tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64409904602737304012011-11-28T10:01:34.656+08:00bbq, 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 cookerBlackdovenoreply@blogger.comBlogger461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-82295642192421375722010-04-14T15:51:00.007+08:002010-04-14T22:06:48.176+08:00

The 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-9109513323038411862010-03-22T10:26:00.017+08:002010-03-22T12:03:44.821+08:00

The 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-84737361721981413532010-03-21T07:36:00.019+08:002010-03-21T18:37:37.914+08:00

These 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-88253540640524669942010-03-20T08:52:00.008+08:002010-03-21T18:02:56.211+08:00

Since 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 will

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-84960952464663278662010-03-18T17:02:00.012+08:002010-04-15T08:17:26.316+08:00

In 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-40428189914805420652009-08-08T09:27:00.010+08:002010-04-14T22:29:43.307+08:00

The 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 briquette

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-91089526425189259522009-08-06T15:00:00.015+08:002010-04-14T22:31:40.687+08:00

In 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 crushing

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-20144807197703270712009-08-03T08:47:00.013+08:002010-04-14T22:32:59.149+08:00

Apart 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-34220820429999431912009-07-29T11:41:00.008+08:002010-04-14T22:34:30.537+08:00

In 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-49623933803891750562009-07-27T15:40:00.008+08:002010-02-12T08:42:48.640+08:00

Late 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.

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-78859592070778474482009-07-25T14:27:00.011+08:002010-04-14T22:40:45.548+08:00

In 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-59116295536802902362009-07-21T19:18:00.002+08:002010-02-12T08:26:31.253+08:00

From 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-37032942764822293472009-07-20T06:51:00.012+08:002010-02-12T08:29:24.811+08:00

In 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-54364810724512658232009-07-16T12:34:00.012+08:002010-04-14T22:46:56.902+08:00

The 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-42473845078877526262009-03-22T19:03:00.009+08:002010-04-14T22:42:46.129+08:00

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,

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-44559386808225604292008-09-14T06:04:00.024+08:002010-02-12T08:40:11.483+08:00

Here’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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-44755342768510824922008-09-05T22:32:00.007+08:002010-02-12T08:41:00.187+08:00

What 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.

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-76034738873138169992008-09-02T22:16:00.011+08:002010-02-12T08:43:45.883+08:00

Have 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-58394378802825354042008-08-25T21:22:00.004+08:002010-02-12T08:45:19.950+08:00

As 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-69647623275134872812008-08-19T21:26:00.007+08:002010-02-12T08:46:27.367+08:00

In 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 always

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-1911184475139698642008-08-14T22:47:00.009+08:002010-02-12T09:00:24.425+08:00

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,

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-76136749878507443452008-08-11T21:09:00.005+08:002010-02-14T16:09:11.559+08:00

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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-16958204821345816432008-08-07T20:26:00.004+08:002010-02-12T08:55:39.187+08:00

Everytime 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?” And

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-23732624659098874022008-08-04T06:04:00.005+08:002010-02-12T08:56:47.282+08:00

You 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-64083800820922765272008-07-30T19:43:00.009+08:002010-02-12T09:02:40.438+08:00

In 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

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-89169916444485704572008-07-28T20:23:00.003+08:002009-06-24T15:43:19.124+08:00

Here’s an entry for a cold day: Penguin barbecue (hmmm, yummy!), lots of beer, cool sounds and great company. Burp!

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-71894507505729843692008-07-24T07:28:00.004+08:002010-02-14T18:30:04.808+08:00

Here’s a basic recipe for cooking mouth watering “Paksiw na Tilapia”. This recipe is for 6 medium-sized Tilapia.Clean 6 medium-sized Tilapia.Sprinkle salt on the fish. Rub the salt on both sides of the fish and put them in wok.Add 1 cup of water.Add crushed 10 cloves of garlic.Add 1/4 tablespoon peppercorn.Add a medium-sized chopped onion.Add ½ tablespoon brown sugar.Bring the mixture to a

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-4111557331311196252008-07-22T08:42:00.006+08:002009-06-24T16:19:13.320+08:00

