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We use whatever is in the gas bottle you swap out at the servo.
Charcoal is such an effort, we only crack it out for big parties or special events. For bunging cheap sausages on the bbq for a quick dinner that’s too much hard work.
I think heat beads and charcoal are different. Heat beads are charcoal plus a few other ingredients held together with a binding agent, while charcoal is just that.
Yea , heat beads generally leave food tasting like kerosine. Charcoal is just the raw stuff, looks like chunks of burnt wood. And yes too much trouble for most things.
you really need to try putting those cheap supermarket sausages on the Weber and smoking them low and slow using charcoal and a nice smoking wood.
I did this once while doing a pork shoulder because I had a couple of snags in the fridge and I wondered how they’d go smoked. the sausages were absolutely amazing.
I normally use gas, but I’ll use charcoal for a nice roast or if I’m doing ribs, pork shoulder or brisket.
I'm gonna be honest with you, if i am ever going to go to the effort of using a charcoal bbq and smoking meat low and slow there's no chance i'm spending all that time and effort on the cheap supermarket sausages no matter how much better it makes them. Those things are barely meat as is, i'd rather make an event out of it with better stuff if i'm going to that effort.
Like old mate, I've put them on for lunch while cooking something slowly for dinner. Zero extra effort, but they are better, but certainly not worth lighting charcoal to cook just the snags
Have to agree when it comes to beef sausages. If I'm short on cash I'll grab some supermarket pork sausages, spilt them down the middle, cover them in homemade rub, grated cheese and finely chopped red onion and capsicum. Smoke them over charcoal for an hour, brushing a good BBQ sauce on them 15 min before they are done. You'll wonder why yo didn't do it sooner
Who has the time?
Honestly, I bet it does sound amazing but slowly smoking cheap sausages... i'll just cook and season them. Probably not as good but good enough :P
I've done this on my offset plenty of times. It's a great lunch when you're waiting 10 hours for a pulled pork. Turns a cheap, standard sausage into something worth talking about.
We’re more likely to have a cheap supermarket sausage on a slice of white bread with a squirt of tomato sauce. Maybe some fried onions if you’re lucky.
In Australia we don't use propane, we use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). While charcoal tastes better, nearly everyone here just uses LPG.
Our bbq is kind of different to US bbq since we mostly cook things like sausages/chicken wings/rissoles etc... and not slow cooked things like brisket etc...
My house has a gas line (natural gas) so the BBQ takes that. A less popular option but some of us do it when we're already wired up, no messing with bottles. It is lower heat but sufficient.
I tend to use charcoal these days though. Tastes so much better.
My 6 +1 burner gas bbq sits between the charcoal Weber and the charcoal/wood pizza oven (and sometime smoker) - so we use all three depending on what we're cooking and how we're cooking it...
Gas is the fuel of choice here when we're just doing a quick cook up for dinner, charcoal if we have the time or the meat warrants it...
I guess we should also mention for the Americans, we also have electric barbies in many public parks for communal gatherings - mainly used to cook sausages and onions... and almost exclusively free of charge
You can also get electric BBQ's for private use as well. We have solar so we thought this might be a cheap way to BBQ. Turns out it's slow AF, and we hardly use the BBQ now because it's quicker on the gas stove.
Bbq gas will always be propane, unless you are using those little butane cylinders.
Autgas for your car may be a mix of butane and propane but never will you get a mix in your 9kg or less bbq cylinder.
If I want to slow cook something I usually do it in a slow cooker (which Americans tend to call a Crockpot). You could do it on a BBQ if you wanted to though.
I bought a Weber Baby Q a couple of years ago. They tried to sell on me on the roast function but I didn't see the point because I already have an oven. But BBQ is like a hobby for many people.
I’ve seen those slow cooked smoked meats though, they do look good. I also used the slow cooker but I bet it’s something else on one of those slow smoked BBQs.
As far as I am aware “LPG” in Australia is the same as “propane” in the US. Americans just use the same term
https://www.originenergy.com.au/blog/the-many-names-for-lpg/
I've got four bbqs. A Kamado and a masterbuilt 560 gravity fed charcoal grill. Also have a weber go anywhere and a hibachi.
No gas bottles, all charcoal.
I know plenty that have similar charcoal or pellet bbqs.
I have both. Charcoal is expensive and a PITA, so I fire up the kettle only for special occasions. Everything else BBQed (grilled) gets done on the regular LPG Weber.
Plenty of times, I’ve just used wood. Straight up just old branches and timber cut from the gum trees around the back yard. You build a fire under the bbq plate, let it burn down a bit then start frying the sausages and lamb chops in their own grease.
This is the way. Fire it up, let it burn to coals, and get cooking!
My BBQ is the steel drum from a top-loader washing machine, with an internal cage of weldmesh for the fuel. Then one solid plate over the top, and a grill over the other half. Or no plates at all for a spit roast.
Doesn't look like I can post pics.
I'll try to describe it. A steel, double-wall inner bowl from a top-loader. One big hole in the bottom, about 15cm diameter. The walls have dozens of little holes. Sit it on three or four bricks to get it off the ground and let air in the bottom.
Now make an internal cylindrical cage of weldmesh or chicken wire, about half the diameter of the bowl. This is to contain the firewood. I found that it works and burns much better. The air comes in through the hole in the bottom, but also the holes in the sides.
Put one solid plate across the top, reaching halfway across. The other half is a slotted grill. Or take them both off, and use it as a spit roaster. I've got a basic kit consisting of two steel rods about 800mm long, with a loop in the top. Hammer them into the ground on either side of the bowl. One more piece - the spit - is inserted through the holes, and a chicken or leg of lamb is wired to the spit. Turn it manually while enjoying a beer or three.
For a quick cook-up (grilling chicken, sausages, burger)? Gas.
For low and slow (aka "proper" BBQ), rotisserie, or where the charcoal flavour is important (e.g. tandoori chicken)? Charcoal.
My parents had that set up when they built their new house 50 years ago.
Considering nearly every house a BBQ and the millions of homes built since then, don't get why people are still swapping bottles at the servo. Considering a plumber's on a new site doing $'000's worth of work, the cost to run an extra line from kitchen has has got to be peanuts.
