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Richard1233
04-13-2016, 06:04 PM
My neighbor who we rarely get along with just asked me for lighter fluid cuz he wanted to bbq. I told him no, I don't have lighter fluid but u can use one of my chimneys. I grabbed one and tried handing it to him with 2 weber charcoal starters. He didn't even need news paper, I was gonna give him the wax starters and he laughed at me and said no thanks I'll ride my bike down to walmart and pick up some fluid, i don't like those chimney things they're a joke. I said ok have a nice dinner that tastes like lighter fluid. He looked at me like I was the crazy one. Poor guy, he's gonna take 30 mins to ride his bike to walmart and come back only to have food taste bad.

SmittyJonz
04-13-2016, 06:07 PM
I light my charcoal in a chimney with lighter fluid. Every Cook.

cseymour45
04-13-2016, 06:21 PM
Probably just embarrassed that he had no clue what the F you were handing him!

che22879
04-13-2016, 06:29 PM
I hate the smell of lighter fluid. It always lingers.

dadsr4
04-13-2016, 06:29 PM
I light my charcoal in a chimney with lighter fluid. Every Cook.
With all the free newsprint that arrives in the daily mail?

Fwismoker
04-13-2016, 06:30 PM
I light my charcoal in a chimney with lighter fluid. Every Cook.
Don't make it right. :mrgreen:


I think I can taste it...never makes sense using it when you can use straight fire or newspaper in a chimney to light charcoal. Bottom line is there can still be leftover chemicals from the fluid that you could be ingesting....No need for that. Definitely no lighter fluid for me.

pjtexas1
04-13-2016, 06:30 PM
So if smitty was your neighbor which one of you would be the crazy one?

blazinfire
04-13-2016, 06:33 PM
Probably just embarrassed that he had no clue what the F you were handing him!

^^^ This....


Never wanted or needed a chimney at any point until I started smoking. I even started without a chimney when I bought my offset! But after I got my WSM I decided to get one due to using the minion method. I love the farkin thing! I know once I light a fire under the chimney I have enough time to clean my grates if needed, clean/trim/prep the food, then it should be ready to put the chimney coals in my cooker.

16Adams
04-13-2016, 06:36 PM
Thanks this thread reminds me I'm down to 25% of a 2fer of Gulflite

4ever3
04-13-2016, 06:40 PM
My neighbor uses that crap and I can still smell it in the air when he puts his food on!

pjtexas1
04-13-2016, 06:43 PM
The smell turns my stomach plus it's so much more fun to use a weed burner if you are in that much of a hurry.

dadsr4
04-13-2016, 06:44 PM
paint thinner is a solvent (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solvent) used to thin oil-based paints (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_paint) or clean up after their use. Commercially, solvents labeled "Paint Thinner" are usually mineral spirits (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_spirit) having a flash point (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_point) at about 40 °C (104 °F), the same as some popular brands of charcoal starter.

zymguy
04-13-2016, 06:50 PM
I was all ready to buy an additional small chimney until I learned from the brethren to use the regular chimney up side down .
Prost

mjpmap
04-13-2016, 07:09 PM
I have a chimney and like it, but don't need that anymore either. In my Primo, I just burrow a hole in the pile of lump. I use a one inch piece of "strike a fire" starter from Diamond (the match people). Twenty minutes later I'm cooking.

mikemci
04-13-2016, 07:17 PM
Don't get me wrong, I understand that once the petro burns off and the coals are white, there is no more nasty flavors to go into your meat......but I can't stand the odor and I have to go in the house when my neighbor lights that stuff up.

petard
04-13-2016, 07:21 PM
it's so much more fun to use a weed burner if you are in that much of a hurry.

I'm a fan of the weed burner. Quick, no smell, and even less fuss than a chimney. It's easily my favorite way to get things going, especially on a school night.

ahill450
04-13-2016, 07:29 PM
The only good thing lighter fluid is good for is starting bonfires after a few beers.....

ssv3
04-13-2016, 07:30 PM
I'm a weed burner guy also but at times I'll use lighter fluid. No biggie as it burns off prior to the food going on. Your neighbor sounds like a whackjob though. :-D

Nuco59
04-13-2016, 07:42 PM
I don't use the lighter fluid... but the smell takes me back to family bbq's. Spraying the fluid all over the mound of charcoal- and then adding more "just in case". The Whoosh- and the flames leaping toward the eaves of the house. Hamburgers- cooked black but still red in the center. Hot dogs that looked like burnt branches.

yeah- I'd like to go back and do one of those again - good times.

blazinfire
04-13-2016, 08:28 PM
I don't use the lighter fluid... but the smell takes me back to family bbq's. Spraying the fluid all over the mound of charcoal- and then adding more "just in case". The Whoosh- and the flames leaping toward the eaves of the house. Hamburgers- cooked black but still red in the center. Hot dogs that looked like burnt branches.

yeah- I'd like to go back and do one of those again - good times.


