I am both happy and surprised to see others using cooking oil on paper towels. I've been doing it that way for 60 years. Synthetic chemicals and stuff like that can not be safe for your health. Also the smell of oil, gas, diesel etc all get into the food. I thought I was the only one using cooking oil......Way to go guys!}

^{When I cure a fry pan and wipe it out with a paper towel, I put the towel in a cleaned paint can that I can seal. I also save the wipe up towel with bacon grease, that smells nice when I start the charcoal....}

[Thai at Heart]

Tissue paper scrunched into a cup. Teepee of kindling above. Start to pile charcoal around paper. Drop about 1/4 of used cooking oil into the paper . light paper. PIle kindling onto teepee. Once fire established pile coal up and around paper and teepee.

Within 5 minutes, fire is established. Learnt from a Brazilian and what they don't know about a barbecue ain't worth knowing.

[jacko45k]

I get some of the charcoal going on a gas ring, dump that in the bottom of the BBQ, position a few smaller pieces over it and start waving a fan at it like a maniac... one handed of course as I hold a beer in the other.

[Eagleizer]

If you use fluid to light your grill, which I think is the best

and easiest, make sure it`s not toxic.

Do not use diesel, gasoline or paraffin! It will make your

food taste funny , but diesel and paraffin is excellent

for making a fire, just not for cooking

Use 1 deciliter or so, and let it sit for 3-4 minutes so it

gets absorbed by the charcoal before you light it up

Let the flames go out before you put something on there.

A good rule is to let it burn for 15 minutes before you start

grilling to get even heat...

When you start grilling, have some water ready, as fat

from your food can make it start burning with flames, which

you of course don`t want... Use a bottle of water and hold

your thumb over the opening and just put a very small

amount of water on then you are killing the flames. If you

are really advanced, use a water gun! We all have one

after Songkran?

Oh man, now I got very very hungry...

Cheers and happy grilling!

[wayned]

Best way to light a Thai BBQ is to get a Thai wife

Really expensive charcoal lighter and never around when you need it!

[NeverSure]

Make one of these from about a 1 gallon/5 liter can. Set it on the BBQ, drop in some lighted paper soaked in cooking oil, drop in the charcoal and add a little more cooking oil.

No need to fan. Heat rises and pulls in fresh air at the bottom and exhausts it at the top. All charcoal is lighted evenly because it's held together and conducts the heat to the pieces.

When well lit, use pliers to lift the can off the charcoal and you're cooking - 10 minutes maybe.

This can was made with an old can opener but the holes could be drilled or punched. Cut the bottom clear out of the can so you can lift the can off the charcoal.

Edited April 25, 2014 by NeverSure

[Gumballl]

Make one of these from about a 1 gallon/5 liter can. Set it on the BBQ, drop in some lighted paper soaked in cooking oil, drop in the charcoal and add a little more cooking oil.

No need to fan. Heat rises and pulls in fresh air at the bottom and exhausts it at the top. All charcoal is lighted evenly because it's held together and conducts the heat to the pieces.

When well lit, use pliers to lift the can off the charcoal and you're cooking - 10 minutes maybe.

This can was made with an old can opener but the holes could be drilled or punched. Cut the bottom clear out of the can so you can lift the can off the charcoal.

charcoal.jpg

Brilliant! Finally a suggestion that does not involve the use of chemicals.

We use something similar in the US; it's called a "chimney". We don't use cooking oil, but merely newspaper (as kindle) at the bottom. When the charcoal is white (i.e. hot), the chimney is picked up and the charcoal is poured out into the bar-b-que.

P.S. The chimney concept is very similar to what Thai's do... they use a ceramic style cooker, where they stuff the charcoal inside. Air enters through the bottom to ensure the charcoal burns hot. The grill sits on top, and then of course, the food.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Gumballl

[dighambara]

Never had a problem in thousands of uses.

Place a small amount of dry kindling under the charcoal

Use quality mesquite briquettes, not stinky local charcoal.

Soak charcoal in grill starter fluid.

Wait about 5 minutes and light the pile.

Close grill cover and wait - fanning may help.

[tim armstrong]

So much poisonous gas and noxious fumes. Whatever happened to a few sticks of dry wood kindling, or tree branches with a bit of paper, make a fire with it then slowly add the charcoal ?

[rakman]

I like liquid oxygen.

use a little paper, put charcoal on top, light then use the lox.

[pigeonjake]

Tissue paper scrunched into a cup. Teepee of kindling above. Start to pile charcoal around paper. Drop about 1/4 of used cooking oil into the paper . light paper. PIle kindling onto teepee. Once fire established pile coal up and around paper and teepee.

Within 5 minutes, fire is established. Learnt from a Brazilian and what they don't know about a barbecue ain't worth knowing.

well all the time i worked in brazil i didnt learn a thing about barbi,,

they tought me about many other thingss,,,lol

[kimbathewhitelion]

Another Sheep who will definitely die in a crises.