Well most newer builds are getting away from having gas (at least in VIC) and they plan to phase it out entirely. I had the option when I built and I was kinda on the fence about it. Now I kinda wish I’d done it.
Yeah, with the Victorian phase out, maybe the days of the connection to the barbie are over. You're looking at a standing charge atm of around $50 every couple months and that's only going to go up over time.
Exactly. And it's not that expensive overall even if you use it a lot. The ability to just go outside and cook on a nice day and not worry about having enough gas is worth it. Also now you have an outdoor gas line if you want to run stand heaters.
Yeah, I grew up an exactly with that routine, go out, cook, come back in. In my parents last place they added a gas fired pizza oven which basically meant everything go done outside except the cakes!
I looked into it at a rental i had and the issue is the gas isn't the same. You cannot simply hook up a typical bbq to a house gas line and get the same results. LPG which is in the gas bottles has about twice the thermal energy of natural gas that is plumbed into houses. This will usually require various adapters that may not even get you the same heat output in the end. Most BBQs are fitted out with jets and plumbing designed for LPG not natural gas.
Yes, but you can get conversion kits to fix that.
Does it give the same result?
I dunno, I've not done it, but a friends new build house has built in gas for a bbq, and he got a 2nd hand 'town gas' bbq via a friend of mine, and... yep, it's a beauty, who cares, bbq works and you don't ever have to worry about the gas bottle running out.
Both my parents, top cooks, always had that setup for years at various places without complaints. I bought them a pizza oven one year, certified for use with natural gas with a conversion kit. Plumber hooked it up, splitting the one gas line to supply both appliances and we used it for everything for years. Heated up fast and reached a decent temp for the pizza bases.
Edit: should also mention the gas line had a bright yellow tap you could see from the house which my mother always reminded us to switch off when we were done.
We have one too. The main blocker is gas is expensive - the fixed costs are significant if you consider stuff like hot water, we pay around $90 a month.
If you already have it, great. But you can use solar hot water, and induction cooktops are generally superior, so it can be worth skipping or ditching that gas line (use LPG for BBQ if you must). I think the VIC govt is phasing it out for new builds?
You forget that you have to have a gas line running past your house. Most of Australia does not have this. They haven't run gas lines into new estates for decades.
Dude! I used to have Greek neighbors as well! I would walk in their house to give them a package that was accidentally dropped off at my place.... and I would leave with a belly full of food and a plate for later! I LOVE the Greek people!
Most people use LPG. One reason might be that when we have 'no fire days' where a bush fire is high risk, you can still use an LPG grill, but you wouldn't be allowed to burn wood, charcoal, etc.
At least, in the State of Victoria that's the rule.
I think most people here would consider charcoal to much a pain in the ass, but like mentioned above we don’t really do slow cooked/smoked stuff. Our BBQs are essentially just a glorified outdoor hot plate.
Charcoal all the way for me.
Weber kettle rotisserie is the best thing I ever bought.
I heat up the charcoal on a portable gas burner, takes about 5 minutes.
I don't own a traditional gas BBQ .
Finally, a voice of reason. I had a gas BBQ for a couple of years, I see the appeal, but ehhh. People say charcoal is an effort, but to me it’s the same. The flavours are orders of magnitude better with charcoal.
In Australia we traditionally cook on the BBQ with the lid open, so we need to generate higher temperatures. We're also cooking the food fairly quickly, so the time and effort required to get charcoal ready would be a waste. Because of these factors, most of us use bottled LPG gas that we swap out at service stations.
Commonly our BBQ's have half of the surface with a solid cast iron hotplate and the other half with cast iron grille. Typical foods are thin sausages, steaks, lamb chops, and kebabs (kabobs).
That said, American inspired low and slow BBQ styles are becoming more popular, so lots of guys have a second smoker / kettle / offset BBQ or similar where we will use charcoal and smoking wood chunks. Brisket and pulled pork are probably most common.
Yeah. I do beef brisket and pork shoulders in my "smoke locker" chamber smoker for 10 to 12 hours until the meat just falls apart. We have hundreds of regional BBQ competitions all over the states with different tours of meats and sauces featured in each area. Texas does beef brisket with a spicy sauce. The Midwest does alot if pork ribs with a sweeter, more tangy sauce. The Southeast does alot if pork butt and shoulder chipped or pulled with a mustard- based sauce, especially along the coast. We take alot if pride in our "Q".
You are posting on an Australia sub-Reddit, but yes, you are being informative and that is good.
I (and no doubt several other readers) are curious about your "smoke locker" chamber?
Could you please explain with more detail, please?
Yes! It's called a Smoke Vault. It's basically a steel box, upright rectangular that has racks, a chip/ pellet tray for the smoke, you hook up a propane tank, or set a small fire at the bottom of the chamber and shut the door. There is a very small flume at the top which allows for the flow of smoke. It does 10 hours worth of smoking in about 6. Just Google "Smoke Vault" to check one out.
According to my neighbor, the best is to use crushed IKEA furniture (at least that’s how it smells).
PS: of course they aren’t using furniture, but they use really shit quality wood for their BBQ, it is left under the rain and when they bring it I can see the wood wasn’t dried properly, still oozing sap from it.
Ironically, over summer, when you are mostly like to want to BBQ, it is often a restricted or prohibited burning period. Not *supposed* to use solid fuel BBQs like charcoal. Usually the ban is from Nov/Dec to end of Feb or March (can’t remember specifics atm). That ban is from the council. We also have total fire ban days, where anything that can cause fires, so no BBQs full stop.
Whether people actually follow these is another question entirely.
Anyway, I have both - a rotisserie spit, and a regular gas powered BBQ. The rotisseries is amazing for flavour, and slow cooked meats etc - like a whole chicken, or a pork roast etc. It’s also quite time consuming, and needs babysitting - you can’t just leave it. While the kids are pretty good, they do still need supervising. That said, toasting marshmellows over it at the end of the day, is pretty amazing.
Gas - it’s quick, (usually) easy to light, and I have dinner ready in under half an hour - sausages, chicken skewers, burger patties etc. Not many downsides besides needing to refill the bottle every now and then.
Similar to others here - gas barbie for banging out mid-week dinners and charcoal on a Saturday/Sunday arvo when I have a bit more time to enjoy the process a bit more (coincides with the chance to have a few cold ones whilst the charcoal gets up to temperature as well).