Okay, I think I should’ve retitled this post as “How to Prevent Soot from forming on the Cooking Pot’s Bottom”. But then again soot is a natural annoying byproduct when you use wood fuel for cooking and is inevitable. This tip addresses what you can do so that soot that eventually forms can be easily removed.Here’s what you do.Before cooking, get some cheap liquid detergent.Coat the bottom and

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-16338725637584245862008-07-20T07:04:00.007+08:002010-02-12T09:04:15.134+08:00

Without an electric rice cooker, you know how easy it is to burn rice if you're not careful enough. Typically, after all the water has evaporated way, it is just a few minutes and the rice is done. However, neglecting this crucial period will result in overcooking and overcooked rice mean burned rice.Burned rice. Ugh. You know that distinct smell when rice burns when cooking it. When taken

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-84291249185736986222008-05-01T11:23:00.004+08:002010-02-14T16:09:48.799+08:00

Is this another missing accessory for the Superkalan? The Superkalan doesn’t come with a cover for the chimney extension. So, what to do? Improvise! For my chimney extension, a cap would have 2 important purposes:To protect the chimney and the chimney from the elements. Constant moisture comes with rust – eventually. The chimney filter and extension are prone to rust if exposed for too long

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-26640492100948195712008-04-29T12:11:00.002+08:002010-02-12T09:11:00.508+08:00

In a previous entry, someone commented that there’s an even cheaper way of getting a grill grate for free and pointed me to a funny picture shown below.I chuckled when I saw this. It’s a shopping cart turned into grilling stove. The above even shows the cart in action with wood fueling the cooking of a soup dish. A couple of sliced bread skewered on a tree branch leans on the cart, waiting to

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-61203889128919309762008-04-23T11:56:00.005+08:002010-02-12T09:14:13.394+08:00

In a previous article, I talked about how the old screen filter was so difficult to clean especially when the soot buildup had started to harden and clog the screen holes. In the same article, I described how a better filter can be made with simple common materials using household tools.The new spider filter however is not immuned against the problems of soot buildup. But this time, cleaning

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-90719341860194401332008-04-17T13:51:00.005+08:002010-02-12T09:15:54.970+08:00

The old grill grate we have is old and rusty.Not only does it look bad, it can become unhygienic as well as dangerous to use and clean. I mean, look at those rusted, worn out thin rods. They look like deadly spikes! It’s certainly time to replace it but we don’t want to buy a new grill grate when an improvised grate would work as well. A devise that’s made of metal, flat, and has a grid of

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-76017414730129808592008-04-13T13:27:00.006+08:002010-03-22T09:31:12.792+08:00

In a previous entry, I talked about in detail a possible design flaw with the chimney extension. Because of that, I devised a really cheap (no-cost if you’re resourceful enough), yet effective solution to prevent debris from falling into the chimney extension. This is debris that eventually will cause the quick build-up of soot inside the chimney which blocks the exit of smoke.The filter we

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-8320048123010532402008-03-23T13:12:00.004+08:002010-02-12T09:18:48.721+08:00

Many Pinoys love to grill fish and typically, it’s the Tilapia that’s the fish of choice. Why? It’s cheap, readily available and relatively easier to grill. Sometimes though, the grilling goes to the worst like when the fish skin and flesh sticks to the grill grate and practically ruins the fish into an unrecognizable mess. Not only is the unfortunate fish torn and ruptured, it’s now as dry

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-60082422478886081422008-03-21T10:52:00.008+08:002010-03-22T09:31:51.374+08:00

When the grill (superkalan) was still new, we didn’t clean or inspect it regularly. Hey, it always worked well and it was new! So imagine one day when the smoke coming out of the chimney extension didn’t look right. By this, I mean the smoke just sort of lingered and drooped downwards rather than the usual rapid upward billowing. There was also more smoke than usual seeping out from the

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-29295033706777216932008-03-19T11:55:00.007+08:002010-02-12T09:09:41.419+08:00

In a previous article, I wrote that the third and best reason to store away leftover charcoal was to use it as a fire enabler. The process below essentially describes how the chimney firestarter works although in this case, the grill body itself works as the chimney.Here are the steps to start the fire with the leftover charcoal. Since I don’t buy charcoal, the “charcoal” I say here refer to