Really, asking questions of a BBQ...absolute embarrassment to forgieners.

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[T_Dog]

The OP had trouble lighting store bought charcoal and using the resin-filled kindling you can buy from the local markets would probably do the trick. It burns very hot, and for a long time once the resin starts bubbling. You can start the kindling with a lighter or a short burst of flame on your gas fired cook top. Has a delightful smell as it burns.

By the way, a two gallon sized bag of charcoal and a handful of kindling will set you back 15 baht at the local market.

[kimbathewhitelion]

Retract

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[Gandtee]

Obviously not an ex Boy Scout. Use your loaf!!

[trainman34014]

I'd hate to think how some of you blokes would get on if you were stuck out in the bush with no gas stove or old cooking oil or old inner tubes.

If you don't have wood to chop into kindling just get some news paper & twist real tight. Stack a few of these under the charcoal, Works the same as kindling.

But I do have to admit, when the kindling is wet & no news paper left, the gas stove is a God send.

My first thought is...where the bloody hell would i get a newspaper out in the bush ?

[Eddy B]

I just use newspaper as the base followed by tinder and then charcoal on top. Light the paper and fan it. After 5 mins it will be going strong and then just add more charcoal where needed. My BBQ will usually burn for about 3-4 hours with no help once started.

[namdocmai]

I use a bbq firestarter from Weber, works perfect. I still wonder why the Thai don't make them, just copy it.

a piece of paper is lit and put under the starter and after 15 minutes the brikettes are ready.

[jaloochapurr]

I say in market you will find some sticks of wood. This comes from pine trees and has an aroma.i forget word in thai.but light these first to have natrual fire and pile slowly the charcoal fanning to get a good bed.

[1BADDAT]

Another Sheep who will definitely die in a crises.

Really, asking questions of a BBQ...absolute embarrassment to forgieners.

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Amazing that you would even bother to post such a reply. My question was completely valid and reasonable. What is embarrassing is the fact that you have nothing better to do than make retarded comments when you could be doing something constructive like..grilling..or anything else...

[1BADDAT]

Thanks to everyone who contributed. I should have mentioned that I live at a condo so access to wood, and old tires and such is not that easy. I don't even have a newspaper or any paper anywhere. I found a solution that seems to work pretty good. I use 4 of those wax discs that are used for heating soups and buffets. Then I broke up the charcoal into smaller pieces with a hammer. Drench everything with lighter fluid and light from the bottom. Has worked pretty well the last few times I cooked. I think the main issue is the grill I bought is so small it is hard to get a little fire like that going and not get it too big that it burns the meat too bad.

[1BADDAT]

Update; Found these little fuel squares at makro food service on north pattaya road. They are the same as the ones they use for the bbq delivery service.

[Thai at Heart]

Wigwam of kindling. Tissue and some cooking oil (or cut up old flipflop). Charcoal on top.

Where is the fun in a Weber lighting thingamajig

[Crossy]

Update, I recently saw and bought a little gas torch that clips onto those butane containers sold all over for the portable gas stoves.

A bit of kindling, pile on charcoal, 15-30 seconds with the torch and you're good to go.

[JDGRUEN]

Mix clothes washing soap powder with gasoline - makes napalm . and .... Nope that's not it... Pour brake fluid on swimming pool solid chlorine -- don't even need a match - it is starts burning ... but could be as little toxic .... so....

Go to Tesco's Outdoor/Camping Dept. They have packets of mini cubes of something labeled for lighting charcoal ... lights easy .. sit it under some of the broken up charcoal. .. then add more as it starts burning.

[willyumiii]

They use plastic or get a small wood fire going first.

How does the plastic work?

Don't use plastic!

Many Thais burn plastic bags and the like to get a fire started...

even worse is when they use strips if inner tube rubber to get it lit.

Both are very irresponsible and pollute with toxic smoke...and smell horrible too!

If you are chalanged by starting a fire naturally, and must use something, try a little wax, old candle stubs maybe.

It works and is far less polluting than plastic, rubber or even commercial fire starting fluids.

You may find it much easier if you do not buy the processed charcoal briquettes, tubes or cubes.

One of the things Thai people do very well is make charcoal by partially burning chunks of real wood.

I think it actually gives your food a better flavor as well.

You probably won't find it for sale at a farang type grocery store.

It is sold by the bag like those in the photo I have attached.

It is inexpensive to buy at many local markets and burns very well.

Do yourself a favor and give it a try!

Edited October 19, 2014 by willyumiii

[geronimo]

Stinking,. but working: a piece of an old inner tube from a scooter or bicycle lights up small wood sticks under the coal.

That the real Thai style, I can hardly image that this is the healthy way :-(

A lot of people use the old sole of a flip flop and just cut a few small bits off, they burn long enough to get it going.