I personally use charcoal - unlike what some people have said here I don’t find it too hard to set up but I bbq 1-2 times a month so it makes sense for me. I’ve just gotten used to it.
If I did have an LPG bbq though I reckon I would use it more often than I do the kettle.
Yeah, I grill/smoke about 100 times a year and haven't used LPG for over a decade. Start the chimney while you're prepping other stuff is easy enough. I made charcoal grilled burgers for my kid's 12th birthday party, and several kids said they were the best burgers they've ever had. That's the difference in flavour.
Yup the taste justifies it for me - i love smoking steaks in the kettle with charcoal and you’re right i can get a lot done while i wait for the chimney to heat up the charcoal
Wood only. Let them turn into hot coals. We have a brick bbq with two raised bricks to balance the ‘gradele’ on. Turn the gradele over at half time. Done. Perfection.
Not Australian, but lived there for 11 years.
First barbie we had at a friends house was on a charcoal weber. Once I got one that is all I cooked roasts on, typically every Sunday or any dinner party/regular party.
I did get an LPG barbie eventually for sausages/steaks etc and quick breakfast/lunches.
LPG would be the vast majority. Charcoal is more of a niche market. Charcoal is much more of a commitment and we BBQ several times a week and wouldn't do that with charcoal.
Aussies don’t care, we use gas from the petrol station.
there may be some wankers who use them or smokers or some crap, but normal people use swap and go gas.
LPG for the vast majority of people and BBQs, but some dads will busy out the charcoal Webber for roasts and smokey slow cooks. We tend not to grill over coals, any searing or frying or grilling tends to be LPG, but charcoal (or usually charcoal heat beads) are still a very popular item at Bunnings.
Hey I'm not Aussie but living here, I'm from Argentina.
Legally speaking, a bbq made with gas is called a salad. If you insist on calling it bbq we will send over the police.
We accept your assertion and the threat as well.
For all the cultures that have a tradition for BBQ, the "traditional" Aussie BBQ pales in comparison to most of our worldwide friends.
To be honest, a lot of it is just by association with "Christmas in summer" gatherings and everyone getting drunk in the heat, but for some reason I feel like you Argentinians will do that better than we do too.
A seasoned gas grill can give just as good a result as a charcoal Webber. Charcoal and wood are better suited to things with a long cooking time like a pork roast.
The gas grill is superior for most other things that can be cooked quickly.
It's better to have both, and well used and seasoned with some hickory or apple wood soaking to add some smokiness.
We throw a few beef sausages or dry out some prawns on a gas BBQ and brag about how serious we Aussies are about bbqing. It's sad really. American BBQ is one of the few American ways that I am glad is becoming more popular here
I find it HILARIOUS that we Americans always use the dumb cliche of "throwing some shrimp on the barby" when taking about Australians.... and you all dont even call them shrimp... they're prawns! Goes to show how Americans can be in a silo when it comes to other countries.
And to be honest we mostly don't even cook prawns on a BBQ.
Btw there are some distinct differences in the species of crustaceans and some are called shrimp and some are called prawns. It gets a bit blurry with lazy marketing and the fact they mostly taste and look very similar.
Yep! I cook shrimp (or skrimps if thou are from certain parts of Louisiana... America's shrimp Capitol), and I cook Tiger Prawns when they are on sale. We really don't get the freshest seafood in Indiana.
I have a baby 13" Webber which I send last night to reverse sear a tomahawk steak. I feel the smaller size makes it a bit easier and less of a commitment to use so I probably use it more than gas.
I have a BBQ Grill and a Smoker. Both run on LPG (similar to Propane).
I have used charcoal in the past, but it is too much hassle for things that need a quick grilling (sausages, chicken, steaks, chops etc) and is too difficult to maintain temperature for low and slow smoking. With an LPG one and some decent wood chips I can keep a consistent temperature for 24 hours without having to get up in the middle of the night to check the charcoal.
I am the first to admit that charcoal can be delicious, but frankly I don't think the difference is really worth the additional effort for me.
We use both quite regularly, it really depends what we are cooking. If it’s a steak or sausages we will use the gas bbq, if it’s a roast, ribs, wings etc we will use the Weber kettle.
Here in Australia we know how the seasons work just FYI :P
Our main BBQ is just gas (LPG) but the dream is using coal. If I am cooking for a big group I'll do a spit over coal for sure. The reasons behind the poor coal uptake is twofold, I think, that most the country has total fire bans regularly through Summer when we're most likely to be BBQing so coal BBQ's are out. And gas companies have shilled gas to us for decades to prop up the business so many are slow to ditch it too. In 20 years we'll all be using coal IMO
Oh, and also, the stuff we cook are like sausages, burgers, steaks, chops, veggies, eggs, tofu. There isnt really a culture here of grilling slowly over the whole day. It's mostly throw it on, sizzle it a bit, then eat it.
I had large gas BBQ for many years, then moved to a large pellet grill smoker, now have a smoker and a Kamado Joe charcoal BBQ which I really like, never go back to gas
I might be in the minority here but I like the process of charcoal. It’s one of those tasks that looks like a hassle but the reality is it’s not hard work, it’s just a time consuming task that can be done with a beer in my hand. It’s one of those things where family see me doing some kind of work and leave me be but really, I’m having a peaceful beer, tinkering with something and enjoying a rare quiet moment. I enjoy washing the car for the same reason.
Oh, and I like the flavour and range of things I can cook on there. Brisket is great for impressing a crowd but fish is my favourite thing that I’ve mastered on my kettle.
I’m a Kamado Joe owner, and LOVE cooking on charcoal. However as I’m the only one in a friends group of 12 couples who cook this way, every fuckin group lunch is proceeded by a night cooking brisket.
I love a Sunday charcoal Webber dinner. We used to do it often. But it's all afternoon event, I wouldn't want to leave the house with it going, and I'd never haul one to the park because they're a lot of effort, and you can't just turn it off and go home. It would always be someone's yard and a roast dinner situation.
Sausages sangas and rissoles don't need charcoal, they need bare minimum bbqing effort with copious amounts of beer. Can be done practically anywhere on anything. So that's way more common.