LOL, Sorry Made me laugh!! I'll never forget adding more "just incase" and getting the whoosh!! I remember the very first time I attempted to learn how to cook on a charcoal grill. I wasn't thinking and closed the lid before the coals burned down. Opened it up to a giant fireball!

Thankfully this was years ago! I don't have a need for news paper, lighter fluid. My little propane torch does the job well! There is something big I have planned soon (Just gonna have to wait to find out what) I think its time to upgrade to a weed burner!

cheeaa
04-13-2016, 08:42 PM
Wait so I shouldn't be adding lighter fluid to my egg while smoking? You think it's bad?

jb6l6gc
04-13-2016, 08:44 PM
Only use that stuff on my bonfire pit!

Rockinar
04-13-2016, 08:47 PM
I use lighter fluid in my chimney every time. Starts fast, no smoke and I like the smell. Reminds me of the good old days before America was all messed up.

People who complain they can taste it in their food are the people who start cooking before the coals ash over.

Bob C Cue
04-13-2016, 08:57 PM
The smell also takes me back to the days of my Dad cooking pork steaks on a cheap grill that had the mechanism for moving the grate up and down. Anyone else have or remember having one of those?

mchar69
04-13-2016, 08:59 PM
I'm with Blazing - I use my small blue propane torch to light my fire.
The chimney gives off too much dark, nasty smoke for my taste.
Although I will use it at times.

People who complain they can taste it in their food are the people who start cooking before the coals ash over.

There are many here who use a
Minion' or 'snake' method and only light 12 briquets to get a slow smoke going,
like in a UDS for example, or a Weber 22" kettle.
No way i want -
1. to have the fire blazing while instead, I want a 6 hour cook.
2. have that smell linger on my unburnt charcoal.

Thingfish
04-13-2016, 09:36 PM
I use every method available to start my cookers from time to time (except magnifying glass or bow drill). To each his own ... no method is fair game for ridicule IMO.

Bbq_lover
04-13-2016, 09:43 PM
For grilling. I now use my gas assist on my weber performer. For my smoker, I use a small chimeney. I will put a little newspaper and some old bacon grease or a little oil to make sure it catches. Works with no problem.

pjtexas1
04-13-2016, 09:51 PM
The smell also takes me back to the days of my Dad cooking pork steaks on a cheap grill that had the mechanism for moving the grate up and down. Anyone else have or remember having one of those?

Yep. I had one. 2 levers like on a push mower wheel height adjustment.

16Adams
04-13-2016, 09:53 PM
Can't get this photo with a cube, a torch or a chimney

Fwismoker
04-13-2016, 10:05 PM
I use every method available to start my cookers from time to time (except magnifying glass or bow drill). To each his own ... no method is fair game for ridicule IMO.:confused: It's not ridicule if people find the odor offensive, it's how they feel. So someone doesn't like lighter fluid and they can't say what they think about it as too not hurt feelings?

For me personally it seems un natural and don't like the idea of possible chemical byproducts on my food.

Fwismoker
04-13-2016, 10:13 PM
Can't get this photo with a cube, a torch or a chimney No you can get it with grease dripping on coals or fire though. :icon_smile_tongue:

ssv3
04-13-2016, 10:36 PM
Can't get this photo with a cube, a torch or a chimney

Badass indeed!

tom b
04-13-2016, 10:49 PM
I think we stopped us ing it in the 80"s

Okie Sawbones
04-13-2016, 10:57 PM
Lump charcoal + torch = clean fire

Q Junkie
04-14-2016, 12:01 AM
I can't be the first one to think of this!



Apocalypse Now - smell of napalm - YouTube

cueball21
04-14-2016, 12:13 AM
I have several chimneys but I don't like the smell of newspaper burning nor having to deal with the ashes. I have a Performer but when I need to, I pour a couple of shot glasses of isoproply alchohol in an empty tuna can, light it, and set the chimney of briquettes over it. Red hot coals in 10-12 minutes every time. Alcohol has no odor and I think you can generally buy if for less than Gulf-Lite or its cousins.

defib
04-14-2016, 12:54 AM
I use the wax cubes or put it over the side burner on my gas grill.

