How to Keep a Charcoal Grill Lit? All You Need to Know

Despite so much talk about charcoal grills being wasteful and bad for the environment, it seems like people can’t stop using them. The onion grill trend these days may be the herb grill, but the charm of the good old charcoal grill remains the same.

Perhaps because of the irreplaceable smoky flavors or the gorgeous charred marks on the grates, the charcoal grill isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. And if you manage to actually do it, coal doesn’t want to stay lit.

So, in this guide, we’re going to look at how to keep the charcoal grill fire going.

How do you keep a charcoal grill from going out?

We know that cooking on charcoal isn’t always easy, so here are a few tips to help you keep the charcoal grill fire going once you’ve got the chimney starter right.

1. Use dry charcoal. We know you can’t control the humidity in the air, and unfortunately, grilling over wet charcoal can be tough. Pieces exacerbate the problem as they absorb a lot of moisture. So when the weather is stuffy, use lump charcoal.

2. Shock absorbers. The dampers are very important to keep a hot charcoal grill. Each charcoal grill comes with one or two dampers. They control and moderate the flow of it and keep the fire going. You can control the shutters to moderate how strong or weak the fire should be.

Pampers basically pass oxygen through coal. More oxygen, more fire. So when you warm up, open up the ventiduct and let the oxygen do its thing.

3. Do not use soaked wood chips. While it may seem ideal to soak some wood shavings in whiskey for the perfect BBQ, if your coals don’t grill lit, your meat won’t be cooking. This time, ditch the soaked wood chips and use dry wood chips instead.

4. Always fold. Coal should be stacked, not scattered. When you stack charcoal, they stay lit the same and high for a longer period of time. The coal then works like a shield and maintains a constant temperature.

It is best to stack the charcoal right in the middle of the grill. In this way, fire can reach every corner.

5. Clean your grill regularly. Sometimes people find that their coal is failing and check the vent to find it is clogged. This usually happens when the ash doesn’t spill out after you finish grilling. To avoid this annoying problem, we recommend cleaning your grill quickly after every use.

6. Consider the weather. The weather plays a very important role in keeping the fire going on the grill. If the weather is humid, the coal may become damp and thus not ignite properly.

If the weather is too windy, the fire may go out due to the strong wind.

The breeze is not your friend in grilling. You may need to use a shield of some sort or cover the grill with a lid to prevent the fire from going out.

4. Patience. Our last piece of advice for you is to be patient. Closing the grill too soon, or before the coals are ready, will only cause the coals to go out and the meal to be half cooked. Take the time to put together a nice, healthy bundle of coal before you even consider putting that steak on the grill.

How to fire up a BBQ on coal with fire starters?

The easiest way to light a coal grill is to use lighters. It takes about 40 minutes to fully warm up. Here’s how you do it.

Use enough briquettes. Most people end up using too little coal and the fire goes out very quickly. Use enough briquettes to prevent this from happening. Read the instructions on the coal package, and it should tell you how much coal you will need for a given grilling period. Check out our detailed article How much charcoal to use in a grill.

Put them together! Do not scatter coal all over the grill. Instead, stack them in one place like a pyramid. It’s best to put all the coals in one corner of the grill.

Place all-natural starting dice. Now it’s time to get your starter dice. Use all-natural, as they do not contain any chemicals. Place them in different corners of the stack. Hide them inside so the fire can go through them.

4. Open the vent. Ignite the chimney starter cubes with the fire. Then open the vent of your barbecue grill. This will make the airflow freely and make the charcoal lit faster.

5. Start the timer. Start the timer and wait 40-45 minutes. Starting a fire is the easiest way, but it takes more than half an hour to grill. So always plan your barbecues in advance.

You can just go somewhere else and do some barbecue marinating or other tasks. When the timer goes off, your grill will be ready.

How to make a charcoal grill lit in the wind?

What to do if you decide to grill food, but the weather is too windy? Well, that doesn’t mean you have to move your grilling to another day! Luckily, the grill can be kept in the wind, but grilling in such conditions will definitely require more time and effort from you.

First, try to add charcoal more often so that the fire grill lit continuously. Depending on the strength of the wind, you may need to use different amounts of coal to maintain the correct temperature.

Also, remember to keep the vents open at all times. And to keep the ash from getting on your food, slowly lift the lid and push it aside. And of course, don’t use the charcoal grill in high winds, as it’s not safe!

Reasons your charcoal grill won’t be burning

There are several reasons why your charcoal grill does not stay lit. We recommend reviewing this entire list and rechecking each potential issue in your current situation.