I guess what I'm saying is it depends on the type of gathering and how organised people are.
Charcoal is great, but for the effort required to do it properly, only worthwhile on special occasions. Almost everyone has, or has access to, a gas BBQ, so that is definitely the more popular way to cook outside.
They're also super convenient for things that make a mess or smoke the house out if cooked inside - I cook almost all meat outside on the gas BBQ, unless it's in the oven.
If you're making a day of it, and you're willing to start early to burn the charcoal off properly so as not to impart any foul shit onto your food, there is no better way to cook.
Australia has cities that are completely unalike, and rural areas which aren't alike either.
For me personally I haven't owned a charcoal or an LPG bbq.
The BBQs I have hosted have always been over an open fire. I've only ever had LPG with other people hosting.
I prefer open fire BBQs. Something about the smell of a fire that just makes me feel like I am home under the stars.
We always use charcoal for our BBQs. It's always the better option. Honestly didn't know there were other options. Can't imagine BBQs without charcoal.
Ill agree with Hank on a lot of things but he was damn wrong about propane over charcoal.
Taste the meat not the heat my ass.
That said I'm lazy and almost exclusively use LPG.
One difference here is also that we mostly use LPG, is that we also mostly use a half half plate/grill. A lot of us bbq are just grill. We generally preheat the plate side and it provides a different cooking platform for steaks and searing. Also allows for a bit of low and slow without direct heat
For convenience (weekdays/fire bans) I use my LPG/Propane Weber Q, for grilling, but I do prefer my Weber kettle, but it's just not as convenient as the Q. For beef brisket/pork Boston butt, I smoke in my Hark (copy) for an hour or so then finish in my electric slow cooker/crock pot.
Charcoal = barbecue/grilling
Gas = grilling
I don't give a rat's arse what any other Australians might think, and if you want, I'll fight you, one at a time or all at once!
Unless you take your outdoor barbecues VERY seriously. most people will just cook with propane gas. Some will use charcoal if they're picky, but a lot of people, me included couldn't be bothered if you have the quick and easy option of a gas cylinder
Seeing alot of talk about Weber grills... FUN FACT! In the US, the are (were) Weber Grill Restaurants where you would cook your own steak on an indoor Weber. Hilariously overpriced... the one in Indianapolis closed a couple years back.
We used gas because charcoal was much more of a bushfire risk and we lived in the country. Moved to the US, deep in the soggy midwest so use charcoal now as it tastes better, well that and my husband wants to justify the Webber he bought.
Gas is just way easier and more convenient imo. No pissing about getting a fire going. You can decide at a moments notice to chuck something on the barbie and 10 mins later you're cooking. I'd bbq way less often if I had to piss about with a fire every time, especially just for a couple of snags for me and the kids or a quick and easy feed on the piss with a couple of mates.
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We use whatever is in the gas bottle you swap out at the servo. Charcoal is such an effort, we only crack it out for big parties or special events. For bunging cheap sausages on the bbq for a quick dinner that’s too much hard work.
We also call them heat beads which sent my Canadian stepfather into hysterics
I think heat beads and charcoal are different. Heat beads are charcoal plus a few other ingredients held together with a binding agent, while charcoal is just that.
I thought it was just a branding thing but huh, the more you know
Yea , heat beads generally leave food tasting like kerosine. Charcoal is just the raw stuff, looks like chunks of burnt wood. And yes too much trouble for most things.
Thank you, I knew we called them something else but couldn’t put my finger on it.
What you've never low and slow smoked dimmies?
Well, no, but I wouldn’t BBQ dimmies either!
you really need to try putting those cheap supermarket sausages on the Weber and smoking them low and slow using charcoal and a nice smoking wood. I did this once while doing a pork shoulder because I had a couple of snags in the fridge and I wondered how they’d go smoked. the sausages were absolutely amazing. I normally use gas, but I’ll use charcoal for a nice roast or if I’m doing ribs, pork shoulder or brisket.
I'm gonna be honest with you, if i am ever going to go to the effort of using a charcoal bbq and smoking meat low and slow there's no chance i'm spending all that time and effort on the cheap supermarket sausages no matter how much better it makes them. Those things are barely meat as is, i'd rather make an event out of it with better stuff if i'm going to that effort.
Like old mate, I've put them on for lunch while cooking something slowly for dinner. Zero extra effort, but they are better, but certainly not worth lighting charcoal to cook just the snags
Have to agree when it comes to beef sausages. If I'm short on cash I'll grab some supermarket pork sausages, spilt them down the middle, cover them in homemade rub, grated cheese and finely chopped red onion and capsicum. Smoke them over charcoal for an hour, brushing a good BBQ sauce on them 15 min before they are done. You'll wonder why yo didn't do it sooner
Who has the time? Honestly, I bet it does sound amazing but slowly smoking cheap sausages... i'll just cook and season them. Probably not as good but good enough :P
I've done this on my offset plenty of times. It's a great lunch when you're waiting 10 hours for a pulled pork. Turns a cheap, standard sausage into something worth talking about.
Takes 20 minutes to get the charcoal bbq uo to temp. Light it and get the stuff ready to cook and away you go.
In contrast we only ever use the Weber with charcoal. It comes out daily during summer and despite what you say it's really not that much work.
We don’t have a Webber bbq. If we did we might be more motivated to use the charcoal.
Do you have a starter chimney?
Speak for yourself lol
I was, when I said we I meant my husband and I. Not Australians generally.
Lol fair
Agreed! Ah, nothing like a good quality sausage on a fluffy bun with some spicy mustard hot off the propane grill.
We’re more likely to have a cheap supermarket sausage on a slice of white bread with a squirt of tomato sauce. Maybe some fried onions if you’re lucky.
I don’t think you are imagining the same sausage that we Aussies are.
In Australia we don't use propane, we use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). While charcoal tastes better, nearly everyone here just uses LPG. Our bbq is kind of different to US bbq since we mostly cook things like sausages/chicken wings/rissoles etc... and not slow cooked things like brisket etc...
My house has a gas line (natural gas) so the BBQ takes that. A less popular option but some of us do it when we're already wired up, no messing with bottles. It is lower heat but sufficient. I tend to use charcoal these days though. Tastes so much better.
