Barbecue
lighting guide
It may seem daunting but it's really quite simple if you keep in mind few, small but fundamental rules.
How should you ignite a wood barbecue?
How should you ignite a wood barbecue?
The wood must be thoroughly dry and cut into small pieces.
This is the good old traditional method:
Create a layer of small pieces of dry wood.
Place some crunched-up sheets of newspaper at the base of the firewood. Alternatively, gelatine and resin fire starter squares are also very practical. We advise against using alcohol or petrol by-products.
Place the larger pieces of wood that will become the embers, or the charcoal or coal, on top of the firewood.
The embers under the grill are ready when a light layer of ash forms on top of them.
Firewood ignition is a lot easier
if your barbecue has a firewood-rack.
- Create a layer of small pieces of dry wood.
- Place some crunched-up sheets of newspaper at the base of the firewood or resin fire starter squares.
- Place the larger pieces of wood that will become the embers, or the charcoal or coal, on top of the firewood.
- The firewood-rack allows you to continuously produce embers for long grilling sessions: the embers that are gradually formed through wood combustion are moved under the grill (or griddle) and are soon produced again by adding new pieces of wood to the firewood-rack.
How can I light a coal
or charcoal barbecue?
Natural lighting follows a procedure that is very similar to wood lighting;
remember that it is a good idea to oxygenate a lit pyramid of coal by fanning the air with a newspaper to promote combustion.
In the first place, put some plant-based resin fire starter squares in place and light them.
Cover them with a pyramid-shaped heap of coal/charcoal.
Oxygenate the pyramid of lit coal by fanning it with a newspaper to favour combustion.
The embers are ready when they are covered by a thin layer of ash.