For a 22 inch kettle: a full chimney, roughly 80 to 100 briquettes, gives high direct heat for about an hour. Half a chimney gives medium heat or a two zone fire. For low and slow, use a full ring of unlit charcoal with only 8 to 20 lit coals on top.
Charcoal quantities by cook type
| Cook | 22in kettle | 18in kettle / bullet | Portable 14-18in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Searing, white hot | Full chimney, 80 to 100 briquettes | 3/4 chimney, 60 to 75 | 1/2 chimney, 35 to 45 |
| High direct grilling | Full chimney | 3/4 chimney | 1/2 chimney |
| Two zone, medium | 1/2 to 3/4 chimney, banked | 1/2 chimney, banked | 1/3 chimney, banked |
| Roasting a whole bird | 3/4 chimney, banked, top up hourly | 1/2 chimney, top up hourly | Not recommended |
| Low and slow, 8 to 12 hr | Full snake plus 8 to 10 lit | Full ring unlit plus 10 to 20 lit | Not practical |
How long does a chimney of charcoal last?
A full chimney of briquettes gives roughly 45 to 60 minutes of genuinely useful high heat, then declines. Lump gives you a hotter fire for a shorter time, closer to 40 minutes at full intensity. That is fine for steaks and burgers and nowhere near enough for a whole chicken.
For anything running past an hour, either plan to add lit coals from a second chimney as you go, or switch to a technique that burns unlit fuel gradually: the snake method in a kettle, or the Minion method in a bullet or drum.
How do I top up mid cook?
- For short cooks under an hour, add a dozen unlit briquettes at the edge of the bank. They will catch from the existing fire. Expect a brief dip and some smoke.
- For anything where flavour matters, light the new coals in a second chimney and add them fully ashed. No dip, no off-smoke.
- On a kettle, a hinged cooking grate lets you top up without lifting food off. This is the main practical reason to buy a Premium or Master-Touch.
- Top up before you need to. A fire that has already collapsed takes far longer to bring back than one you fed on time.
How much charcoal per bag?
A 16 lb bag of standard briquettes holds roughly 300 to 350 coals, which is about three and a half full chimneys, or three to four hot direct cooks. A 20 lb bag of lump is harder to count because piece size varies enormously, but as a working figure expect around three to four full chimneys as well.
When you finish cooking, close every vent completely. The fire suffocates within a few minutes and the unburnt charcoal survives. Sieve out the ash next time and that fuel is as good as new. Across a season this saves a genuinely noticeable amount of money, and it is why lump is less expensive in practice than it looks on the shelf.
Common questions
How many briquettes are in a chimney starter?
A standard Weber Rapidfire chimney holds around 80 to 100 briquettes when full, depending on brand and how they pack. Treat a full chimney as your unit of high heat and half a chimney as medium.
Can I use too much charcoal?
For direct grilling, yes: a bed that is too deep and too close to the grate burns food before it cooks. For low and slow you cannot really overfill, because unlit charcoal only burns as the fire front reaches it. Filling the ring simply gives you a longer cook.
Does charcoal go off?
Charcoal does not expire, but it absorbs moisture, and damp charcoal is hard to light and burns cool. Store it sealed and off a concrete floor. Wet briquettes that have dried out will often crumble.
Related guides
TechniqueHow to Light Charcoal Without Lighter Fluid
There is one right way to light charcoal, it costs about twenty five dollars, and it takes fifteen minutes.
TechniqueHow to Set Up a Two-Zone Fire
One fire, two temperatures, and suddenly a charcoal grill can do everything an oven and a frying pan can do together.
TechniqueThe Snake Method: Low and Slow on a Kettle
A line of unlit briquettes, lit at one end, burning along at about an inch an hour. It is the cheapest smoker you will ever build and it is already inside your kettle.