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Syzygies

Solo Stove

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My primary use (and MacKenzie's) for a Solo Stove has been as a well-designed charcoal grill. This is clearly an off-label use, until one thinks about it. The same features that minimize smoke as a wood-burning fire pit make these stoves a better charcoal grill than any conventional design. One can set up and start a charcoal fire in a minute or two, then return for ten minutes of tending an ingredient on break from juggling six other cooking tasks, then abandon the fire to burn to clean ashes for later disposal.

99% isopropyl alcohol is a particularly effective accelerant with this design, because the design contains and burns off any drips. There is no trace of alcohol by the time a fire is ready to cook. The simpler the chemical structure of an accelerant, the simpler its combustion byproducts. Alcohols are simpler than petroleum-based accelerants. Any incomplete combustion produces carbon monoxide and vaporizes part of the accelerant, so avoid the fumes particularly while lighting any fire with an accelerant. Don't be lulled into complacency by the relative lack of odor. Pure ethanol would be best here, if one can find it.

One needs less charcoal than with any other design, so one can use better charcoal. We all know the overhead in managing any other fire; that's why so many people choose gas grills. This is the pure joy of tending food over a charcoal fire, with no overhead.

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The rising hot air and radiant heat is more clearly focused and uniform than any other charcoal grill in my experience. This proves to be decisive, roasting peppers. You know that anguished debate in your head, that keeps you awake at night? I know that a dedicated Spaniard wouldn't dream of rinsing off the burnt skins under a running faucet, the horror in losing all that flavor down the drain! But cleaning the flecks off by hand feels like a fool's errand, I'd rather be mudding walls as an independent contractor! Or cleaning a dozen cloves of garlic the size of pine nuts, because my family abhors waste! Oh lord, free me from these earthly chains!

After careful roasting over a relaxed Solo Stove charcoal fire, then twenty minutes sweating in a plastic bag, pepper and chile skins just slip off. I look as competent and unruffled at this step as I'd want to appear on a YouTube video. In that vein, most "molcajete salsa" videos show confident cooks scorching their chiles and tomatoes on a comal, then leaving in the black spots. This is surely authentic, but there is unexplored higher ground using more careful methods. A Solo Stove was not available to pre-Columbian cooks.

This is the style of cooking grate that I prefer over a Solo Stove. The largest that I could find just fits over the Ranger:

Turbokey Round Grill Barbecue Net (Amazon)

 

Edited by Syzygies
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I have seen videos where people put a weber grate and cook over their bonfire units. 

We bought this strictly  as a fire pit. Will allow us to sit in the BBQ garden around a nice fire. Something I really couldn't do with the old rust bucket of a fire pit sitting out in the bone yard. 

Went and picked up a load of firewood this morning. The unit is supposed to be delivered on Monday so hopefully the weather will cooperate next weekend. 

@Jon B.  They were on sale and it comes with the bottom spacer stand. Do you leave yours outside for extended periods of time? We were thinking of buying the outside cover for ours so we can leave it outside during the winter.

 

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21 minutes ago, ckreef said:

 

  They were on sale and it comes with the bottom spacer stand. Do you leave yours outside for extended periods of time? We were thinking of buying the outside cover for ours so we can leave it outside during the winter.

 

@ckreef Both my units came with a cover.  Hopefully yours will also. (I didn't know they came with one).   I leave the Yukon outside.  The cover is nice and sturdy. All I did was to cut a piece of round plywood to put on top of the cooker, so the water would not pool down inside and stuck a piece of foam on top to tent the cover.  Works great.   The new covers I have seen have a handle on top......mine do not and are a pain to get off (fit tight - will not blow off). 

I really believe you and Mrs. SKReef will like the fire pit.  Everyone who has sat by ours...... loved it.   Enjoy!!!!!  

PS - will need some kindling to get the big logs going and the afterburner effect kicks in when the coals start to form. 

 

 

Edited by Jon B.
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[See also SoloStove Bonfire - Mrs skreef's new fire pit. As referenced in Vermicular Cast Iron Induction Cooker]

I've been playing with the best way to roast chiles on the smaller of my two Solo Stoves, the Solo Stove Campfire. The same principles apply to my Solo Stove Ranger.

With shortages of 99% isopropyl alcohol I can no longer rely on my "stunt" conflagration approach to lighting charcoal. And these stoves were originally designed for wood, not charcoal, though they'll burn anything they can get.

Meanwhile, they burn hot, and it is way too easy to scorch chiles rather than gently roasting them. But they're so efficient that wood burns down to practically no embers. These twin problems tend to cancel each other out.

To roast serrano peppers last night for pasta sauce I tried just using apple wood, no charcoal. Home Depot had large bags. I thought I timed this well, though I wanted to get the dough to rest, and by the time I got back to the fire there was little left. Even so, five minutes on a side, the chiles roasted just fine. This could be ideal, if one can find the patience. I left my wine inside so I'd keep going back to the other prep; this fire was low enough to just leave the chiles unattended, yet there was an effect.

