What advantages does Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes have?
Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes is used by hundreds of professional chefs in Greece and Cyprus . Together with home chefs across the country they choose Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes instead of charcoal because:

• Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes can be put out and used again,
• Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes do not burn fiercely when fat falls on them,
• Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes are more economical than charcoal because they burn much longer,
• Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes are cleaner and less dusty to handle than lump charcoal,
• The performance Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes is consistent.

Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes is the leading solid fuel in Australia. It is also exported to the traditional barbecuing markets of the Mediterranean including Greece and Cyprus, the Middle East, United Kingdom and Europe. More and more people around the world want to enjoy the Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes experience.

Why not just use gas?
Taste test results speak for themselves. A blind taste test at radio station 3 Triple RRR's Melbourne barbecue Day in November 2004, sponsored by the Heat Beads Company, was co-ordinated by doyen of char-grilled BBQ cuisine Julian Wu. In response to the mouthwatering selection served up by Julian and his team of willing chefs, 100% of participants preferred chargrilled food over gas cooked offerings.

Participants compared chicken wings and steak cooked over Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes, with those same foods cooked over gas. The decision was unanimous - char-grilled rules! "Melts in my mouth", "That unique smoky flavour can't be replicated" and "Why choose second best when you can have the real thing?" were just some of the comments.

Slow cooking over a longer period of time with Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes, seals in the flavours and juices of meat. The excess fat runs off the meat and is not left cooking on a hot plate.

What is the shelf life of Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes?
Indefinite, as long as the product is stored in a cool, dry place. Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes should be consumed when opened.

Should barbecue fuel be used indoors?
No. All carbonaceous fuels (timber, charcoal, Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes, coal) can produce carbon monoxide, an odourless and poisonous gas that can be lethal if the area is not well ventilated or if air supply is limited in some way.

How long will the Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes stay hot?
In a covered kettle under normal cooking conditions, usable cooking heat (greater than 150 degrees C) is available for more than four hours. There is no need to top up with extra fuel when cooking large joints of meat such as legs of pork, unlike other charcoal fuels.

If there are any Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes left in the BBQ when I have finished cooking, can I reuse them?
Yes, providing the kettle or other BBQ has vents that can be closed, to cut off the air supply and allow the briquettes to extinguish naturally. Simply top them up for your next barbecue.

How many Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes do I use to achieve the fire temperature I want?
The BBQ temperature is determined by the number of Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes burning inside. Here are the quantities to follow to reach your desired heat:

Indirect cooking method
- For a hot fire, use 64 briquettes (32 each side)
- For a normal fire, use 50 briquettes (25 each side)
- For a low fire, use 36 briquettes (18 each side)
- For a low smoke fire, use 12 briquettes (6 each side)

Direct cooking method
- For a direct fire, use 40 briquettes
- For a low direct fire, use 25 briquettes

My food didn’t cook in the suggested cooking time. What happened?
There are a number of factors that could be causing this problem.

Problem: Insufficient quantities of fuel being used to create the desired cooking temperate.
Solution: See the previous FAQ for a guide to fuel quantities depending on the cooking method used and the type of fire required for your recipe – hot, normal or low. Add the extra quantities of Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes required and leave the lid off the BBQ until all the coals are ashed over, then recommence cooking.

Problem: Fire has not been properly established.
Solution: Briquettes are only ready for cooking when they are covered in a light-coloured ash (‘ashed over’). Remove the lid from the BBQ and allow all the Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes to ash-over before recommencing cooking.

Problem: BBQ has lost heat over a period of time, meaning the vegetables are not cooked but the meat is. (Occurs when cooking large joints of meat such as pork or turkey.)
Solution: Remove the partially-cooked vegetables, and finish cooking them in microwave or electric frypan. While doing so, the roast can be removed from the BBQ and left to stand. (Provided it has not been carved, it will retain its heat until the vegetables are ready.)

In future, consider that the temperature inside the BBQ will naturally decrease over time. To compensate, when cooking large roasts which take more than two hours to cook, allow up to twice as much time as normal for the vegetables to cook.

And remember, choose Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes, which have a longer burn time than other charcoal fuels. In a covered kettle under normal cooking conditions, usable cooking heat (i.e. greater than 150°C) is available for more than four hours. This means that there's no need to top up with extra fuel when cooking roasts.

