How to Prepare Charcoal at Home for the Barbecue | USMEF

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How to Prepare Charcoal at Home for the Barbecue

If you are a lover of barbecues and you use it regularly for cooking, charcoal is a must in your home. If you want to go one step further and make your barbecues a completely new experience, you can try preparing your own charcoal. You will save money in the long run and you will be able to give your meats a spectacular and totally personalized flavor.

If you are going to have your next barbecue soon and you want to make it special, here are some tips for preparing homemade charcoal.

Steps to make charcoal at home

To make homemade charcoal you only need two items: a metal barrel or a large can and the raw material; this is cured wood for charcoal (you can use pieces of cherry, oak or walnut, for example).

  1. Find a suitable outdoor spot to build a fire. Place the metal barrel or can in that spot.
  2. Fill that container with the cured wood. It is important to fill it to the top and adjust the pieces of wood as compactly as possible. Put a lid on that covers the keg, but is not airtight.
  3. Now prepare the fire. You will need enough wood to last 3-5 hours. Prepare the base of the fire with the woods that you have gathered and leave a hole, like a nest, in the center to place the barrel.
  4. Light the fire and keep it burning for at least 3 hours; then leave it until all the wood is consumed. The keg must be completely cold before we touch it.
  5. When we remove the lid, we will see that pure charcoal has formed. To remove it from the container you can use some tongs and remove it little by little.
  6. Finally, remember to put the charcoal in a sack and store it in a cool, dry place.

Now you just have to try it and enjoy the flavors of the chosen wood at your next barbecue. You are now one step closer to being a grill master!