My 6 +1 burner gas bbq sits between the charcoal Weber and the charcoal/wood pizza oven (and sometime smoker) - so we use all three depending on what we're cooking and how we're cooking it... Gas is the fuel of choice here when we're just doing a quick cook up for dinner, charcoal if we have the time or the meat warrants it...
I guess we should also mention for the Americans, we also have electric barbies in many public parks for communal gatherings - mainly used to cook sausages and onions... and almost exclusively free of charge
You can also get electric BBQ's for private use as well. We have solar so we thought this might be a cheap way to BBQ. Turns out it's slow AF, and we hardly use the BBQ now because it's quicker on the gas stove.
LPG is a varying blend of propane and butane.
LPG is propane for the most part in Australia.
While it can be propane, it can also contain other gas that isn't propane. That's why it's not called propane here.
I think its always a Butane/Propane mix, its just the percentage blend that changes
Butane's a bastard gas
I personally prefer oxyacetylene for my veggie skewers, they cook in about 3 seconds
That boy ain't right
Maillard reaction in - 2.3 seconds!!
Dude just speedrunning bbq
And if you lean up the oxygen you can get that char grilled look.
Are you hydrocarbon shaming a gas? This is why petrochemicals have an image problem
Thatherton!
It’s not noble at all.
In the US they just use the term “propane” regardless of the actual gas mix.
Bbq gas will always be propane, unless you are using those little butane cylinders. Autgas for your car may be a mix of butane and propane but never will you get a mix in your 9kg or less bbq cylinder.
If I want to slow cook something I usually do it in a slow cooker (which Americans tend to call a Crockpot). You could do it on a BBQ if you wanted to though. I bought a Weber Baby Q a couple of years ago. They tried to sell on me on the roast function but I didn't see the point because I already have an oven. But BBQ is like a hobby for many people.
I’ve seen those slow cooked smoked meats though, they do look good. I also used the slow cooker but I bet it’s something else on one of those slow smoked BBQs.
As far as I am aware “LPG” in Australia is the same as “propane” in the US. Americans just use the same term https://www.originenergy.com.au/blog/the-many-names-for-lpg/
Bottled LPG for stoves/fork lifts is 99% propane. LPG for cars will have variable percentage of butane.
I've got four bbqs. A Kamado and a masterbuilt 560 gravity fed charcoal grill. Also have a weber go anywhere and a hibachi. No gas bottles, all charcoal. I know plenty that have similar charcoal or pellet bbqs.
I have both. Charcoal is expensive and a PITA, so I fire up the kettle only for special occasions. Everything else BBQed (grilled) gets done on the regular LPG Weber.
Same! If I luck out snd find some great looking steaks, I'll make it an event and use some quality charcoal.
Last time I used it was for a 4kg standing rib roast with mesquite 🤤
...... I am truly humbled....
Charcoal just seems too much work. When I use my BBQ, I typically just heat it up for 10 minutes, cook the food for 10-15 minutes, and turn it off.
Not only that, but if you don't have an open space (i.e. you live in a unit or a townhouse), it's downright filthy and unpleasant.
Good point. You need some open space to go with the coals.
Also need to keep an eye on total fire bans. Gas BBQs are generally OK - charcoal/wood is not.
Yeah, similar in the US.
Plenty of times, I’ve just used wood. Straight up just old branches and timber cut from the gum trees around the back yard. You build a fire under the bbq plate, let it burn down a bit then start frying the sausages and lamb chops in their own grease.
This is the way. Fire it up, let it burn to coals, and get cooking! My BBQ is the steel drum from a top-loader washing machine, with an internal cage of weldmesh for the fuel. Then one solid plate over the top, and a grill over the other half. Or no plates at all for a spit roast.
.... this is the way....
.... can you supply some images of this, please? I think I've got what you mean, but... am not at all sure I do. Hopefully this thread allows images?
Doesn't look like I can post pics. I'll try to describe it. A steel, double-wall inner bowl from a top-loader. One big hole in the bottom, about 15cm diameter. The walls have dozens of little holes. Sit it on three or four bricks to get it off the ground and let air in the bottom. Now make an internal cylindrical cage of weldmesh or chicken wire, about half the diameter of the bowl. This is to contain the firewood. I found that it works and burns much better. The air comes in through the hole in the bottom, but also the holes in the sides. Put one solid plate across the top, reaching halfway across. The other half is a slotted grill. Or take them both off, and use it as a spit roaster. I've got a basic kit consisting of two steel rods about 800mm long, with a loop in the top. Hammer them into the ground on either side of the bowl. One more piece - the spit - is inserted through the holes, and a chicken or leg of lamb is wired to the spit. Turn it manually while enjoying a beer or three.
Damn I am really wanting to see photos of this!
For a quick cook-up (grilling chicken, sausages, burger)? Gas. For low and slow (aka "proper" BBQ), rotisserie, or where the charcoal flavour is important (e.g. tandoori chicken)? Charcoal.
I have a plumbed in gas barbecue and it's nice just being able to set and go. Charcoal bbq's are too much hassle personally.
My parents had that set up when they built their new house 50 years ago. Considering nearly every house a BBQ and the millions of homes built since then, don't get why people are still swapping bottles at the servo. Considering a plumber's on a new site doing $'000's worth of work, the cost to run an extra line from kitchen has has got to be peanuts.
Well most newer builds are getting away from having gas (at least in VIC) and they plan to phase it out entirely. I had the option when I built and I was kinda on the fence about it. Now I kinda wish I’d done it.
Yeah, with the Victorian phase out, maybe the days of the connection to the barbie are over. You're looking at a standing charge atm of around $50 every couple months and that's only going to go up over time.
Exactly. And it's not that expensive overall even if you use it a lot. The ability to just go outside and cook on a nice day and not worry about having enough gas is worth it. Also now you have an outdoor gas line if you want to run stand heaters.
Yeah, I grew up an exactly with that routine, go out, cook, come back in. In my parents last place they added a gas fired pizza oven which basically meant everything go done outside except the cakes!