Richard1233
04-14-2016, 01:57 AM
Don't get me wrong, I've had some good food off of a lighter fluid started fire but to go out of his way to get lighter fluid when I had a very easy solution for his problem made me scratch my head. With 2 wax cubes u can have ur fire ready to go by the time u get back from the store. The way he looked at me I think he didn't understand how it works. I explained it and he didn't want to listen, he kept laughing at me like I was crazy. He can keep laughing cuz when I bbq I have neighbors asking if im selling my food, when he bbqs he always asks me how do I get my tri tip so tender and how do u get ribs so tender without wrapping in foil and over cooking then and not one neighbor wants his food.

16Adams
04-14-2016, 02:08 AM
Paraffin wax- petroleum sludge bi product
Butane torch- petroleum
Propane(liquified petroleum gas)
Lighter Fluid- most are petroleum based
Newspapers- flying ash and aroma
Kerosene- yep petroleum

All methods of lighting have their pros cons and coolness factors. I don't use LF in my ceramic cookers, but I will in my steel. I also use cubes- chimney in all as well. I also use stick matches, book matches and fireplace long hosed lighters- to light whichever accelerant I chose.

I remember when I learned that "wax" starter cubes are petroleum bi product many years ago. It wasn't the same story as OP, I wasn't embarrassed for my lack of knowledge and I don't know where I thought paraffin wax came from. But I was schooled. ( not meaning your bike rider was mocked-just he was doing what he had always done and sticking to the familiar)

Fwismoker
04-14-2016, 07:46 AM
There's someone on here that would always poke at people building a UDS w/ used barrels comparing it to a brand new "safe" drum. That same person would spray petroleum based liquid all over their charcoal... the irony is thick. :roll:

ahill450
04-14-2016, 07:50 AM
I use every method available to start my cookers from time to time (except magnifying glass or bow drill). To each his own ... no method is fair game for ridicule IMO.

I have used a bow drill, and flint & steel.

Big George's BBQ
04-14-2016, 07:52 AM
I was at a Comp and I could smell it- could not believe it
Offer him a truce with some boiled ribs

cseymour45
04-14-2016, 08:15 AM
I used to use my chimney with every start. Now I just load up the firebox in my Humphrey with lump. Stick my $10 electric charcoal starter in the back corner. Give it about 10 minutes, pull the starter and close the door. Easy peasy.. I got tired of the newspaper ash floating around my yard.

hakamo0o
04-14-2016, 08:17 AM
The smell turns my stomach plus it's so much more fun to use a weed burner if you are in that much of a hurry.

I do too use something similar, a brazing torch. Does the job and takes no time XD

PaPaQ
04-14-2016, 08:32 AM
Since I bought a weed burner my chimney has been neglected.

cheez59
04-14-2016, 09:12 AM
My neighbor who we rarely get along with just asked me for lighter fluid cuz he wanted to bbq. I told him no, I don't have lighter fluid but u can use one of my chimneys. I grabbed one and tried handing it to him with 2 weber charcoal starters. He didn't even need news paper, I was gonna give him the wax starters and he laughed at me and said no thanks I'll ride my bike down to walmart and pick up some fluid, i don't like those chimney things they're a joke. I said ok have a nice dinner that tastes like lighter fluid. He looked at me like I was the crazy one. Poor guy, he's gonna take 30 mins to ride his bike to walmart and come back only to have food taste bad.
My oldest stepson was that way when I first joined the family. He said chimneys didn't work and laughed at me. His younger brother got a chimney and uses it regularly now. The younger one thanked me for turning him onto the chimney. Some folks just have too much pride to try anything different even if it might be better than the way they are doing something.

sfrancis353
04-14-2016, 09:18 AM
I'm a big fan of my looftlighter. Usually do the bottom of a chimney...what I would need to get minion method going. Only hot air starting my fires...and my wife would confirm that I'm full of hot air.

Bludawg
04-14-2016, 09:59 AM
Lighter fluid has it's place. Maybe it's nostalgia or just the memories of time gone by from childhood but the light piquant flavor of burgers & dogs cooked over KBB started with lighter fluid can't be replicated. Nor can the memories of the smell as you wait for the coals to get right mixed with cold beer on a hot summer afternoon spent with family & friends.

