THE HEAT OF THE COALS
seconds you can
hold the palm of
your hand 4 inches
above the coals
temperature range (Fº)
visual cues
HOT COALS
2
400 to 450
barely covered with
gray ash; deep red glow
MODERATELY HOT
375 to 450
thin coating of gray
ash; deep red glow
MODERATELY HOT COALS
4
325 to 375
significant coating of
gray ash; red glow
MODERATELY COOL COALS
5
300 to 325
thick coating of gray
ash; dull red glow
3
Know When Your Fire is Ready
Successful charcoal grilling depends on a good fire. The general rule for knowing when your coals
are ready for grilling is to make sure that 80 percent or more of the coals are ashy gray. If you
have less than that, the coals are not ready, and if all of them are glowing red hot, the fire is
probably too hot. Here are a few steps you can take to adjust the temperature of your fire:
-
If it is too hot, spread the coals out a bit more, which makes the fire less intense.
-
Partially close the vents in the grill, which reduces the amount of oxygen that feeds the fire.
-
Use the indirect grilling method, with coals to either side of the charcoal grate and the food
over the other side rather than directly over the coals.
-
In the event of a severe flare-up, spray the flames with water from a squirt bottle. Be
careful, spraying with water tends to blow ashes around and make a mess.
-
Add briquettes 2 or 3 at a time to increase the burn time. Allow 10 minutes for coals to ash
over before adding more.
TO HOT COALS
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