Block the wind, don’t chase the coals

Position your grill so the wind hits the side vents, not the coals.

A charcoal fire needs oxygen, but gusty wind steals heat faster than it feeds the fire. If you set up with the wind blowing directly into the bottom vents (or hitting the coals from above), you’ll get hotspots, flare-ups, and a lot of ash everywhere. Worst case: the fire just dies.

The fix is cheap and mechanical, not magical. Turn your grill so the wind hits the vents at an angle or, better, block the wind altogether. A simple windbreak—a sheet of plywood, a folding table, or even the side of your house—works wonders. Just leave enough gap for air to flow. I keep a 2x4-foot piece of corrugated plastic that I wedge against the leeward side.

If you’re using a chimney starter, don’t set it in the open wind. Place it behind the grill or inside a cardboard box with the top cut off. The chimney works best when the bottom holes aren’t being blasted sideways.

And once the coals are lit and spread, close the lid. The lid traps heat and reduces the wind’s effect on the fire—most charcoal grills are designed to be used covered anyway. You can still control temp with the top and bottom vents.

A few dollars of scrap material beat twenty minutes of relighting frustration.