tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64409904602737304012024-03-14T06:10:29.252+08:00Secrets on the Grillbbq, grills, grilled, smoker, marinade, chicken salad, pork recipes, grilling, barbeque, barbecue, barbecue sauce, steak recipes, charcoal grill, grill parts, charcoal grilling, outdoor stove, superkalan, charcoal fuel, briquettes, briquetting, charcoal briquettes, pork chop recipes, char grill, tilapia, grilled fish, outdoor grill, grilling tools, hibachi grill, charcoal smokers, how to grill, green fuel, homemade briquettes, briquetting machines, biomass fuel, briquette fuel, outdoor cookerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-82295642192421375722010-04-14T15:51:00.007+08:002010-04-14T22:06:48.176+08:00Briquette Making - Stop Block and Push BlockThe mold mentioned in a previous entry uses a standard PVC pipe with an inside diameter of 2 inches. This mold casing is the chamber where the compression of the briquette material takes place. But by itself, the PVC pipe has two open ends. The Stop Block and Push Block plug these two open ends. Stop BlockThe Stop Block plugs the rear of the mold. It remains stationary inside the PVC pipe Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-9109513323038411862010-03-22T10:26:00.017+08:002010-03-22T12:03:44.821+08:00Briquette Making - MoldThe mold is another item in the Briquette Making Machine Components that needs to be fabricated. But it's easy enough to make with a hacksaw and a power drill. The mold is made of a standard 2-inch PVC pipe. You don't need the entire length of a pipe so it's very cost effective if you can find a scrap length, maybe from nearby construction sites. That way you can even source it for free.The Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-84737361721981413532010-03-21T07:36:00.019+08:002010-03-21T18:37:37.914+08:00Briquette Making - Clamp and StandThese two items from the list of the briquette making components essentially form the "machine" that will allow the briquetting compression to happen. The rest of the components are merely accessories that will facilitate the briquette-making process.Although the clamp is easily available in most hardware stores, the clamp stand needs to be fabricated (more on this later) and customized for the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-88253540640524669942010-03-20T08:52:00.008+08:002010-03-21T18:02:56.211+08:00Briquette Making - Pail and TraySince you will be mixing various biomass ingredients for briquette making, big plastic pails or vats are suitable containers for this purpose. The wide mouth of these containers will make it easier for you to mix the ingredients and transform them into a slurry.Plastic PailFor the actual making of the briquettes though, you may want to use a smaller pail with a handle. Using a smaller pail willUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-84960952464663278662010-03-18T17:02:00.012+08:002010-04-15T08:17:26.316+08:00Briquette Making Machine ComponentsIn a recent entry, I wrote about the workplace where I make my homemade briquettes. Biomass briquettes can come from various ingredients and so the entire process may be a bit messy. Use an apron to keep dry.In the absence of an affordable commercial machine for home use, you could easily fabricate the various parts that will up the briquetting machine. Shown below are the parts of the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-40428189914805420652009-08-08T09:27:00.010+08:002010-04-14T22:29:43.307+08:00The Briquetting WorkplaceThe basic workplace for making the briquettes would be a sink. A sturdy table with a good catch basin would be a good alternative. Shown below is the basic setup I have at home. It is essentially a sink made of concrete at our "dirty" kitchen. It sometimes doubles as a place to wash clothes. =) There is plenty of space at the side for the briquette equipment and the pail containing briquetteUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-91089526425189259522009-08-06T15:00:00.015+08:002010-04-14T22:31:40.687+08:00Preparing the Briquette IngredientsIn a previous post, I mentioned how paper should be prepared as a briquette ingredient. Two other ingredients I use on a regular basis are crushed dried leaves and sawdust. Sawdust need not be broken down further. Just ensure that wood shavings and chips that typically come from wood planing processes are removed. Dried leaves need to be really dry and brittle that they break up when crushingUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-20144807197703270712009-08-03T08:47:00.013+08:002010-04-14T22:32:59.149+08:00Briquetting by CompressionApart from the "horse" briquette device, there are other manual briquetting machines out there. "Manual" here meaning hand-operated and without