mksoi Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Hello friends, I have a LotusGrill BBQ-XL, I need your recommendation for proper charcoals to be used with it. Its original LotusGrill beech charcoals are great but expensive and not available in local stores here in Northern Ireland which make it more expensive as I have to pay extra for the shipping rate. I contacted LotusGrill for an alternative charcoal available locally or on Ebay.co.uk/Amazon.co.uk with a reasonable price and shipping rate, they said that I have to look for a natural one with smaller briquettes and a low dust content (so to be as smokeless as possible), however, they won't be able to recommend any one and they suggested me to post a message to a BBQ/Camping forum as there will be individuals on there who are very knowledgeable on the subject and have probably tried many themselves. So will you be able to assist me in this? Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 First of all welcome to the Forum. I would recommend Aussie Heat Beads, freely available at The Range, (they have three stores across NI). They are also available on line. These are high heat with little ash. @Wade swears by them, and if you look on the Forum, he has done a like for like comparison. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksoi Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 (edited) Thank you very much for your reply, Has anybody tested it with LotusGrill? Edited April 12, 2018 by mksoi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 I have not tested on a Lotus Grill, but I have used them on a “copy” from The Range. I turned it in to a mini smoker when I am traveling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksoi Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 That's grand. You said they r available in NI's local stores. Any suggestion? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksoi Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 Oh, I see that you mentioned "The Range". I will search for it in there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 13 minutes ago, mksoi said: Oh, I see that you mentioned "The Range". I will search for it in there. Where in NI are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksoi Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 I am in Belfast itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Travel into Belfast when I visit our friends in Derry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksoi Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 11 minutes ago, Smokin Monkey said: Travel into Belfast when I visit our friends in Derry. You r welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksoi Posted April 13, 2018 Author Share Posted April 13, 2018 Hi Smokin, I got the charcoals from The Range. Thank you very much. I have a question about the attached warning message! Does it mean that these charcoals are not purely natural and contain more chemicals than other ones? I tried using LotusGrill charcoals indoor without any issue. They do not even have such warning message. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted April 14, 2018 Share Posted April 14, 2018 21 hours ago, mksoi said: I have a question about the attached warning message! Does it mean that these charcoals are not purely natural and contain more chemicals than other ones? No. This is a warning message that should be present on all charcoal packs. Whenever wood/charcoal/coal/gas is burned it produces a variety of combustion products including water, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide is a potentially lethal gas as when breathed it prevents the blood from transporting oxygen around the body and can lead to death. There have been several documented cases of carbon monoxide poisoning from BBQs used in combined spaces (often whilst people have been camping) which have resulted in deaths. Here is a link to one from 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21059594 Heat Beads are a great brand of briquette and are ones that I use most of the time. They take a little longer to catch light but they burn a lot longer too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted April 14, 2018 Share Posted April 14, 2018 What @Wade said ^ they all give off harmful gases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksoi Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 Thank you @Wade and @Smokin Monkey for your reply. Once I use it, I will update you with my experience. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksoi Posted April 23, 2018 Author Share Posted April 23, 2018 (edited) Hi @Wade and @Smokin Monkey, I tried it last Saturday, and here is my experience explained: First of all, I tried to burn the Heat Beads the same way I used to do with the LotusGrill's original charcoals. It failed. I placed the lighting gel on the base, and filled the center chimney up with the Heat Beads. The gel was over before they gets burned. So I placed the gel in the bottom base again, then I put a tiny layer of LotusGrill original charcoals in the chimney (10-20%), then I filled the chimney up with the Heat Beads charcoals (80-90%). And it was really successful. They do take longer time to get burned (about 45 min) but they do last for much longer time than the LotusGrill's original charcoals, they are really efficient. I finished the grilling while they are still burning firmly. I consider this a great experience. Thanks you for the recommendation. Do you recommend any lighting layer to be used instead of the LotusGrill original charcoals? Also regarding the gel, I used the LotusGrill's original lighting gel, do you recommend any alternative? Edited April 23, 2018 by mksoi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 If you can help it, keep away from gels and lighting fluids, they can taint the taste of your food. I would recommend getting yourself one of these small camping stoves and a charcoal chimney. Place three to four heat beads in chimney and place on lit stove, 10 minutes will have you ready to put into your LotusGrill fire basket. Or use the stove and the charcoal basket from the LotusGrill straight onto the stove. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 I have a side burner attached to my gas BBQ and I just stand the chimney over that until it gets going. Similar to Steve's method but using my existing burner. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valve90210 Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 I've acquired a secondhand, slightly knackered gas bbq which has a side burner that I'm hoping to get working (need to get a new hose and adapter thingy (for want of the actual word that is currently escaping me) for this very function Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 Do you mean a gas regulator and hose like this one ??? ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valve90210 Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 Regulator, that's exactly the word I was struggling for! ? (wow, where did all the emojis come from! :)) Yep., something along those lines, though I'll add in an inline quick release coupling so I can use either my camping gaz bottle or my bbq gas bottle, depending on which one I have handy. ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 1 minute ago, valve90210 said: (wow, where did all the emojis come from! :)) We recently installed a forum update and they came with it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valve90210 Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 They're great, and best of all they have hover-over tips which tells me what they actually mean, which will be very handy as I never know what they are on whatsapp! ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksoi Posted April 25, 2018 Author Share Posted April 25, 2018 @Smokey Mondays & @Wade, can not I just use the LotusGrill central chimney (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01AWXFE2S) over the portable camping stove, or I need to purchase a specific one like this (https://www.therange.co.uk/barbecues-and-patio-heaters/bbq-accessories/charcoal-starter) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 Yes you can use the Central Chimney. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest homer Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 cracking idea! having purchased 6 ton of natural firelighters just for the little cob bbq to light heatbeads, will now try them direct in there coal basket on the cadac bbq/cooker which is running of the camper gas tank to get them started and is always set up same time as the cob for the side dishes etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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