Deep frying… on a charcoal chimney…

[Washblue]

I’m looking for advice in deep frying in a DO, using charcoal…
If you have some…
Please share some…

[rickgregory]

I'd be worried that the oil will get too hot over direct heat like a chimney. Mostly you want it somewhere in the 300s. Obviously if you can do this indirect, that should work fine.

[Jerod Broussard]

Get some iron, perhaps angle iron, to potentially add space if things are getting a little too hot, which you will be able to ascertain on a test run.

[MBMorgan]

I see three potential issues with a DO on a chimney for deep frying:

1. A dangerously high CG.
2. Temp control. Deep frying can be a little finicky.
3. Cook time. You won’t get much with what a chimney can hold.

[Bob K]

Balancing hot flammable oil on top of a Roman candle seems like an 11 on the degree of difficulty scale. Don’t know that I’d try it but please do post the video.

[rickgregory]

If I wanted to do this, I'd put it on the indirect side of my kettle but even that makes me nervous - large amount of oil, hot charcoal....

[RichardCullip]

“911, what’s your emergency?”

[BourBonQ]

Take temps religiously and adjust as necessary, quickly.

[mnavarre]

The one time I tried to use the vortex as a wok burner I put the wok over it, added some oil, threw some diced bacon in it and had burning bacon within two seconds. Like, bacon actually on fire. The whole business just strikes me as a bad idea if there's other options available.

[jfmorris]

I wouldn’t do it on the chimney - too much possibility of it all tipping over. And no way to control the temp. I would do it on a standard charcoal grate and move the Dutch oven over the coals or off the coals as needed to adjust the oil temp. I’ve done this on my kettle with the SNS about half full of coals before, and it worked well - usually to get 350F oil I didn’t need the DO completely over the coals. The grate of the grill gave me a nice place to set down the fried chicken to drain with my tongs, and it stayed warm enough as I worked in batches.

I have a vortex but would still probably use my SNS or banked coals on the side, so that I can flip the cooking grate up and add or stir coals as needed.

[RlsRls]

Yup! What he said!

[texastweeter]

Never done it on a chimney. Done it on the ground, even done it on a camp tripod, but never a chimney.

[RonB]

I'm guessing that Washblue doesn't have a Santa Maria grill of some type, but that would allow adjusting the heat by moving the DO up and down as needed.

[RonB]

ComfortablyNumb - or using the Weber charcoal baskets and moving them as needed.

[Donw]

My thinking would be hanging the dutch oven from something like a tripod and placing the chimney in something like a wheelbarrow. Should be easy to move the chimney from directly under dutch oven to slightly off the sides to control temperature.

[Donw]

Thought of that but I didn’t want to risk being covered in burning oil in case the fire source needs to removed because of boil over.🤕

[rickgregory]

Anyone else a little nervous we've not heard back from Washblue since he asked...? Hey man, let us know nothing burned up!

[DaveD]

I would absolutely never try this. So, so many ways it could go horribly wrong, and for what? The food won't taste any different cooked this way over some other type of deep frying. A bad idea IMO.

[CaptainMike]

I have not, nor will I ever attempt to fry with a DO full of 350+ degree oil on top of a charcoal chimney. Just too many things to go wrong too easily with potentially serious consequences. I don't think Johnny Knoxville would give that a go!

I have tried the methods Meathead has outlined and have gotten mixed results. However, my tried and true method for outdoor frying is using my single burner LPG stove similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/GasOne-Propan...2-8997e41410bb

Sturdy, adjustable, portable, affordable, and a much safer method.