the aid of electricity or batteries. Paper Brick Log MakerHere's a very popular manual briquette maker that has long been marketed on the internet. It uses discarded paper or old newspapers to create paper logs. Wet the paper, put inside and squish Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-34220820429999431912009-07-29T11:41:00.008+08:002010-04-14T22:34:30.537+08:00Preparing the Paper Component of BriquettesIn a previous entry, I mentioned that paper has good binding properties that helps create a briquette that doesn't immediately fall apart. It's actually the fibers of the paper that has this.Cutting or shredding the paper (with a paper shredder) like in the picture breaks down the paper in size. The clean cuts do not however expose the paper's fibers.The trick is to shred the paper by tearing Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-49623933803891750562009-07-27T15:40:00.008+08:002010-02-12T08:42:48.640+08:00Hob Top Grill and GriddleLate last year, DH and I bought this JML Hob Top Grill and Griddle on sale from SM Ace Hardware. For us, it was a welcome addition to our Superkalan Outdoor Stove for cooking.From the photo below, see how easily it fits on top of the stove's burner. Although the label mentions cooking oil is optional, we chose to put just a little to enhance flavor.There's plenty of space on top of the grill. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-78859592070778474482009-07-25T14:27:00.011+08:002010-04-14T22:40:45.548+08:00Homemade BriquettesIn a previous entry, I discussed the common materials used for briquettes and in another, a background on some commercial briquetting machines.The briquettes I create for our cooking are essentially made up of paper waste, sawdust and a little of other agricultural waste. The batches of briquettes I have made vary in color because of differing constituent mix. These briquettes are small and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-59116295536802902362009-07-21T19:18:00.002+08:002010-02-12T08:26:31.253+08:00Browsing this BlogFrom recent developments, I realized that this blog is best viewed using a browser OTHER than Internet Explorer Version 8. Version 8 is the latest version of IE (Internet Explorer) as of this writing. You will not receive any errors when using IE8 to view this blog but you will not see the blog displayed correctly. The blog's sidebars don't appear on the main page and the posts are incomplete Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-37032942764822293472009-07-20T06:51:00.012+08:002010-02-12T08:29:24.811+08:00Briquette MachinesIn a recent post about briquettes, the ones shown look really neat and most likely were produced from briquette machines like those pictured below.All of them, from the biggest machine that looks like a mini-power plant to the smallest machine that looks like a creature out of a "Transformer" movie will require some space and electricity. The large-scale production of briquettes for these Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-54364810724512658232009-07-16T12:34:00.012+08:002010-04-14T22:46:56.902+08:00Materials Used for Biomass BriquettesThe usual materials used for biomass briquetting are agricultural wastes. Examples of agricultural wastes include rice hull (shown on the left), corn husks, coconut shells, grass clippings, dried leaves, dried sticks and so on. However, many non-traditional "wastes" have been incorporated into biomass briquette-making. Commercial wastes such as sawdust, paper and even charcoal powder have Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-42473845078877526262009-03-22T19:03:00.009+08:002010-04-14T22:42:46.129+08:00What are Briquettes?According to Wikipedia, "a briquette (or briquet) is a block of flammable matter which is used as fuel to start and maintain a fire. Common types of briquettes are charcoal briquettes and biomass briquettes."Wikipedia continues, "Biomass briquettes are made from agricultural waste and are a replacement for fossil fuels such as oil or coal, and can be used to heat boilers in manufacturing plants, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-44559386808225604292008-09-14T06:04:00.024+08:002010-02-12T08:40:11.483+08:00Cooking Suzy WongHere’s a great snack that even a child can help prepare - Suzy Wongs. Now, no offense to all ladies named "Suzy Wong" but that's just how they call it here. I don't know if I even got the name right, coz some call it Sosy Wong. But still, this snack is so yummy and goes well with mayo and catsup for dip. So, here's cooking... Suzy Wong!With a rolling pin, flatten a piece of sliced bread. If Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-44755342768510824922008-09-05T22:32:00.007+08:002010-02-12T08:41:00.187+08:00When it RainsWhat to do when it starts to drizzle? And your outdoor stove is, erm, outdoor under a tree? Surely, you don’t want whatever you’re cooking to get wet, right? Well the simplest way is to use an umbrella. Since the stove is under the branches, you could just let the umbrella hang from among them. The picture below shows how.