What kind of outdoor recreation can we talk about if there is no barbecue? Recently, this subject has firmly entered our lives. Fragrant shish kebab, grilled meat, grilled sausages on coals, vegetables baked on an open fire - for the sake of these culinary delights, we look forward to the weekend, and when we wait, we enthusiastically storm supermarket shelves in search of meat, seasonings, ketchups and other barbecue accessories. Do not forget about coal, without which all this fuss is useless. And the correct and quick kindling of coal is an art that requires experience and skill. In this article, we will look at how to make a do-it-yourself charcoal starter. This device fires up the grill in just 15 minutes, which speeds up the process of preparing delicious snacks.
Assigning a starter to ignite coal
If you have tried to light the coals in the grill yourself, then you know how difficult it is. If you pour them into the grill and set fire to it with paper or thin sticks, this does not always lead to success. The coals, of course, can flare up, but it will take at least 40 minutes beforeyou can start cooking meat. You can speed up the process by using a small sheet of cardboard or plywood, fanning the coals with a wave over the grill. But there is a risk, carelessly waving, overturning everything that you have prepared.
You can use special fire-starters available in supermarkets. It can be various liquids or alcohol tablets. This will undoubtedly speed up the process, but, as experience has shown, not by much. It is best to use a mug for lighting coal. Time is reduced by 3-4 times, and this is a definite plus for quick cooking on the grill. Moreover, you won’t have to spend money on acquiring such a starter, you can make it yourself.
Materials for making
There can be several options for making a starter. The choice of materials also depends on this. All methods for making a starter for igniting coal with your own hands are somewhat similar, so below is a general list of materials.
We will need:
- piece of steel pipe of suitable diameter and length;
- metal rod or threaded stud;
- wood lath;
- pieces of steel plates of different widths;
- screws and nuts for them.
As you can see, there are few materials, but that's the point! You can make a starter right before going to nature, spending a minimum of effort and time.
Tools
Of course, to make a do-it-yourself charcoal starter, we need sometools:
- drill;
- drills of different diameters;
- hammer;
- vices;
- pliers;
- screwdriver;
- Bulgarian.
Other tools may be needed along the way. But, as experience has shown, these are quite enough.
Starter making
It's always nice to make something with your own hands. A starter pipe for igniting coal is a simple device for a home craftsman. Even a person who has never worked with metals is capable of making this miracle. The starter will require a piece of steel pipe. It should not be too large. It is better to choose a pipe not less than 200 mm and not more than 250 mm in diameter. The height must not exceed 350 mm. These are the optimal dimensions for a starter. If you make it too big, it will take longer to ignite.
So, we have a pipe. Now we cut out a circle from a metal plate, which should freely enter the pipe. We drill holes over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe plate with a large diameter drill. This plate will contain hot coals, so it must be at least 2.5 mm thick.
Insert the plate inside the pipe at a distance of ⅓ from its height. We fix the part in the pipe. You can use a welding machine, if it is not there, then we fasten it with screws and nuts, having previously drilled holes for them. Below the plate around the circumference of the pipe, we also drill holes of large diameter. They will be needed forair access. Our DIY charcoal starter is almost done.
The last link is the manufacture of the handle. We make the handle from a wooden slat so as not to burn your hands. We cut the rail 25 x 25 mm to a length of ⅔ of the height of our pipe. Having drilled it in two places, insert the studs and tighten with nuts. We fasten the handles with the same studs to the pipe, having previously drilled two holes in it. We check the reliability of the connections. All! Now you can start testing!