Smokey Lonesome
04-14-2016, 10:17 AM
Lighter fluid has it's place. Maybe it's nostalgia or just the memories of time gone by from childhood but the light piquant flavor of burgers & dogs cooked over KBB started with lighter fluid can't be replicated. Nor can the memories of the smell as you wait for the coals to get right mixed with cold beer on a hot summer afternoon spent with family & friends.

I don't use lighter fluid but you are 100% on point. The smell triggers memories of family gatherings particularly on the Fourth of July and Labor Day - sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. It was like a ritual to see my dad spray the KBB with lighter fluid and light it up. Yes, he had his cold bottle of Schmidt's near by too! Yep, you hit the nail on the head!

Thanks!

pjtexas1
04-14-2016, 10:59 AM
I used to use my chimney with every start. Now I just load up the firebox in my Humphrey with lump. Stick my $10 electric charcoal starter in the back corner. Give it about 10 minutes, pull the starter and close the door. Easy peasy.. I got tired of the newspaper ash floating around my yard.

i forgot that i have one of those things. my issue was that my nearest outlet is too far from my cookers. it does work really well and quick too.

mikemci
04-14-2016, 11:12 AM
i forgot that i have one of those things. my issue was that my nearest outlet is too far from my cookers. it does work really well and quick too.
You can hang them on the door knob and keep the "wet bandits" at bay for a short time too.

16Adams
04-14-2016, 11:12 AM
Lighter fluid has it's place. Maybe it's nostalgia or just the memories of time gone by from childhood but the light piquant flavor of burgers & dogs cooked over KBB started with lighter fluid can't be replicated. Nor can the memories of the smell as you wait for the coals to get right mixed with cold beer on a hot summer afternoon spent with family & friends.

Ah yes, sneaking off with my sisters friend at 13 at the 4th of July cookout. She was 15. I brought a Swisher Sweet she brought a giant Sweet Tart.

Back on topic- maybe. I also have one of those electric lamp minus shade looking starters. New in box. All my uppity BGE friends and fam use looflighters in their ceramics. LF in their steel

Bill-Chicago
04-14-2016, 12:27 PM
When I was a kid, dad would just pour on a little regular leaded gasoline.

1911Ron
04-14-2016, 12:33 PM
Myron Mixon uses lighter fluid..........:thumb:

Lighter-Fluid
04-14-2016, 12:39 PM
And I thought this thread was about me!

Texan79423
04-14-2016, 12:45 PM
Fluid is a dumb a$$ learners best friend. The no eye brow people. But it has it's place

Fwismoker
04-14-2016, 12:45 PM
Myron Mixon uses lighter fluid..........:thumb:

...and other so called "experts" say to soak your smoking wood too. :crazy:

Burnt at Both Endz
04-14-2016, 12:57 PM
...and other so called "experts" say to soak your smoking wood too. :crazy:

Yeah, when I tried doing that like all the experts, it just made my pellets fall apart....:behindsofa:

Fire Flinger
04-14-2016, 01:39 PM
The smell also takes me back to the days of my Dad cooking pork steaks on a cheap grill that had the mechanism for moving the grate up and down. Anyone else have or remember having one of those?
Yes. We cooked a lot of stuff on those things while consuming a lot of beer. We have a friend who has a relatively new Kingsford grill that does that. He specifically went looking for that feature and wouldn't consider anything else. Nostalgia reigns.

We have another friend whose only grill is a Lodge L410. Each time we visited she would load it with charcoal and then saturate it with lighter fluid. She set it on a rickety stand right next to an outer wall and well under the soffit. I constantly worried that she was going to set her condo on fire. So one year I suggested we give her a charcoal chimney. I bought the chimney, a small sack of KBB and gathered up a bale of old newspapers and tied them with a string. She didn't have a clue what it was or how to use it. It was far too windy that visit to actually use the grill but we carefully explained the process and even went so far to demonstrate to her how to use it all the way up to but not including lighting it. We were smug and proud of ourselves. The next visit she gets ready to fire up the grill and sure enough, she hauls out her bottle of lighter fluid. I asked her why she wasn't using the chimney we gave her. She didn't have a clue what I was talking about. I don't think she ever did understand what the darn thing was or how to use it. I suspect she either gave it away or donated it to Goodwill. And now for the sad part. This person was an educator in the public school system and has a Masters degree.

Joe Black
04-14-2016, 01:41 PM
Yes, I also remember those times of long ago. My dad wouldn't pay the price for lighter fluid. He soaked our charcoal in Varsol. I use a chimney and really like it. Especially since I bought some Weber cube and didn't need to start newspaper several times.

