How much charcoal?

[thefaultline]

Hi everyone,

I will be at the fort from August 8th - August 16th with my DS aged 7. We will be staying in a cabin for our first ever trip to WDW. I plan on cooking all of our breakfast meals and the bulk of our dinners in the cabin or out on the grill. My question is that I have never cooked in a charcoal grill before and have no idea how much of it I will need to cook a few burgers steaks, and hot dogs.

I know I will need to bring foil to place over the grill, its already on list of things to order from garden grocer. Where does the charcoal go after I am done cooking? is there a fire pit or someplace to dispose of the ashes and left over pieces?

I have been review the recipe post as well as the threads asking about supplies, but haven't seen this question asked!

Thanks!

 

[2goofycampers]

A large bag of charcoal does about 4 cook outs, don't forget the fluid. If you get the large bag of self starting about 3 cook outs from it. The ashes will be taken care of by a Disney employee.

 

[Pirate-Jeff]

I would buy a cheep hibatchi grill for about 10 bucs and practice at home. The ones at Disney are the same basic style. Just use enough charcoal to cover the bottom. Make a pile with the charcoal & lite When it ashes over spread out the charcoal and cook away. Nothing worse than a badly burnt meal.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

y If you use the self-start or the charcoal you add your own lighter fluid, make sure the coals are good ready before you cook on them so you don't have the fluid taste on your food.

Like Pirate-Jeff said, a little practice wouldn't hurt.

 

[LarryJ]

A large bag of charcoal does about 4 cook outs, don't forget the fluid. If you get the large bag of self starting about 3 cook outs from it. The ashes will be taken care of by a Disney employee.

WOW that is a lot of charcoal you are using. I use the Royal Oak briquets and a 9lb bag (the small one) will cook for two like for 5 to 8 or so meals. To cook for three for what you have mentioned shouldn't take more than 15 to 20 briquets per fire. I think a small bag of briquets and one can of starting fluid will do you fine.

When I cook like a 6lb standing rib roast (which I'm doing tomorrow, but not outside ... going to rotor roast it in our convection oven) or a rack of pork ribs in my large webber, I start out with 10 briquets on each side and add 6 to 8 briquets total twice over a 2 to 4 hour period so that's a total of about 40 briquets.

Larry

 

[Mary2e]

OK... I haven't cooked on a charcoal grill in years and years...

What do I need the foil for?

 

[Pirate-Jeff]

To cover the grate. It's been out in the florida weather for years and may be rusty. The foil is just a clean cooking surface

 

[Mary2e]

After some thought, that's what I figured. Our first trip to the cabins was in January for MLK weekend. I didn't even look at the grill It either was raining or freezing.

I'm also used to just letting my gas grill heat up for about 15 minutes and it's nice and clean.

I'll make sure I bring some foil with me.

Thanks!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

y If you use the self-start or the charcoal you add your own lighter fluid, make sure the coals are good ready before you cook on them so you don't have the fluid taste on your food.

Like Pirate-Jeff said, a little practice wouldn't hurt.

I would also like to add that unless you are a very experienced griller it may take more than just one or two briquets to cook for two people.
Which is why we suggest a little practice before the trip would be a good idea.

And the proper amount of coals will ensure more even cooking.

 

[disney4dan]

Even though the charcoal grill has been out in the weather, I'm not so sure I'd try cooking with foil - seems to defeat the purpose of grilling. I'd rather buy a decent wire brush and remove the surface "stuff". Start a good hot bed of coals under that grate for a while to cook off anything.

I used to try a variety of gas grills, and now only cook with charcoal. A decent Weber kettle is perfect, and the true Weber kettles do not need many briquettes. Also, if you want to avoid the lighter fluid taste, I have become a big fan of those chimney style fire starters.

Only takes one or two (max) pieces of newspaper to get the coals going. You will not need any lighter fluid.

 

[2goofycampers]

We have 2 chimneys, also love them and the food tastes even better without the fluid starter. IMHO. We also bought an extra round grill grate at Wal-Mart, that way we put it over the existing grate for a clean cooking surface. Of course if you're flying in none of this helps you out, but if you're driving you could bring these along.

 

[GOBA Mom Lynn]

Bringing along another grate was just what I was thinking would be a good option to using foil. Does anyone have a good picture of what the grills look like? Are the grills the same at the cabins as they are for the campsites?
BTW we also have the chimney for charcoal, my Scoutmaster DH wouldn't go anywhere without it. lol

 

[Pirate-Jeff]

They are the same as the ones at the state parks and at some of the rest areas we have stopped at along I-95..

Here is a picture I borrowed from the campsite thread.

The grill is maybe 14" X 20"

 

[Mary2e]

I have a fairly close up picture of the grill that I'll gladly email to someone. The only photo account I have is picasa, and I don't think it will work with image tags.

The photo above looks similar. The shot I have is of the front of it.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

WOW that is a lot of charcoal you are using. I use the Royal Oak briquets and a 9lb bag (the small one) will cook for two like for 5 to 8 or so meals. To cook for three for what you have mentioned shouldn't take more than 15 to 20 briquets per fire. I think a small bag of briquets and one can of starting fluid will do you fine.

When I cook like a 6lb standing rib roast (which I'm doing tomorrow, but not outside ... going to rotor roast it in our convection oven) or a rack of pork ribs in my large webber, I start out with 10 briquets on each side and add 6 to 8 briquets total twice over a 2 to 4 hour period so that's a total of about 40 briquets.

Larry

Hey Larry - got any leftovers?

Only wimps use foil. The addition of rust and whatever charred remains are on the grill from the previous guest's attempt at dinner to your own burnt offerings to the Kungaloosh god are just part of the camping experience.

 

[LarryJ]

Hey Larry - got any leftovers?

Only wimps use foil. The addition of rust and whatever charred remains are on the grill from the previous guest's attempt at dinner to your own burnt offerings to the Kungaloosh god are just part of the camping experience.

It's still on the rotor thingee in the convection oven and the DW is doing dishes and the smell is driving her nuts. It's now been in there for 2 hours at 275deg and I'm about to check the temp with the meat thermometer and see if we'll be ready in about another hour. We cook a two rib roast (4 to 5 lbs) and I cut off the ribs for lunch the next day after in the refer overnight I slice it as thin as possible and freeze to use for "French Dip" sandwiches at some point in the future.

Larry