AUSTRALIA'S ORIGINAL AND BEST CAMP OVEN AND OUTDOOR COOKING AND CAMPING FORUM

AUSTRALIA'S ORIGINAL AND BEST CAMP OVEN AND OUTDOOR COOKING AND CAMPING FORUM
https://www.aussiecampovenforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl General Chat Area >> Let's Chew The Fat >> what am i doing wrong https://www.aussiecampovenforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1192702301 Message started by dave289 on Oct 18^th, 2007 at 8:11pm

Title: what am i doing wrong
Post by dave289 on Oct 18^th, 2007 at 8:11pm

hi everyone, i cut the top off a9kg gas bottle, drilled holes top and bottom, cut a door in the side with swing door, welded a flat base inside, camp oven fits beautifuly,clearance from base to bottom of camp oven approx 15cm about 1cm clearance around top of campoven all the way round, alls well here. here's my problem, cannot get the briquettes to fire up? followed the intruction on the firestarter packet also the briquette packet, wheres my error :'(

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Little_Kopit on Oct 18^th, 2007 at 8:30pm

Start them in a chimney

Here's one Poddy Dodger made:

To be sure that was in the colder months and he was using propane.

8-)

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by dave289 on Oct 18^th, 2007 at 8:35pm

thanks for that, back to the drawing board

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Thenewme on Oct 19^th, 2007 at 10:13pm

Hi Dave,

Check out my gas bottle, have to say I did not start my briquettes in the gass bottle, I piled them up with firelighters in between the briquettes then put them into the gas bottle, one of the photo's shows the briquettes glowing in the gas bottle.

http://www.aussiecampovenforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1192256540

Cheers

dave289 wrote on Oct 18^th, 2007 at 8:11pm:

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Derek Bullock on Oct 20^th, 2007 at 11:53am

Not sure what you could be doing wrong. Remember Heat Beads® take around 40 minutes to burn down before they are ready to use. Photo below is what they look like when ready to use.

Derek

Photo3.jpg (90 KB | )

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Derek Bullock on Oct 20^th, 2007 at 11:55am

If you end up using a chimney, Heat Beads® make one these days, be careful if using the self lighting Heat Beads. When people first saw the photo below there was comments about The Griswalds. Nearly set the ceiling alight on my patio. ;D ;D ;D

rr2.jpg (89 KB | )

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Little_Kopit on Oct 20^th, 2007 at 7:19pm

40 minutes to burn down before ready to use, NO, NO WAY. Nothing like that.

There are different brands of charcoal briquettes. It's a matter of testing things out. & no, when I use the lighter fluid, and I don't have flames like that at all Derek. But you should be able to have charcoal that is much more timely than that!!!!!

:-/

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Derek Bullock on Oct 20^th, 2007 at 7:39pm

The normal Heat Beads® that we get here in Australia take around 40 minutes to burn down as shown in the top photo. If you use a chimney it will half that time.

That second photo is with 27 self lighting Heat Beads® called Easy Lites. You just put a match to them and they flame.

By the way, Heat Beads® is a brand name and the main supplier in Aus. http://www.heatbeads.com.au/

Derek

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Little_Kopit on Oct 20^th, 2007 at 7:59pm

My thought is that if that's the case, you're being too idealistic or the charcoal company needs some competition.

:-/

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Derek Bullock on Oct 20^th, 2007 at 8:04pm

Little_Kopit wrote on Oct 20^th, 2007 at 7:59pm:

My thought is that if that's the case, you're being too idealistic or the charcoal company needs some competition.

:-/

They are actually a good company. Through my intervention they have sponsored two significant camp oven events so far this year with another one in the pipeline and are becoming more and more interested in camp oven cooking. I have a short article going up on their website next week.

Charcoal beads for camp oven cooking is still a relatively new thing in Australia and some die hards still wont use them preferring coals from a fire.

Derek

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Little_Kopit on Oct 20^th, 2007 at 9:44pm

Quote:

Charcoal beads for camp oven cooking is still a relatively new thing in Australia and some die hards still wont use them preferring coals from a fire.

Canada and Australia are two countries separated by one language.

Beads, google image:

Bricks, google image:

briquettes or little bricks:

& for a manufacturing idea, coconut shell briquettes:

Yes, I know this is an Aussie forum, but I can't get away from thinking of little tiny pieces, from the size of celery seed to the size of my thumb, when I see the word beads.

How the dickens did the manufacturer ever come up with the idea of 'beads' in the name?

:-/

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Derek Bullock on Oct 20^th, 2007 at 10:10pm

Quote:

How the dickens did the manufacturer ever come up with the idea of 'beads' in the name?

Why dont you ask them. ;D ;D ;D

I guess thats what they have always been called here. I just had a look on a pack I have here and they call them Heat Beads® Barbecue Fuel.

Anyway they work OK.

Derek

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Little_Kopit on Oct 21^st, 2007 at 8:24pm

If I were in an Aussie store which carries camping supplies and I asked for charcoal, what would happen?

8-)

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Derek Bullock on Oct 21^st, 2007 at 8:33pm

I don't know but I expect you would be directed to the Heat Beads®

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by BILLYBUSHCOOK on Oct 22^nd, 2007 at 8:51am

Little_Kopit wrote on Oct 21^st, 2007 at 8:24pm:

If I were in an Aussie store which carries camping supplies and I asked for charcoal, what would happen?

8-)

LK, they'd probably go out the back & get you a shovel full of ash from the incinerator ;D ;D ;D

I am one of those "Die Hards" Derek but have been considering trying the heat beads, I had a go once before using "charcoal briquettes" on top & the gas under neath, it was OK for what I was doing, smoking fish with wood chips on the bottom of the C/O but I prefer coals, we dont have a big problem with fire bans here but mid summer is too hot for shouveling coals around,

Mick.

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by BILLYBUSHCOOK on Oct 22^nd, 2007 at 1:29pm

Getting back to the fire coals verse heat beads thingy,
Youll have to do some work to pursuade me Derek!!

Q. how do you go when youre nearly done, the heat beads have settled down & you want to bang a bit of heat into it at the last moment to brown things up a bit more??
Q. or when youve got 6-8 ovens going?? (obviously only good for one oven or so!!)

ie:- 1x 9qrtr oval for bread
1-2x 12qrt ovens for meats (poultry in one & red meat in the other)
1x 9qrt for a potato bake
1x 9qrt for hard vege's (potato, pumpkin & carrot)
1-2x 4.5qrt for soft vege's (brocolli, caulieflour & zuccini)
1x 9qrt ready for the fruit pie desert. (mulberry, blueberry or apple)

Thats a lot of coals.

Mick.

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Little_Kopit on Oct 22^nd, 2007 at 6:57pm

You have some briquettes waiting to be added.

Or, if you're out there tending everything, imbibing ordinary stuff like a cup of tea, coffee, but nothing stronger, you may just add briquettes one at a time to sit right beside ones already going.

:-/

Title: Re: what am i doing wrong
Post by Derek Bullock on Oct 22^nd, 2007 at 7:32pm

Mick, I have run up to six camp ovens at once. It's something you get used to I think. I start with a chimney full of Heat Beads® and after a while put some more on so that as one lot die down I have more to load on the ovens.

I can get a good hour out of Heat Beads® before they start to need replacing.

Derek