Ideally, one mounds the desired charcoal on top of some wood for initial fuel.

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That’s outstanding tony.
Syz although I am happy with my current fire pit, I’m intrigued by the solo stove and will definitely get the no smoke pit next time.
Is it a better design than the Breeo?
Neither are supplied in Aus so I may need to get one made. I understand the logic in design and love it.


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3 hours ago, Basher said:

That’s outstanding tony.
Syz although I am happy with my current fire pit, I’m intrigued by the solo stove and will definitely get the no smoke pit next time.
Is it a better design than the Breeo?
Neither are supplied in Aus so I may need to get one made. I understand the logic in design and love it.


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I can't speak highly enough about our Solo Stove Bonfire. Haven't cooked on it yet but we use it as a fire pit all the time. Just last night actually. Every time we use it I mention to Mrs skreef what a great purchase it was. 

 

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Super timely reminder of this post.  I have bought a load of logs for the Argentinian grill and have been looking at fire pits.  I was keen not to lose cooking space by burning logs in the Argentinian grill and thought a fire pit would help with creating a supply of embers that can then be transferred to the grill.  

This post has been very helpful.  I started to lean towards the Yukon but @Jon B.'s posts helped pull me back from the edge of that abyss.  So.... a solo Bonfire is on its way and I am thinking of getting this cast iron grate once I get over the cost of postage.  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017REIKI0/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_4hNREbHPWEAKA

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Super timely reminder of this post.  I have bought a load of logs for the Argentinian grill and have been looking at fire pits.  I was keen not to lose cooking space by burning logs in the Argentinian grill and thought a fire pit would help with creating a supply of embers that can then be transferred to the grill.  
This post has been very helpful.  I started to lean towards the Yukon but [mention=2550]Jon B.[/mention]'s posts helped pull me back from the edge of that abyss.  So.... a solo Bonfire is on its way and I am thinking of getting this cast iron grate once I get over the cost of postage.  
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017REIKI0/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_4hNREbHPWEAKA

Tekobo I was looking at the bonfire as well, given its 19”, I’m thinking the KK grates could sit over the top. Only for thin quick cooks. Otherwise, flare ups would be a nightmare.
I don’t need more grates.


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On 5/3/2020 at 10:34 AM, Basher said:

I don’t need more grates.

Tee hee.  I do.  I am glad I waited for the Solo stove to arrive before making a decision about what size grate to buy.  This two part cast iron grate looks ideal and is now on its way: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HYFZLY4/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_ho5SEbC4G4K3J

The stove itself looks beautiful and feels sturdy.  Looking forward to trying it out in the next few days. And no, I am not planning on lighting it in my living room.

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On 5/2/2020 at 1:34 PM, ckreef said:

I can't speak highly enough about our Solo Stove Bonfire. Haven't cooked on it yet but we use it as a fire pit all the time. Just last night actually. Every time we use it I mention to Mrs skreef what a great purchase it was. 

We couldn't agree more.  We love the sheer efficiency with which it burns the wood and sitting around watching the fire and the lack of smoke.  So much so that I have already persuaded a local friend to buy one on the strength of my enthusiasm.  He tried his out last night and is super happy too.  My new grate arrived yesterday and I can't wait to try it out.

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22 hours ago, Jon B. said:

That cooking grate looks like it was made for your Solo Stove!  Will it fit with the upper ring off the stove body?? 

Hi Jon.  I tried it out with the upper ring off the stove body but it wasn't as stable.  Why did you ask? 

I also tried the grate out to cook food yesterday and it didn't work out at all well.  I made the mistake of setting the grate on the stove while the wood was still burning and it interfered with the air flow (even with the removable part take out of the grate) such that the stove started spewing out black smoke rather than burning it off before exit.  The Husband thinks it will work better if we use the grate over embers rather than burning wood but I didn't have the patience to wait last night and instead transferred the burning logs to the Argentinian BBQ and cooked dinner on there.  More experimenting required...

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1 hour ago, tekobo said:

Hi Jon.  I tried it out with the upper ring off the stove body but it wasn't as stable.  Why did you ask? 

I also tried the grate out to cook food yesterday and it didn't work out at all well.  I made the mistake of setting the grate on the stove while the wood was still burning and it interfered with the air flow (even with the removable part take out of the grate) such that the stove started spewing out black smoke rather than burning it off before exit.  The Husband thinks it will work better if we use the grate over embers rather than burning wood but I didn't have the patience to wait last night and instead transferred the burning logs to the Argentinian BBQ and cooked dinner on there.  More experimenting required...