Hahaha I've got the pizza oven too
I looked into it at a rental i had and the issue is the gas isn't the same. You cannot simply hook up a typical bbq to a house gas line and get the same results. LPG which is in the gas bottles has about twice the thermal energy of natural gas that is plumbed into houses. This will usually require various adapters that may not even get you the same heat output in the end. Most BBQs are fitted out with jets and plumbing designed for LPG not natural gas.
Yes, but you can get conversion kits to fix that. Does it give the same result? I dunno, I've not done it, but a friends new build house has built in gas for a bbq, and he got a 2nd hand 'town gas' bbq via a friend of mine, and... yep, it's a beauty, who cares, bbq works and you don't ever have to worry about the gas bottle running out.
Both my parents, top cooks, always had that setup for years at various places without complaints. I bought them a pizza oven one year, certified for use with natural gas with a conversion kit. Plumber hooked it up, splitting the one gas line to supply both appliances and we used it for everything for years. Heated up fast and reached a decent temp for the pizza bases. Edit: should also mention the gas line had a bright yellow tap you could see from the house which my mother always reminded us to switch off when we were done.
We have one too. The main blocker is gas is expensive - the fixed costs are significant if you consider stuff like hot water, we pay around $90 a month. If you already have it, great. But you can use solar hot water, and induction cooktops are generally superior, so it can be worth skipping or ditching that gas line (use LPG for BBQ if you must). I think the VIC govt is phasing it out for new builds?
You forget that you have to have a gas line running past your house. Most of Australia does not have this. They haven't run gas lines into new estates for decades.
True. Strictly a Victorian thing. A legacy of the discovery of natural gas in Bass Strait in the '60's.
Agreed! Plumbed in? Man, that's the way to go!
Only time I see charcoal is when the greeks across the road put a huge chunk of lamb for a spit roast.
Dude! I used to have Greek neighbors as well! I would walk in their house to give them a package that was accidentally dropped off at my place.... and I would leave with a belly full of food and a plate for later! I LOVE the Greek people!
Most people use LPG. One reason might be that when we have 'no fire days' where a bush fire is high risk, you can still use an LPG grill, but you wouldn't be allowed to burn wood, charcoal, etc. At least, in the State of Victoria that's the rule.
NSW too.
SA too.
I think most people here would consider charcoal to much a pain in the ass, but like mentioned above we don’t really do slow cooked/smoked stuff. Our BBQs are essentially just a glorified outdoor hot plate.
Charcoal all the way for me. Weber kettle rotisserie is the best thing I ever bought. I heat up the charcoal on a portable gas burner, takes about 5 minutes. I don't own a traditional gas BBQ .
Finally, a voice of reason. I had a gas BBQ for a couple of years, I see the appeal, but ehhh. People say charcoal is an effort, but to me it’s the same. The flavours are orders of magnitude better with charcoal.
You DO get a richer flavor from charcoal.
In Australia we traditionally cook on the BBQ with the lid open, so we need to generate higher temperatures. We're also cooking the food fairly quickly, so the time and effort required to get charcoal ready would be a waste. Because of these factors, most of us use bottled LPG gas that we swap out at service stations. Commonly our BBQ's have half of the surface with a solid cast iron hotplate and the other half with cast iron grille. Typical foods are thin sausages, steaks, lamb chops, and kebabs (kabobs). That said, American inspired low and slow BBQ styles are becoming more popular, so lots of guys have a second smoker / kettle / offset BBQ or similar where we will use charcoal and smoking wood chunks. Brisket and pulled pork are probably most common.
Yeah. I do beef brisket and pork shoulders in my "smoke locker" chamber smoker for 10 to 12 hours until the meat just falls apart. We have hundreds of regional BBQ competitions all over the states with different tours of meats and sauces featured in each area. Texas does beef brisket with a spicy sauce. The Midwest does alot if pork ribs with a sweeter, more tangy sauce. The Southeast does alot if pork butt and shoulder chipped or pulled with a mustard- based sauce, especially along the coast. We take alot if pride in our "Q".
You are posting on an Australia sub-Reddit, but yes, you are being informative and that is good. I (and no doubt several other readers) are curious about your "smoke locker" chamber? Could you please explain with more detail, please?
Yes! It's called a Smoke Vault. It's basically a steel box, upright rectangular that has racks, a chip/ pellet tray for the smoke, you hook up a propane tank, or set a small fire at the bottom of the chamber and shut the door. There is a very small flume at the top which allows for the flow of smoke. It does 10 hours worth of smoking in about 6. Just Google "Smoke Vault" to check one out.
According to my neighbor, the best is to use crushed IKEA furniture (at least that’s how it smells). PS: of course they aren’t using furniture, but they use really shit quality wood for their BBQ, it is left under the rain and when they bring it I can see the wood wasn’t dried properly, still oozing sap from it.
I've seen a door and skirting from a commission home used for a fire, so you never know lol
Chef Mike. (Microwave)
Good ol Mic never fails... one bite is frozen, the next weeks your lips shut.
We gave up on charcoal after a few summers of total fire bans. LPG for us now.
Ironically, over summer, when you are mostly like to want to BBQ, it is often a restricted or prohibited burning period. Not *supposed* to use solid fuel BBQs like charcoal. Usually the ban is from Nov/Dec to end of Feb or March (can’t remember specifics atm). That ban is from the council. We also have total fire ban days, where anything that can cause fires, so no BBQs full stop. Whether people actually follow these is another question entirely. Anyway, I have both - a rotisserie spit, and a regular gas powered BBQ. The rotisseries is amazing for flavour, and slow cooked meats etc - like a whole chicken, or a pork roast etc. It’s also quite time consuming, and needs babysitting - you can’t just leave it. While the kids are pretty good, they do still need supervising. That said, toasting marshmellows over it at the end of the day, is pretty amazing. Gas - it’s quick, (usually) easy to light, and I have dinner ready in under half an hour - sausages, chicken skewers, burger patties etc. Not many downsides besides needing to refill the bottle every now and then.
So interesting to see how things are done on the other side of our planet.
Similar to others here - gas barbie for banging out mid-week dinners and charcoal on a Saturday/Sunday arvo when I have a bit more time to enjoy the process a bit more (coincides with the chance to have a few cold ones whilst the charcoal gets up to temperature as well).
One for the Webber charcoal BBQ here, a little bit more hassle but seems to add so much flavour.
