How difficult is it going from a gas to a charcoal grill?

[mretzloff]

As someone who thinks that electric stove tops, margarine, and Sandra Lee are all works of the devil, I feel really embarrassed to ask this, but how difficult is it going from a gas to a charcoal grill? A friend requested that I grill at his cookout, but he has a charcoal grill, which I have never used before

Assuming that I am a quick learner and more than capable at cooking in general and grilling on a gas grill, how difficult of a switch should this be? Let us also assume that doing a test run and making something easy, like hot dogs, are not options

 

[-dave-]

I've never used charcoal but I'm led to believe there's a real knack to it, much trial and error and a need to be familiar with the quirks of your grill

 

[neilyasno]

Even though I am not that good at it, it's not that difficult. You just have to heat the coals to the right temperature. And dont use starter fluid

 

[Jim]

What are you cooking? Dogs, burgers and steaks should be no problem at all. If you want to cook a steamboat roast it may be a different story. I assume the owner of the grill in question has started a fire before.

 

[dk2852]

It can be difficult, gas is very easy to use.

Charcoal on the other hand has to be at the correct temp as someone pointed out and it can be very easy to burn the outside and have raw meat on the inside. I recommend learning the method and being familiar with the differences.

 

[Beerhunter]

The difference between gas to charcoal is tremendous
Same with shaving carts to de or straights the food tastes better you will never have to go out for BBQ again and it will be even better than you will imagine.
Learn the basic principles stick with them and you will be a Maestro of the Marinade. Cooker if chicken.
And you can do it with just a plain weber grill. But picking out your grill will have to be your decision.
What ever you do have fun watch your temps


Paul Kirk is a master of cooks. His books will explain what where and when and how to set up every thing
Really if I had the time and the money I would go this school and open up a BBQ joint. But life throws you crap and plans never happen.
Now go out there and make a rack of ribs with homemade BBQ sauce and don't forget to glaze the ribs.
http://www.baron-of-bbq.com/
You also look more like a man drinking a beer with all that smoke coming out from your grill lid. And if your girl likes to eat and enjoys the smell of BBQ stand close to the heat the smoke will leave traces on your clothes and getting lucky may be a option.
Cheers

 

[Mick]

The easiest way to transition is to build your fire on one side (leaving the other side cold).

that way you can regulate your heat by moving what you are cooking until you get the feel for coals.

Once you get how they work, you can then gauge the temp by looking at the coals and cook when they reach where you want them to be based on what you are cooking.

If you have not already purchased a charcoal grill, get one with an adjustable height fire shelf or cooking surface so you can run the coals or grill up and down instead of spending the time waiting for the coals to get where they need to be before you start.

A friend requested that I grill at his cookout, but he has a charcoal grill, which I have never used before

What are you cooking? and for how many people?

 

[5t8t2u]

There are 2 variables that could trip you up, especially if you're working "without a net" on your first try with lots of people relying on you for their meal; 1)starting the fire/keeping it going and 2)controlling the heat. Ask the host for help and on those two things and the cooking isn't that different. These items are as much art as science and take a little practice, just like DE-Straight shaving vs. electric/Mach III shaving. And it can be different on different grills. Tip-sprinkling water on burning charcoal reduces heat(but can cause ashes to land on the food.)

 

[brucea]

Step one get all the guests so drunk they won't know the difference if you mess up.But seriously,I only use charcoal as gas grills are illegal on terraces in NYC.It takes a little practice to get the hang of them. Be aware of the heat level.Let the coals lose the black color before you put food on. Do not stray to far from the grill and you will do fine. Hot dogs are easy look for the blisters and turn.Again most important is to be observant and have a good time.

 

[mretzloff]

Thank you for all of the replies. I will be making either steaks or burgers.

Step one get all the guests so drunk they won't know the difference if you mess up.

That was actually recommended in an article that I read online

 

[Beerhunter]

Um..... Burgers don't forget the bacon. Good luck.

 

[global_dev]

I am thinking the host doesn't know how to use charcoal either, since I think most people lord over their charcoal grills at least I do on my ceramic. And when my neighbors got a weber classic they asked me how to do everything.

 

[jbaca]

Do a tester before you cook up make sure your fire is going well have a spray bottle for flare ups bring your own tools cuz host may not have.

 

[Beerhunter]

Don't forget a meat thermometer just in case any temp over 144( Indiana board of health temp) will be good. Salt and pepper the burger and you can put a thumb print in the middle of each burger, this helps in keeping its shape. Get the charcoal real *hot over the heat for about 5 mins turn for same untill you get the look. Don't overturn once is fine. Don't "smash" with the spatula after the burgers are on
*Hot and Fast: For thin cuts of meat and smaller items like kebabs, steaks, chops, burgers, and dogs you want to turn up the heat and go quick. This means you need to keep a close eye on the grill and more importantly the food. So how hot is hot? The Rule is to (carefully) hold your hand just above the cooking grate and start counting seconds

5 Seconds - Low
4 Seconds - Medium
3 Seconds - Medium High
2 Seconds - High
1 Second - Crazy

 

[Beerhunter]

Sorry for hijacking the thread here. One last tip for either steaks or the burgers.


Whiskey Marinade
Prep: 5 min
Ready In: 5 min
“This marinade is so flavorful there is no need for steak sauce! Use your favorite brand of whiskey. Of cheap stuff Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, of use what you have.
Ingredients


1/4 cup whiskey


1/4 cup soy sauce


1/4 cup Dijon mustard


1/4 cup finely chopped green onion


1/4 cup packed brown sugar


1 teaspoon salt


1 dash Worcestershire sauce


ground black pepper to taste


Stir together the whiskey, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, green onion, brown sugar, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper.


Nutrition:
Amount Per Serving (5 total)
Calories92 cal
5%
Fat0 g
< 1%
Carbs14.8 g
5%See MoreBased on a 2,000 calorie diet

 

[Luc]

Taste-wise, charcoal is much better. Easy-to-use, gas is more consistent. Having said that, it doesn't mean that you won't be able to use it.

Make sure you spread the coal evenly that will avoid hot spots. When I was using charcoal I made myself some kind of cylinder with a handle. I would put the coals in, light them at the bottom and leave them as is for 10-15 minutes. They would burn and warm up way more evenly. Then, with gloves, I would remove the cylinder and spread the coals, put the grill back on and wait another 5 minutes for the grill to be hot. The fire should then be ready to use. To have a medium rare steak, from memory it was 4 minutes 15 seconds per side for a 1" thick. That might be different for you if the grill is higher or lower than the one I used. If I was doing 4 minutes 30 seconds, I would get a medium steak. The difference in time wasn't that great and it's easy to overcook. Tuna steaks were something like 1 minute per side. It's really quick.

 

[brucea]

Thank you for all of the replies. I will be making either steaks or burgers.
+1 Ha ha So you found my article!!!





That was actually recommended in an article that I read online

just kidding

 

[brucea]

How did my post get added to your quote? Oh well Im sure you know what I meant

 

[Fourcooks]

http://m.weber.com/recipes/grilling-guides
a good resource

 

[NCStateFan12]

Don't be scared of using charcoal. I use both on a frequent basis, although much prefer charcoal. With charcoal I feel I have more control and I am able to produce a far superior product, while with a gas grill it is much quicker. Charcoal does have a little trial and error in the beginning with figuring out how to control the temperature and such but can be quickly learned. I suggest investing in a few thermometers and it will be hard to go wrong with charcoal.