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-48005256049808382612008-03-17T11:49:00.004+08:002010-02-12T10:15:30.469+08:00

So you need to build a robust file quickly and start cooking in a few minutes. What, no dried leaves for starting the fire? But that’s one important component for building quick, no-cost fires. Wait, just how dry is “dry”? If you think any fallen leaveswould foot the bill, well, the answer is “no”. What you need are leaves that would pass what I call the “crush test”.To do this:Get a few of

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-56256474466820796372008-03-15T11:43:00.004+08:002010-02-12T10:17:45.922+08:00

In a previous article, removing the leftover charred fuel (now charcoal) from the grill was one way to stop the fire. Actually, you could’ve just left the remaining embers in the fuel bed and forgotten about it. In a safe location, the remaining fuel would just be consumed. It’s the lazy man’s way of slowly putting out the fire. But wait, it’s not only lazy, it’s wasteful as well! No sense

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-41025969431220146462008-03-13T13:32:00.005+08:002010-02-12T10:19:11.905+08:00

Imagine you’ve done all your cooking and grilling and now’s the time to wrap it up. Then you discover you have so much more fuel still in the grill. What do you do to put out the fire? Douse water on the still burning embers? No. no. no. The best cost-effective way is to save the burning coals. Here’s what you can do:With a pair of tongs, get the bigger chunks that you can easily pick up.

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-72638019760972182052008-03-11T13:27:00.005+08:002010-02-12T10:20:13.846+08:00

An analogy of the Fire Triangle is a Fire Tripod where all 3 legs are needed for the fire to “stand”. The way to end the fire is by removing one of the legs.Oxygen - To take away the oxygen leg of the tripod, you may cover all access to air like throwing sand at the fire, stepping on the fire (not recommended) or covering it with a large piece of cloth like a big rag.Combustion - Others would

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-76251122588930802512008-03-09T15:19:00.007+08:002009-06-24T11:36:15.530+08:00

Before, I’ve always been amazed at how some folks, typically those from the countryside, seemingly build fires effortlessly. It’s as if they do it all by instinct! Well, I suppose some parts of the process is learned through experience like knowing exactly when the fire “catches on” or when more elbow grease is needed for fanning; or when it’s timeto safely add more wood without killing the

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-25975131218217951662008-03-07T14:44:00.005+08:002010-02-12T10:21:05.778+08:00

Well, we knew that a wood stove (or a “multi-fuel” stove, for that matter) would still have some smoke somehow. So putting it indoors was out of the question. The nearest location we had for it was at the garage near our laundry area where the washing machine was. Immediately, the disadvantage of having it in a COVERED garage is when residue or creosote forms on the walls and the ceiling. It’

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-227588414033395832008-03-05T12:47:00.006+08:002010-02-12T10:23:19.940+08:00

What is LPG? Well, simply put, it is Liquefied Petroleum Gas. The gas is encased in a metal cylinder or bottle. Here’s a picture of what it looks like.Most urban households in the Philippines use the bottled LPG for cooking. Here’s a chart showing the percentage of urban households using which type of cooking fuel.The photos above come from an interesting paper from REAP Canada and U.P. Los

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-53300983247625512272008-03-03T12:20:00.004+08:002010-02-14T16:07:11.663+08:00

Thanx to the Superkalan website, I was able to get an exploded diagram of the Superkalan stove. I edited the labels of the stove parts to make them clearer and more readable. The unit as shown in the diagram comes with a pair of tongs also. This tool is very useful for moving coals around and picking up any hot items.One other tool that doesn’t appear here but came with the unit I bought is

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6440990460273730401.post-32980768997850006102008-03-02T14:09:00.004+08:002010-02-14T16:06:24.797+08:00

Two years ago, the DH and I chanced upon an odd-looking gizmo that was on sale at Festival Mall in Alabang. You see, occasionally, the Exhibit Center would showcase products from different areas or provinces in the Philippines. And on that particular day in January, 2005, it was La Union’s time to shine. There were plenty of the usual: woodcrafts, tupig, woven blankets, etc. etc. Well,

Blackdovenoreply@blogger.com0