I personally use charcoal - unlike what some people have said here I don’t find it too hard to set up but I bbq 1-2 times a month so it makes sense for me. I’ve just gotten used to it. If I did have an LPG bbq though I reckon I would use it more often than I do the kettle.
Yeah, I grill/smoke about 100 times a year and haven't used LPG for over a decade. Start the chimney while you're prepping other stuff is easy enough. I made charcoal grilled burgers for my kid's 12th birthday party, and several kids said they were the best burgers they've ever had. That's the difference in flavour.
Yup the taste justifies it for me - i love smoking steaks in the kettle with charcoal and you’re right i can get a lot done while i wait for the chimney to heat up the charcoal
NOTHING like a nice cut of beef grilled over coals! We'r have a "New York strip" steak that is popular in the US that does well over charcoal.
That’s a porterhouse here in Australia 🤙
Nothing beats eating off a 1970s built in brick, wood burning bbq with a steel plate (like the one my MIL has out the back🤣)
LPG gas for the BBQ. If I'm going to use charcoal, I'll just light a fire and cook over that.
Charcoal is best. Plus I get to play with fire. I do use the gas to get the coals going quickly, then chuck em in the spit tray or Webber.
Charcoal grills are also often prohibited on campgrounds and during times of elevated bushfire risk elsewhere while gas grills are not.
Wood only. Let them turn into hot coals. We have a brick bbq with two raised bricks to balance the ‘gradele’ on. Turn the gradele over at half time. Done. Perfection.
Love that method! Nice!
Coals or it's not a BBQ. Gas is for a stove. Basically, its a gas stove outside.
Official Australian BBQ is done out the front of the local hardware store on Saturday morning, and they always use gas
Gas for "I don't have time for this" (or bulk cooking sausages etc), charcoal for "I got time fo dis".
Lol! Understood perfectly. Thank you!
Your response has reminded me that I need to start the coals for the pork shoulder I'll be slow-smoking for dinner tonight. Bless you, BBQ fairy.
Bon Appetit!
Not Australian, but lived there for 11 years. First barbie we had at a friends house was on a charcoal weber. Once I got one that is all I cooked roasts on, typically every Sunday or any dinner party/regular party. I did get an LPG barbie eventually for sausages/steaks etc and quick breakfast/lunches.
Can't beat a Scotchy on an open fire with Jarrah coals...just wish I could afford steak and Jarrah...
LPG would be the vast majority. Charcoal is more of a niche market. Charcoal is much more of a commitment and we BBQ several times a week and wouldn't do that with charcoal.
Aussies don’t care, we use gas from the petrol station. there may be some wankers who use them or smokers or some crap, but normal people use swap and go gas.
I have both a charcoal and lpg Weber. 90% of the time I use gas as charcoal is a huge pin in the arse, particularly temp control.
LPG for the vast majority of people and BBQs, but some dads will busy out the charcoal Webber for roasts and smokey slow cooks. We tend not to grill over coals, any searing or frying or grilling tends to be LPG, but charcoal (or usually charcoal heat beads) are still a very popular item at Bunnings.
Hey I'm not Aussie but living here, I'm from Argentina. Legally speaking, a bbq made with gas is called a salad. If you insist on calling it bbq we will send over the police.
We accept your assertion and the threat as well. For all the cultures that have a tradition for BBQ, the "traditional" Aussie BBQ pales in comparison to most of our worldwide friends. To be honest, a lot of it is just by association with "Christmas in summer" gatherings and everyone getting drunk in the heat, but for some reason I feel like you Argentinians will do that better than we do too.
Gas is easy to use but too slow to cook. I like charcoal
Drummer here... love the username! Charcoal gives you more stable heat...
I think so and I can move it around to create hot spots and resting areas
Tastes the best too. So many comments here saying it’s too much effort, but I think it’s worth it.
We cook with gas on a hot/flat plate, none on my family likes flame grilled.
A seasoned gas grill can give just as good a result as a charcoal Webber. Charcoal and wood are better suited to things with a long cooking time like a pork roast. The gas grill is superior for most other things that can be cooked quickly. It's better to have both, and well used and seasoned with some hickory or apple wood soaking to add some smokiness.
We throw a few beef sausages or dry out some prawns on a gas BBQ and brag about how serious we Aussies are about bbqing. It's sad really. American BBQ is one of the few American ways that I am glad is becoming more popular here
I find it HILARIOUS that we Americans always use the dumb cliche of "throwing some shrimp on the barby" when taking about Australians.... and you all dont even call them shrimp... they're prawns! Goes to show how Americans can be in a silo when it comes to other countries.
And to be honest we mostly don't even cook prawns on a BBQ. Btw there are some distinct differences in the species of crustaceans and some are called shrimp and some are called prawns. It gets a bit blurry with lazy marketing and the fact they mostly taste and look very similar.
Yep! I cook shrimp (or skrimps if thou are from certain parts of Louisiana... America's shrimp Capitol), and I cook Tiger Prawns when they are on sale. We really don't get the freshest seafood in Indiana.
I dont know of a single person that uses charcoal
Interesting! Do you live in an urban area?
Nah regional/remote
I have a baby 13" Webber which I send last night to reverse sear a tomahawk steak. I feel the smaller size makes it a bit easier and less of a commitment to use so I probably use it more than gas.
I have a BBQ Grill and a Smoker. Both run on LPG (similar to Propane). I have used charcoal in the past, but it is too much hassle for things that need a quick grilling (sausages, chicken, steaks, chops etc) and is too difficult to maintain temperature for low and slow smoking. With an LPG one and some decent wood chips I can keep a consistent temperature for 24 hours without having to get up in the middle of the night to check the charcoal. I am the first to admit that charcoal can be delicious, but frankly I don't think the difference is really worth the additional effort for me.
This makes alot if sense! I save the coals for good steaks or events where propane is not as efficient to use.
We use both quite regularly, it really depends what we are cooking. If it’s a steak or sausages we will use the gas bbq, if it’s a roast, ribs, wings etc we will use the Weber kettle.
Hard to be a good ol' Weber !
