charcoal grill question?

Question

iam doing hamburgers on my grill..the distance from the coals to the grill is only 3 inches..should i use direct heat from the coals or indirect heat...1 layer of coals all across the bottom or around the bottom with the center open where the burgers would be so when the grease from the burger drips it doesnt cause it to fire up...any tips for me cool cool...thanks

after searing how long should i cook them per side for a med done burger.

Answer 1

You already answered your question. I like to put the coals around the outside and put the burgers on the outside for a few minutes and then move toward the center to cook the center.
But the barbecue gurus say to put coals on one side and they start searing the meat on the outside and then move it to the indirect side to cook slowly and cook toward the center of the meat.
You should be present the first couple of minutes to put out any fires with a water squirt bottle. after you move to indirect you can close the lid and go away for a few minutes. Press your finger in the center to tell if it's done. Never press the burgers as that releases the juices and you'll get a dry burger.

Answer 2

the flare-up is from the grease. Fire needs oxygen. You could put your meat directly on the coals to prevent the flare-up.