Howdy & Welcome !!!!
Don't know that we have a single guide like that all in one place, but we can certainly help with setups & general guidelines & things to watch for....
You'll see some stories like this:
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/indirect-cooking-low-medium-high/about how to set up charcoal & what then to expect..............
and brands....
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/royal-oak-briquettes/Here's some about setup & what works & problems encountered....
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/frustration-just-need-to-vent/http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/effect-of-wind-on-at-ots/Some charcoal basket experiments by Jammato.....
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/charcoal-baskets-and-heat-experiments/Here's a generalized map of ways to set up charcoal for different methods & heats....
For starting, most folks use a chimney starter, a little newspaper or a lighter cube underneath, fill the chimney all or part way with charcoal & in maybe 15 or so minutes, it's ready to go.....dump in the kettle, in whichever setup style you need & wait just a few for the kettle bell & grates to heat & you're good to go.....
Here's a "for instance"......chicken pieces, banked coals, going fairly hot, wood added for the second set of pieces,because the wife doesn't so much like smoked....
Chimney on the right with more startup coals getting ready...
Pretty fat banked coals.....this ends up being fairly hot.....
Taters on at almost 500f.....
Then, after they go awhile, the heat drops from the coals burning down & the chicken can start without getting dried out or burned....I usually go right next to the fire.....you can see it's hot right there, but not right above the coals, which you can also do for part of the time to get some crisp & char on the outside or the skin (this was skinless)......
Then for mine, a block or a few of wood for smoke flavor....
Tweety Platter....
Fill 'er Up.....
A different setup is like this brisket that's going right now....
Coals burn around in a circle, heating at a fairly low temp all night long.....slow cooking.....
It's a bit different......the obvious thing is "How Much?" & "How Long Will That Last?" as charcoal generally drops in heat over the length of the cook, compared to gas being mostly constant as it's applied.....
Part of that comes by doing, as not always can someone in a different climate or area answer exactly how many coals will produce what heat at your location.....generally, yes, but right on the nose is the craft of Weberology......
Another good thing to do is pick something you'd like to try, or something you had good success with on gas & ask about that particular setup.......start a thread in "BBQ & Grilling" & just ask......
There is someone here that will pretty much be able to answer ANY possible question you come up with....
Happy Master Touch !!!!!
Topic: Charcoal Novice (Read 4792 times)