Thanks for the reply........I was wondering if having the upper ring inverted would cause a disruption in the air flow in the Solo Stove???  I remember reading some where that the upper ring was important and should always be used upright when burning the stove.   I would agree on cooking over just the hot coals/embers.  Wonder if your cooking grate would be stable on top of the upright upper ring?  Would that have made a difference??

As a quick aside........one of the things I didn't like about the bigger Yukon model....... is because of the "dome' shape of the fire grate, logs would stick above the stove and create the black smoke you speak about above.  Even when you had a hot bed of coals.  Also if you tried to cook over coals on the Yukon the coals would be a lot closer to the cooking grates in the center.  The Bonfire has a much flatter fire grate. Much more conducive to uniform cooking. The other issue with the Yukon is the size and handling of it.  I have long arms and have a hard time moving it by myself.   All this "aside" stuff to say........you made the correct choice with the Bonfire unit!!!!!  

 

 

 

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On 6/26/2018 at 8:09 PM, Syzygies said:

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It's also a great chimney for getting a modest amount of charcoal fully lit in a hurry. Shown is an alcohol start. It's pretty astonishing reading the caution on the interwebs about alcohol as a starter fluid, given how completely it burns off compared to any other starter. You'd think the pyromaniac in somebody would have just tried it? We started some accidental alcohol fires in high school science classes, and the one thing I remember is they weren't that dangerous. The real issue with isopropyl alcohol is its complexity relative to ethanol: It produces carbon monoxide as it burns, while ethanol just produces CO2 and water. So hold your breath and step away. The beautiful convection effect of the Solo Stove means that no fanning is required; it is the ideal chimney for lump charcoal alcohol starts.

You have referred to using isopropyl alchohol as a firestarter often enough to get me interested @Syzygies.   You also talk about holding your breath to avoid breathing in the carbon monoxide by product and wearing ear defenders.  Enough to get me worried and interested all at once.  

My alchohol arrived today and for once I won't be drinking it.

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Edited by tekobo
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2 C3H7OH + 9 O2 -> 6 CO2 + 8 H2O + heat

2 C3H7OH + 8 O2 -> 2 CO + 4 CO2 + 8 H2O + heat

2 C3H7OH + 7 O2 -> 4 CO + 2 CO2 + 8 H2O + heat

2 C3H7OH + 6 O2 -> 6 CO + 8 H2O + heat

On further research, the complete combustion of isopropyl alcohol (C3H7OH) yields carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). Even knowing no chemistry, one can confirm that there are 6 C, 16 H, and 20 O on each side of the first reaction.

As one decreases the available oxygen, the combustion produces increasing quantities of carbon monoxide (CO). This is true for any kind of fire. CO has one less oxygen atom than CO2. With a shortage of oxygen, that's what gives.

I don't stick around while the alcohol burns (that's the whole point of this lighting method, I don't have to stick around). And Solo Stoves are designed to more fully burn any fuel. They burn much closer to smoke-free than other charcoal burners I know, so I believe their claims.

I could be overstating the carbon monoxide risk here. Any incomplete combustion risks producing carbon monoxide. There's no additional specific risk associated with isopropyl alcohol.

On the other hand, when I douse my wood and charcoal with isopropyl alcohol, there is clearly more available alcohol than the fire can immediately use. The alcohol takes a while to burn off. If there were ample oxygen, it would simply explode. So I don't know the proportion of carbon monoxide produced by such a fire. Safest to step away!

Edited by Syzygies
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Thanks @Syzygies.  I was going to come right back to explain that I actually don't have any trouble lighting my solo stove.   It gets going very quickly with a bit of wood kindling and kiln dried wood.   I was only looking into the alcohol solution to see how it could help me with my Argentinian grill and/or with getting my chimney started.  That was until we put a capful of alcohol onto the wood in the solo stove yesterday.  And lit it. Wow.  

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I bought this contraption to go on my solo stove way back in May but I had no need to use it until now.  I find myself between KKs and desperate to grill outdoors.  

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I had planned on using the solo stove to prepare some binchotan briquettes for my konro grill but I remembered the hot plate so I stuck it on the solo stove to warm up.  This fat collecting well seemed like a good idea for collecting the fat that would come off these huge duck breasts that we bought in France.

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Extra weight to help with rendering the fat and make the skin super crispy. 

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Partway through and looking very promising

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After a few flips I was literally salivating at this stage.  Look at all the fat that I collected.  Move over George Foreman!

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Binchotan briquettes collected in camping pot to extinguish for use another day.  I think I will just use ordinary coals for the whole cook in the solo stove next time.  Binchotan and its variants are best saved for the konro grill.

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As usual, I am not good at "plated" shots but I can assure you this was super tasty.  The duck had been marinaded in mirin, soy and sake.  The Husband is planning to add a bit of grated ginger for tonight's attempt.

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I don't have a pic but I can assure you that the pan cleaned up easily and well after that encounter with duck and is waiting for its next assignment.  Super happy with this discovery. 

Edited by tekobo
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