My first coal forge fire looked like a disaster, then it clicked in about 10 minutes

I lit up a pile of bituminous coal in my new forge last Saturday and got nothing but a smoky black cloud for five solid minutes, figured I'd wrecked the whole thing. Then I gave it a gentle blast of air from the hand crank and the whole bed turned into a roaring, clean flame that melted a steel bar in no time. Has anyone else had that moment where you think you failed but a tiny tweak saves the day?

2 comments

2 Comments

noah_webb6d ago

That feeling of panic before it all works out is pretty universal. Same thing happens with my old charcoal grill every spring first time I use it, looks like a total loss for a good five minutes before it catches and roars to life. Kinda reminds me of any new skill, the first try is always rough until you find the one little trick that makes it all click.

kelly.daniel6d ago

So what's the longest you've sat there staring at a grill full of coals wondering if you're ever gonna eat dinner? I've definitely had some close calls where I nearly gave up and ordered pizza. It's funny how the panic hits even when you know deep down it'll probably be fine eventually. Does your grill have a specific smoke pattern or sound that tells you the coals are finally catching, or do you just wait for the heat to hit your face?