How To Make Charcoal Grill Hotter
Making Charcoal Grill Hotter
How Can You Increase Your Charcoal Grill’s Temperature? Steaks, hamburgers, pork chops, and poultry are typically cooked on a grill to achieve a seared exterior. This searing process occurs as the heat from the ignited charcoal chars the meat’s surface, sealing in the flavorful juices. However, this outcome relies on the grill obtaining a sufficient temperature. An inadequately heated grill fails to produce the seared texture, compromising the taste and feel of the meat.
Why Isn’t Your Charcoal Grill Heating Up
For delicious grilled meat, you must turn up the temperature of your grill if it isn’t getting hot. You can regulate the temperature of a gas grill by twisting the knob on the burner. Charcoal grills, on the other hand, do not have temperature control knobs or buttons. Regardless, there are various methods to crank up the heat on your charcoal grill.
Grates Made of Cast Iron Are Ideal
The kind of grate on your grill will influence the temperature at which your meat cooks. The vast majority of grill grates are composed of steel or cast iron. While steel grates are often less expensive, they do not have the same heat retention capabilities as cast iron grates. Cast iron has strong thermal conductivity qualities, which means it can absorb and retain heat better than other metals such as steel. As a result, going from a steel grate to a cast iron grate will increase the temperature of your grill. Please make sure the cast iron grate you use is the correct size for your grill.
Lower The Height Of The Grates
A lower grill grate and a cast iron grill grate can also increase grill heat. A higher grill grate lowers the cooking temperature. A shorter distance between the meat and the fire will result in a higher cooking temperature. Some grills do not allow you to adjust the height of the cooking grate. Try lowering the grate until it is about 1 inch from the fire on your grill if it has an adjustable height.
Use Lump Charcoal
Lump charcoal is another way to make your grill hotter than charcoal briquettes. Lump charcoal is almost completely carbon-free. Charcoal briquettes, on the other hand, are made of burning sawdust and other particles bound together by a binding agent. Charcoal lumps offer the best grilling performance, despite being similar in size. It burns hotter emits less ash, and is cleaner than charcoal briquettes. By using lump charcoal, you can create a fire that is ideal for grilling meat.
Keep the Lid Closed
It’s best to close your grill’s lid while using it so that the heat stays inside. When grilling meat, pitmasters regularly open the lid to check on the meat. Keeping the lid closed will allow you to attain a surface temperature between 500 and 1,000° F. You should close the lid after adding the meat to the grate and do not open it again until you need to flip the meat.
Even so, you’re still going to have to open the lid when you flip the meat. If you close your grill afterward and keep it closed, you should not notice much of a change in temperature.
Open the Dampers
It is best to keep the grill lid closed, but leave the dampers open. Dampers are the movable vents on your grill. Charcoal grills normally have two dampers. There is one damper placed on top of the lid and one on the bottom. These dampers are designed to give you more control over the grill’s temperature. When the dampers are closed, no air enters the grill’s fuel chamber. And if there is no fresh air, the fire will finally extinguish.
When the dampers are open, the fire will draw in new air, allowing the charcoal to burn at a higher temperature. Fresh air functions as fuel by delivering more oxygen to the burning charcoal. The oxygen in the air feeds the flames, causing the grill to heat up. Remember to open the dampers when grilling to get the highest possible temperature.
Do Not Block Dampers To Make Charcoal Grill Hotter
When adding charcoal to your grill, be careful not to block the dampers by accident. You will usually find dampers at the bottom of the charcoal grill. Charcoal may block this damper since it is near the fuel compartment. Hence you should place the charcoal away from this damper. If possible, keep at least one inch between the charcoal and the damper. There is less airflow near the damper, leading to a lower grilling temperature. How To Make Charcoal Grill Hotter?
Put Food Directly On Top Of Coals To Make Charcoal Grill Hotter
You should place your meat directly over the coals if you want the hottest temperature possible. Also , one would probably won’t be able to sear the exterior of the meat if you place it on the left or right side of the grates, where it’s not directly over the fire. You can reduce the hassles associated with low grilling temperatures by placing your meat directly over the fire. How To Make Charcoal Grill Hotter?
Distribute The Coals, Then Start Cooking
The bulk of your coals should be coated in that familiar white/gray ash at this time, with the inside of your pile aglow and orange-red with heat, indicating that you’re ready to cook.
Reposition your charcoal around the grill, spreading it out evenly and adding a few more pieces if the fire starts to fade.
For this, utilize HEAT-RESISTANT tongs with the longest feasible handle, and proceed with extreme caution.
To provide a vigorous, long-lasting burn, the coals should be tightly packed, but not so tightly that there is no ventilation. This conserves heat and keeps everything burning.
Top off your coals regularly, and don’t wait until everything is practically burnt away to do so. Otherwise, your meat will be chilly, and your tummy will be grumbling! Fill up your briquettes if you see half of them are gone.
Although you’ll have to wait for the ash to form before continuing to cook, you won’t have to start from scratch, and this approach ensures an even, complete cook for your meat.
Estimates Of How Much Charcoal You’ll Need In General
- Small grills with twenty to thirty pieces should be enough.
- Medium grills, which are the most prevalent, will work best with up to forty pounds of meat.
A successful burn on a commercial grill can take up to two full bags of charcoal, which will take much too long if you use the newspaper approach!
Conclusion
Low heat should not compromise your grilling activities. Make sure you remember these tips next time you want to use your charcoal grill and you will have no trouble getting those coals hot!