You generally let charcoals burn about 15~20 minutes (sometimes longer depending on the color) before you start cooking. Try putting the black pieces on top of the already burning gray pieces to help the black ones burn. It's okay to have some black pieces sitting around the fire, just add those in as you go.
Allow the charcoal to burn for approximately 15-20 minutes until it develops a layer of gray ash on the surface. This indicates that the coals are ready for cooking, as they have reached a consistent high temperature.
After the fire is lit, it is important to know when it is ready to cook over. The coals will burn down turning white over time. As they begin to turn white, you will notice more flames. After the most of the charcoals turn white, the flames should die down, and the fire is ready. This is when the fire is at it's prime.
In charcoal cooking, you can leave the lid open more as more air = hotter fire. But on gas, lid should mostly be closed.
Charcoal briquets should be coated with white ash before you start cooking. The reason is not for flavor, it is because when coals are white they are at max heat. If you start cooking sooner they will get hotter as they sit.
If you need several additional hours of cooking time, you will have to add more than just 40-50 briquettes; you'll have to estimate how much depending on the amount of time. But in this instance, you may decide to add some unlit charcoal first, followed by some lit charcoal on top of that.
Charcoal is a surprisingly unregulated commodity. And these added chemicals in some imported charcoals and in most briquettes are the origin of that old adage of waiting for the coals to go white before cooking. This is because those added chemicals need to burn away first.
Regardless of which vent you're messing with, remember that open vents mean hotter and faster-burning charcoal. Closed vents mean less oxygen, which in turn means less heat and slower-burning charcoal. Now that you know about vents, the world—or at least your grill and the small area surrounding it—is yours.
Coals are ready when covered with gray ash.
After lighting, the flames will subside, and you will see the edges of the coals turn gray. Eventually the ash will spread to each briquet. The coals are now ready to spread out and use. The entire process takes 10 minutes.
Cut of meat
Thin pork chops, shrimp, and burgers tend to cook quickly. Leaving the grill lid up will slow the cooking process by reducing the temperature around the meat. For thicker cuts, you want to close the lid to keep the temperature high and even.
Snake Method
The 'snake' method consists of a series of unlit briquettes, 2 rows wide and placed at a 45 degree angle around half your barbecues circumference. For a 57cm barbecue, 10-12 briquettes are then lit off to one side, then once ashed over, piled over the front of the 'snake' to start the process.
When the charcoal firsts turns white, it is hot on the outside but still cool in the middle. You want to wait until at least 2/3rds of the charcoal lump has turned white and the charcoal has stopped smoking.
Since lump is charcoal in its most natural form, it's no wonder purists will almost always prefer it. Beyond that, lump charcoal has a lot of attractive qualities; it lights faster, burns hotter, and leaves very little ash compared to briquettes.
If you're cooking at a high temperature, you'll use more than if you're cooking at a low one. It also depends on what EGG size you're using; obviously an XL EGG is going to go through charcoal faster than a MiniMax. But, all that said, on average you'll get around 80 hours of cooking out of a Large bag of charcoal.
The lid should be open while you arrange and light your charcoal. Once the coals are well-lit, close the lid. Most charcoal grills are hotter right after lighting. The heat then tapers off.
Yes, you can add charcoal mid-grill session. It's important to do so carefully to maintain temperature and avoid flare-ups.
Insufficient Airflow
Without enough airflow, briquettes will struggle to stay lit. Common mistakes include closed or blocked vents and overcrowding the grill with too many briquettes. To ensure proper airflow, always keep the vents open and arrange the briquettes to allow space between them for air to circulate.
For high-heat grilling, or to increase grill temps, open the vents wide to allow more oxygen in. This makes the coals burn hotter.
Remember this basic rule of thumb: If you're cooking on a gas grill, opening the lid will make it cooler. If you're cooking on a charcoal grill, opening the lid will make it hotter.
LIGHTING CHARCOAL DIRECTLY
Ignite the kindling and leave the lid open, allowing the charcoal to ignite. After 15 to 20 minutes, the charcoal should be ashy and white as well as glowing. Use tongs or a charcoal rake to move the lit charcoal into the formation you need to cook.
Just like your oven, you should preheat your grill before throwing any food onto the grates (also, make sure those racks are clean before you place anything on them). Once your coals are distributed in your grill, throw the lid on and let it sit for five to 10 minutes before placing any food over the coals.
If the coals are still black or grey with the flames, they won't be hot enough. Once they glow white hot with a red centre, however, you can use them for direct heat. When they are ash-white – but still very hot – you can use them for cooking in the coals or for indirect heat.