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-76034738873138169992008-09-02T22:16:00.011+08:002010-02-12T08:43:45.883+08:00Yummy Spinach Con LonganizaHave you ever had finicky kids who wouldn’t touch vegetables, especially nutrient-rich spinach? Well, it’s probly how you prepare it. Remember, not all kids are like Popeye who could eat spinach straight from the can! So how can you prepare flavorful spinach? Add skinless longganisa! (Filipino sweet sausages).So here’s how to prepare flavorful Spinach con Longaniza:On a frying pan pour 2 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-58394378802825354042008-08-25T21:22:00.004+08:002010-02-12T08:45:19.950+08:00Tip for Cleaning Your Grilling Tools and AccessoriesAs an outdoor chef, there’s always the tendency to forget my tools like tongs and scraper outside. Accessories would include the ring plates and the chimney extension filter. And when left to the mercy of the elements, these tools and accessories will start to rust away especially when we don’t use them for quite a while. So here’s what you can do to retard the rusting:Use a light-grade Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-69647623275134872812008-08-19T21:26:00.007+08:002010-02-12T08:46:27.367+08:003 Reasons to Put the Outdoor Cooker Under the Mango TreeIn a previous entry, I gave some height factors to consider when finding a place for the Superkalan Outdoor Stove. Well, I’m all the more convinced that after those considerations, putting it under a fruit-bearing tree would be the best location. Here are 3 reasons why:Smoke dissipates among the leaves. In a previous entry, Is the Superkalan Really Smokeless, I mentioned that there will alwaysUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-1911184475139698642008-08-14T22:47:00.009+08:002010-02-12T09:00:24.425+08:00What are Pandan Leaves?In a previous entry, I wrote an entry on how to cook pandan flavored rice. So, what are pandan leaves? From Wikipedia:"Pandanus Amaryllifolius is a tropical plant in the screwpine genus which is known commonly as pandan and used widely in Southeast Asian cooking. It is an erect green plant with fan-shaped sprays of long, narrow, bladelike leaves and woody aerial roots. The plant is sterile, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-76136749878507443452008-08-11T21:09:00.005+08:002010-02-14T16:09:11.559+08:00Is the Superkalan Really Smokeless?In a previous entry, I mentioned the Superkalan was also sold inside the mall coz it was smokeless. But is it really? Well, the answer is “yes” AND “no”. Yes, because once the fuel is dry and burning very hot, there is no water content to turn into steam that comprises the smoke. No, because when you are just starting the fire, there will always be smoke coming from firestarters like paper Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-16958204821345816432008-08-07T20:26:00.004+08:002010-02-12T08:55:39.187+08:00A Convenient FirestarterEverytime I need to fire up the stove, I’d always need some pieces of scrap paper to light the tinder. Most of the time, I’d scrounge for old newspapers in the garage or scrap paper elsewhere. And most of the time also, I’d still have leftover scraps of newspaper after cooking which I conveniently misplace. So I said, “Why not a convenient source to get your scrap paper for firestarting?” AndUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-23732624659098874022008-08-04T06:04:00.005+08:002010-02-12T08:56:47.282+08:00Delicious Pandan Flavored RiceYou might have heard of it - boiled rice with the faint delicious aroma of Pandan. And for many, when rice smells good, eating is a pleasure. How hard can it get? Well it’s easy as 1-2-3:Prepare the cooking pot beforehand with the rice and water. Then get a couple of fresh pandan leaves as shown. Just pick the biggest leaves available.Tie the leaves in a simple knot. Yup, any knot will Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-64083800820922765272008-07-30T19:43:00.009+08:002010-02-12T09:02:40.438+08:00Low Cost Tip to Scrub Clean the Cooking Pot’s BottomIn a previous article, I mentioned a soapy tip that will minimize the forming of soot and hence make cleaning a bit easier. Well, let’s step a bit further. Do note that soot will form. So how do you get rid of it? Steel wool, a plastic scrubber or a brush comes to mind. How about something you just pick from the backyard and quick throw away when done?Shown below is the Is-is plant also Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0