1. Wet

Charcoal does not burn when it is damp. Before you start, make sure everything is dry. If it doesn’t, let it dry out on the grill for a bit. We recommend storing the charcoal in a dry place to avoid this problem in the future.

2. Not enough air

Fire needs air to burn. If you suffocate your coals by depriving them of access to air, they will not be able to burn. Make sure your vents are open (and clean) and that your charcoal is in a place where it can breathe.

3. Your charcoal is not properly positioned

While it may seem easy to toss charcoal into the grill and walk away, it will not provide optimal fire burning. You should try to stack your coals, or at least keep them all together, as spreading them in one thin layer will not ignite. We recommend looking into a chimney starter if you need help with this.

4. You’re using the wrong charcoal

There are actually two different types of charcoal, and they work in completely different ways. Although briquettes burn longer, they are also difficult to keep burning. Perhaps try lumpy charcoal instead.

5. You close the lid too soon.

We understand that you want to cook your steak with the lid closed. We, too. But be aware that you must keep it open while lighting charcoal. If they are only partially launched, putting on it will stifle their progress. Yes, this means that you will have to be patient.

How do you keep a charcoal grill lit for hours?

As long as you bring the right coal and it’s dry and in good condition, keeping the charcoal burning is easy. This is your answer to why my charcoal grill doesn’t burn. Now, the next pressing question is how to maintain a fire in the barbecue.

Dry coal, ventilation, sufficient distance, and patience. Here is the secret formula.

Once you’ve fired up those embers, it’s time to light them up. Don’t forget to fire up the coals in a pile, and then arrange them around the grilling. You can then add more charcoal to the hot coals. This is a great opportunity to create “hot” and “cold” zones on the grill for cooking different dishes at different temperatures.

Make sure you have adequate ventilation and that the vents are not blocked. Once ignited, you do not need to add liquid or other fuel; the coals are so cool – once they start, they won’t stop. That’s the beauty of it! Here’s how to keep a charcoal grill lit right there.

Dry coal, ventilation, sufficient distance, and patience. This is the secret formula. And remember, we all have different it and live in different places – what works for you may not work for another grilling enthusiast. However, we have to start somewhere, right? After all, we are all a big family that loves food.

How about lighter fluid?

If you prefer to use fluid to keep your grill running, there are a few steps you need to follow. This includes:

First, you need to make sure your charcoal is stacked correctly. It should take the form of a pyramid. This means that you need to put the big blocks on the bottom and then put the smaller ones on top.

After that, you need to pour the lighter fluid evenly over the coals. Read the instructions on the fluid package to find out how much you need.

You don’t want to overdo lighter fluid. Make sure you use a thin layer and don’t spray everything in one place.

You should wait about one minute for the coals to soak up some of the lighter fluid. This way you will get the best lighting results.

After that, you can use the grill lighter to ignite the lighter fluid. You should see the flame spread throughout the grills. Once the flame ignites, do not add any fluid. Otherwise, it will create a serious security issue.

Wait a few minutes until individual pieces of charcoal ignite. As soon as the flame becomes uniform throughout it, you can start frying.

How to stop a charcoal grill?

If you’re done and want to put out your charcoal grill, there’s a reliable way to do this. You can just close it. Yes, it can be that simple. When you are tired and not bothered, close the lids and vents on the grills and let them sit for a while.

The lack of oxygen will eventually cause the fire to go out.

However, coals can cool completely in 2-3 days. This method is by far the safest way to put out a charcoal grill.

FAQ

Do you leave the lid open or closed when heating charcoal?

It depends on what kind of food you are cooking. If you are grilling thin cuts of meat, you will not need more time to cook it. This way you can keep it open. The high heat will toast the mat in a few minutes.

But if you are grilling something large, like a brisket or spare ribs, it is better to close it so that the dish cooks longer. When you close it, the temperature remains stable and low. In this, you will not have a piece of meat that is grill lit on the outside, but raw on the inside.

How do I keep my grill flame going?

There are many ways to light a charcoal grill; however, it is not uncommon for people to find it difficult to maintain a flame. If you’re finding it difficult to maintain a fire on a charcoal grill, you can try a few of these tips.

Make sure you choose the right charcoal, position it correctly on the grill, and think carefully about how you use your lighter fluid.

Conclusion

Overall, this can be tricky once you learn how to keep a charcoal grill lit. But once you make sure you’re not making one of the common mistakes and lighting your grill properly, it shouldn’t be too hard to keep the flame going.

If you are still having trouble, check the quality of the charcoal, as this may be the cause. But also remember that charcoal cooking takes patience, so you might want to start early to make sure the embers are good and hot when it’s time to cook.