How to Keep Coals Lit With Lighter Fluid

Lighter fluid can get your coals going on a charcoal grill.

When you are grilling out with a charcoal grill, timing is everything -- from how long you can keep the coals lit to how long you allow the meat to sit on the grill. Use lighter fluid to get a fire going, but it can be tricky to keep those coals hot enough to infuse your meat with that well-known traditional "grilled" taste. Employ a few grilling techniques to keep them going until you are ready to stop cooking. Does this Spark an idea?

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Instructions

- 1
  
  Pour the coals into the bottom portion of the charcoal grill. Spread them strategically under the area in which you plan to grill the meat. The more coals you put in, the better your meat will cook because there is more heat being generated. However, don't fill up the grill because you don't want the coals to touch the meat.
- 2
  
  Squirt the coals generously with lighter fluid. Make sure you get fluid on each coal to ensure that it lights and stays heated. Once you've doused the coals, use a match or a long reach lighter to light the coals. However, be sure to immediately step back once you drop the match on the coals or light the coals because the flame will be expansive at first and you can easily get burned.
- 3
  
  Avoid adding more lighter fluid to the charcoal once you've got the coals lit and burning well. This will only wet the coals and cause them to lose their heat. To keep them going after the initial squirt of lighter fluid, move them around. If you reposition them, they will get hit with the air and continue to hold heat. Move them around every few minutes to keep them burning.