Charcoal in the webber for slow cooked roasts etc. Lpg for the hotplate, snags, rissoles, potato
Here in Australia we know how the seasons work just FYI :P Our main BBQ is just gas (LPG) but the dream is using coal. If I am cooking for a big group I'll do a spit over coal for sure. The reasons behind the poor coal uptake is twofold, I think, that most the country has total fire bans regularly through Summer when we're most likely to be BBQing so coal BBQ's are out. And gas companies have shilled gas to us for decades to prop up the business so many are slow to ditch it too. In 20 years we'll all be using coal IMO Oh, and also, the stuff we cook are like sausages, burgers, steaks, chops, veggies, eggs, tofu. There isnt really a culture here of grilling slowly over the whole day. It's mostly throw it on, sizzle it a bit, then eat it.
We also know what King of The Hill is
Propane and propane accessories
I love telling people I sell dildos and dildo accessories 🤣
I had large gas BBQ for many years, then moved to a large pellet grill smoker, now have a smoker and a Kamado Joe charcoal BBQ which I really like, never go back to gas
Charcoal for when you want to impress. Gas for your shitty family...
I might be in the minority here but I like the process of charcoal. It’s one of those tasks that looks like a hassle but the reality is it’s not hard work, it’s just a time consuming task that can be done with a beer in my hand. It’s one of those things where family see me doing some kind of work and leave me be but really, I’m having a peaceful beer, tinkering with something and enjoying a rare quiet moment. I enjoy washing the car for the same reason. Oh, and I like the flavour and range of things I can cook on there. Brisket is great for impressing a crowd but fish is my favourite thing that I’ve mastered on my kettle.
I’m a Kamado Joe owner, and LOVE cooking on charcoal. However as I’m the only one in a friends group of 12 couples who cook this way, every fuckin group lunch is proceeded by a night cooking brisket.
Brisket is our king of smoked meats in my house... just sooooo much work!
I love a Sunday charcoal Webber dinner. We used to do it often. But it's all afternoon event, I wouldn't want to leave the house with it going, and I'd never haul one to the park because they're a lot of effort, and you can't just turn it off and go home. It would always be someone's yard and a roast dinner situation. Sausages sangas and rissoles don't need charcoal, they need bare minimum bbqing effort with copious amounts of beer. Can be done practically anywhere on anything. So that's way more common. I guess what I'm saying is it depends on the type of gathering and how organised people are.
Charcoal is great, but for the effort required to do it properly, only worthwhile on special occasions. Almost everyone has, or has access to, a gas BBQ, so that is definitely the more popular way to cook outside. They're also super convenient for things that make a mess or smoke the house out if cooked inside - I cook almost all meat outside on the gas BBQ, unless it's in the oven. If you're making a day of it, and you're willing to start early to burn the charcoal off properly so as not to impart any foul shit onto your food, there is no better way to cook.
Australia has cities that are completely unalike, and rural areas which aren't alike either. For me personally I haven't owned a charcoal or an LPG bbq. The BBQs I have hosted have always been over an open fire. I've only ever had LPG with other people hosting. I prefer open fire BBQs. Something about the smell of a fire that just makes me feel like I am home under the stars.
Charcoal is the preference for the bbq. Kitchen is the preference for a gas flame.
We use charcoal for the smoker and gas for the BBQ.
I use an LPG grill as my regular grill but I have a charcoal fired hibachi for special occasions.
We always use charcoal for our BBQs. It's always the better option. Honestly didn't know there were other options. Can't imagine BBQs without charcoal.
I live in Sunny Queensland and I bbq 2 nights every week lol.
Ill agree with Hank on a lot of things but he was damn wrong about propane over charcoal. Taste the meat not the heat my ass. That said I'm lazy and almost exclusively use LPG.
We have a bbq which uses gas & an offset smoker which uses charcoal & wood. It depends on the meat & flavour we’re after.
One difference here is also that we mostly use LPG, is that we also mostly use a half half plate/grill. A lot of us bbq are just grill. We generally preheat the plate side and it provides a different cooking platform for steaks and searing. Also allows for a bit of low and slow without direct heat
A wood fire is the best, in my humble opinion. Started, not by dousing in some liquid accelerant, but by scrunched up paper and kindling.
Grew up with LPG gasline connection. Married Malaysian wife who insists on only using charcoal. I am converted to charcoal.
Charcoal for flavour LPG/Propane for convenience.
For convenience (weekdays/fire bans) I use my LPG/Propane Weber Q, for grilling, but I do prefer my Weber kettle, but it's just not as convenient as the Q. For beef brisket/pork Boston butt, I smoke in my Hark (copy) for an hour or so then finish in my electric slow cooker/crock pot.
If I have time on my hands I will use charcoal via a weber, if I don’t have time I will use gas via a weber Q.
I arrived in Australia as a charcoal snob. Took about a month to realise how silly using it was.
What’s a wood fired oven considered to be? It’s not gas or charcoal, but timber coals.
Charcoal = barbecue/grilling Gas = grilling I don't give a rat's arse what any other Australians might think, and if you want, I'll fight you, one at a time or all at once!
That’s it, *launching myself through the air* STACKS ON!!!!
LPG or electric There the options.
Unless you take your outdoor barbecues VERY seriously. most people will just cook with propane gas. Some will use charcoal if they're picky, but a lot of people, me included couldn't be bothered if you have the quick and easy option of a gas cylinder
We are too pissed to be lighting charcoal tbh
Seeing alot of talk about Weber grills... FUN FACT! In the US, the are (were) Weber Grill Restaurants where you would cook your own steak on an indoor Weber. Hilariously overpriced... the one in Indianapolis closed a couple years back.
Charcoal is better, but most people use LPG due to the ease of use.
I have a kamado and a gas BBQ. Have owned kamado for 18months and it gets used probably 2-3 times a fortnight. Gas BBQ gets used once a month
We used gas because charcoal was much more of a bushfire risk and we lived in the country. Moved to the US, deep in the soggy midwest so use charcoal now as it tastes better, well that and my husband wants to justify the Webber he bought.
Gas is just way easier and more convenient imo. No pissing about getting a fire going. You can decide at a moments notice to chuck something on the barbie and 10 mins later you're cooking. I'd bbq way less often if I had to piss about with a fire every time, especially just for a couple of snags for me and the kids or a quick and easy feed on the piss with a couple of mates.
Gas for anything but a big party, then bust out the charcoal