George, He probably wouldn't eat those boiled ribs until he poured some liquid smoke on them.

Bill, I think you just answered some questions for me.

Ron, I don't give a chit what MM uses.

DownHomeQue
04-14-2016, 01:50 PM
I've used Lighter Fluid in my 250 gallon offset before.. Original Charcoal is spent before any meat goes on.. so no lighter fluid taste lingers..

Smokey Lonesome
04-14-2016, 01:54 PM
The smell also takes me back to the days of my Dad cooking pork steaks on a cheap grill that had the mechanism for moving the grate up and down. Anyone else have or remember having one of those?

Yep. Was circular and not too deep and the grate was suspended above the coals on a center pin. The crank to adjust the grate height pushed up on the pin from under the grill and the grate would move up. You could also attached a rotisserie (the spit) to the grill which was supported by a half cylinder cover. Sort of hard to explain but you might know what I mean.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/43/ab/c8/43abc80d4677fc2a2015408e03ba7717.jpg

Bludawg
04-14-2016, 03:26 PM
I eat many a hot dog & hamburger of one of those grills then Pop upgraded and got a PK grill and life was never the same.

yakdung
04-14-2016, 03:49 PM
I love the smell of Gulf Lite in the morning.

Bob C Cue
04-14-2016, 03:50 PM
We used gasoline at times when we ran out of ligher fluid. Anyone else?

iamuzzyhunter
04-14-2016, 03:54 PM
We used gasoline at times when we ran out of lighter fluid. Anyone else?

My FIL used to do that. We went to a "cookout" last summer hosted by some people newly here from Ukraine. They borrowed a grill and were using matchlight. All the meat tasted strongly of lighter fluid. Halfway through they took the cooking grate off which was full of meat, put some more Matchlight in and immediately put the cooking grate back on. There was coal black smoke billowing out. Needless to say, I didn't try any of that.

Thingfish
04-14-2016, 04:01 PM
I use every method available to start my cookers from time to time (except magnifying glass or bow drill). To each his own ... no method is fair game for ridicule IMO.
:confused: It's not ridicule if people find the odor offensive, it's how they feel. So someone doesn't like lighter fluid and they can't say what they think about it as too not hurt feelings?

For me personally it seems un natural and don't like the idea of possible chemical byproducts on my food.

I'm not sure what you read, but it wasn't what I wrote.

fnjay
04-14-2016, 04:05 PM
I use every method available to start my cookers from time to time (except magnifying glass or bow drill). To each his own ... no method is fair game for ridicule IMO.

I think we are on the same page except.....I'm more of an EVERY method is fair game for ridicule sort of guy. :biggrin1:

MOTU
04-14-2016, 04:14 PM
I am also one who uses lighter fluid in a chimney and waits for it to burn off. For some reason, however, a large bottle of lighter fluid should last several cooks but it usually only last one or two. I mean, for a full chimney, it only takes about a quarter of a cup of fluid to light it and then 3-4 gallons of fluid after it's lit. Its irresistible!

Here's a vid of last weekend when I lit 12 briquettes in an upside down chimney for the Smokinator...........:-)

Cast Away - I Have Made Fire - YouTube

effinUker
04-14-2016, 08:37 PM
I don't use the lighter fluid... but the smell takes me back to family bbq's. Spraying the fluid all over the mound of charcoal- and then adding more "just in case". The Whoosh- and the flames leaping toward the eaves of the house. Hamburgers- cooked black but still red in the center. Hot dogs that looked like burnt branches.

yeah- I'd like to go back and do one of those again - good times.

i think my dad learned to grill from your dad.

smoke ninja
04-14-2016, 09:43 PM
I still remember when my dad showed me how to light the charcoal with a coffee can, both ends removed and holes from a can opener on the bottom. Just pull the can and spread the coals. Lit it with lighter fluid back then. How i light my charcoal has changed over the years. Lit the chimney with newspaper for awhile then picked up an electric starter... until i left it too long and the thing melted. The weed burner laid waste to all other methods the moment i got it. I couldn't believe i could buy a flame thrower at Harbor Frieght. Its the fastest easiest way for me. Things will continue to evolve for me... probably a smaller, easier to handle torch.

pjtexas1
04-14-2016, 09:53 PM
probably a smaller, easier to handle torch.

Boring...plus it takes a long time with that tiny flame. I used my torch to light the cubes until it ran out.