Cooking outdoors on a bbq, spit and even a fire is a great way to not only cook food, but also entertain throughout the cold winter nights. When cooking out on the lawn, your grass can be left with scorch marks where the heat has burnt your lawn. To save your lawn from getting burnt we have put together a few helpful tips to help your lawn stay nice and green.
But first, what different types of cookers are available?
There is a huge range of different cookers, smokers, spits and bbqs available. One of our new favourites is the Jumbuck mini spit due to its great size and the entertainment as well of watching it spin. There’s even a group dedicated to it on Facebook!
You can’t go past a classic kettle bbq either like a Weber. These have had a bit of a resurgence in recent years. This is mainly due to the popularity of cooking with charcoal rather than electric. Kettle bbq’s are also ideal. They are high enough off the ground like a traditional bbq, so the grass is safely at a distance to the heat.
If you are lucky enough to have the space a pizza oven also makes a great addition to backyard entertaining. You are not limited to pizza either, with most having enough space to cook just about anything you would normally inside the house.
If you are looking for something that can provide a bit more flavour, then a smoker is another option worth looking into. These can take a little bit of getting used to. Once you get the hang of cooking times, smoke levels and internal temperatures, the results can be delicious providing a smokey flavour. Char-Griller has a good entry level option, you just need to make sure you buy the offset fire box attachment separately for smoking. Jumbuck also has bbq smoker with offset sidebox included.
Finding the best spot for your cooker on the lawn
Before lighting up your fire, you will need to find a flat surface to place your cooker. This will help stabilise the cooker and will help stop it from falling over throughout your cook.
Preparing your grass for the heat
If you are using a fire pit or a cooking device that sits quite low to the ground, it’s best to take some precautions first, particularly on your lawn.
Before lighting up your fire there are a few things you can do to help prepare your lawn for the heat. Firstly, it is best to rake away any fallen leaves or twigs. A light water with the hose will help minimise heat stress to the grass from the cooker. Throughout the night when the lawn becomes dry again, give the lawn another watering. This will help prevent the lawn from becoming scorched. If the heat is quite close this may not be enough to protect it, so more methods may be required.
Heat resistant shields
Heat resistant shields work by reflecting heat from underneath the cooker, protecting the grass. These shields are usually made from aluminium fiberglass. When using these shields keep at least four inches away from the heat source. Some of these mats come with the ability to be hooked into the legs of the heat source. Others are designed to be laid on top of the grass.
Some of our favourites include the Fire Heat Shield and Fireside Fire Mesh from BCF. There is also a great range of heat resistant shields available on Amazon.
Bricks/pavers
Bricks and pavers can be laid out underneath the cooker. This will act as a heat shield, preventing the grass from becoming burnt. This will help raise the height of the cooker so there is less chance of scorching the grass underneath. When laying down these bricks, make the surface larger than your cooker. This makes a stable base that the cooker won’t tip over easily. Make sure you remove the bricks or pavers once you are done so you don’t find another way to kill the grass instead!
When using bricks around fires and cookers, make sure you are using a fire brick instead of a normal brick. Fire bricks are made to be able to withstand the high temperatures. As normal bricks are not designed to withstand these hot temperatures they can degrade and in some circumstances explode.
How to put out coals
Once you are done cooking it is best to put the lid back on your cooker and close any air vents. This will deplete oxygen to the coals, putting them out. This is an easy and safe way to put out these coals. Please note the cooker will remain hot so it is best to let it sit for a few hours to cool. It is best to avoid hosing out your cooker. This causes a rapid change in temperature can cause it to crack while causing a lot of hot steam.
Lighter liquids and other fuels
It is best to keep away from lighter liquids and fuels. This is because they can cause huge flames and burn your lawn. It is best to stick to using coals.
What to do when your lawn has burnt grass
So, what should you do if your turf is already burnt? To help the area recover quickly, rake out the dead plant material and lightly raise the area by adding a small amount of topsoil.
For more helpful tips and advice for your lawn, check out our other lawn care blogs here.