Problem: One or more vents are not properly opened, or are blocked.
Solution: Check ventilation. Carefully clear any blockages (which may be caused by ash or briquettes), and remove the BBQ lid until the fire is burning freely and all the Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes are ashed over before recommencing cooking.

Problem: Windy conditions are causing lower cooking temperatures.
Solution: Carefully move the BBQ to a sheltered position and recommence cooking.

Problem: Inferior fuel being used.
Solution: Weber recommends Heat Beads® BBQ Fuel for better results. ‘Wood, charcoal or poor quality briquettes may smoke, go out or not produce the required cooking temperatures.’* To remedy, replace existing fuel with Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes, remove the BBQ lid and wait until all the briquettes are ashed over before cooking.
* The Complete Australian Barbecue Kettle Cookbook, Ross McDonald & Margaret Kirkwood, p25.

Why did the fire go out on one side when using the indirect cooking method?
This happens because the fires were not equally established before the lid was placed on the BBQ. As a result, more air is drawn to the stronger fire, causing the weaker fire to go out.

To fix, remove the BBQ lid and using BBQ tongs, move Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes between sides to even up the heat of both fires. Leave the lid off until both fires are completely ashed over, and continue cooking.

My Heat Beads® Firelighters are burning, but not igniting my Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes.
This could be caused by one of the following problems:

Problem: Firelighters have lost potency over time.
Solution: Re-start the fire with fresh Firelighters. Use tongs and exercise caution, as some of the briquettes may have gotten very hot. Once opened, Firelighters should be stored in an airtight container.

Problem: Some brands of firelighters are not powerful enough to ignite Heat Beads® BBQ Fuel.
Solution: Use Heat Beads® Firelighters with Heat Beads® BBQ Fuel.

Problem: The briquettes are damp.
Solution: Remove the briquettes with tongs, and replace with dry briquettes.

My food is burnt on the outside (when using the indirect cooking method).
This occurs when food is being cooked too close to, or directly over, the briquettes.

In future, do not place food directly over, or too close to, the briquettes when cooking for a period of time. Consider using foil to protect the edges of your food.

What is the difference between ‘INDIRECT’ and ‘DIRECT’ cooking methods?
The differences are explained below:

Indirect Cooking Method
In this method the Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes providing the heat, are placed at the sides of the kettle barbecue. The food being cooked is placed in the centre, with a drip tray underneath in order to collect fats and oils and prevent flare ups.

This method of cooking is ideal for roasts, such as pork, lamb or whole poultry and other large cuts of meat, which may take a longer than half an hour to cook.

When the lid is placed on the kettle and the vents are opened, hot air will circulate around the food and provide even and consistent cooking. There is no need to turn the food. A barbecue using Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes provide a long burning time for the largest of Christmas lunches.

Direct Cooking Method
The direct cooking method requires the ashed over Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes to be placed on the bottom grill directly under the food being cooked. In kettles, direct cooking is used for grilling steaks and also for hotplate and wok cooking. Direct Cooking method is not normally used to cook foods containing excessive fat, such as chops and sausages, as fats dripping from such foods fall directly onto the briquettes and causes excessive smoking and grease build-up inside the barbecue. These meats are usually cooked using the indirect method, BUT this is not necessarily so when using Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes.

Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes allow us to cook such foods the direct way, if we take a lesson from many fine Greek chefs. Fatty foods such as sausages, chops and marinated kebabs can be cooked over direct heat if the favoured method of our Greek friends is used.

If the hot ashed over Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes can be dispersed across a flat solid base tray of the BBQ (ie not on a grill, which would allow air up from below), the BBQ briquettes will remain alight, provide plenty of heat for cooking, and importantly there will be less flare up when fat falls on them.

If you are using the direct cooking method in a kettle, flare up MAY be reduced by closing the bottom vents while cooking (but the lid must be removed).

CAUTION:
Heat Beads^® products are for outdoor use only and are to be stored in a dry place away from heat and open flame. Keep out of the reach of children and pets. In case of emergencies involving our product, phone +61 3 9706 6330. Should the matter be of medical emergency, please call your local Poisons Information Centre (Australia 13 11 26 or New Zealand 03 474 7000)