How do you light...???

I fill my firering full of lump and l light it with a propane weed burner.I then place the top portions of my smoker onto the base and adjust the vents(on the way up)until desired temp is achieved.I use this method on my WSM's.I prelight my lump in a chimney,over a gas burner or my weed burner,for use on Weber Kettles and use vents to control temp.I only add fully prelit lump,from a chimney, to my Kettles while cooking.I fill my BGE's with lump and then light,from the top,with my weed burner and catch the desired temp,using the vents on the way up.It is easier to raise the temp on a ceramic cooker than to bring it down.Hope this helps answer your question.

Exactly.....except I've never used Jealous Devil. And sometimes I pour into the middle of a Minion Circle or I just evenly spread it over the top of the unlit charcoal in the charcoal ring.

Weber starter cubes or if I want to wake all the dogs:

I only use a chimney when wanting to grill. That way I can spread out hot coals across unlit coals. Or if i'm running late.
For smoking, no matter the smoker I use. I use starter cube, cottonball etc etc. Your choice. Fill coal basket to desired level. Place cube in center of basket. Light cube. Stack 4 or 5 pieces of lump/charcoal around the lit cube. All intakes open, lid off or cabinet door open.
Come back in 15 mins. Typically the lighting object is burned up/gone. Close up cooker to come upto temp. With all intakes and exhaust full open. Come back in 10 mins if wanting to smoke at low temps. 15 mins if wanting 300*+ temps. Set intake and exhaust where best guess is for the required temp. Typically within 10 mins the cooker is ready to go. I plan on 45 mins from start up to when to load the meat.
Takes a couple extra minutes vs using a chimney. But I don't get the clouds of smoke/smell like when using a chimney. And your fire is always started in the middle of the basket. Very even burn.
When using a chimney. Again, fill basket to desired level. Place cube in center of basket and light. Place chimney over/ontop of the cube. This way, you end up with hot coals in the center of the basket. Even before you dump the coals. If that makes sense.

Same here we also run Jealous devil (love it) but yes it can get HOT on you quick. Im same method as you but ill start out in chimney with maybe 1/4 full just enough cover coils in bottom.

Try lighting lil less coals in chimney. See how like that

Big fan of the Weber cubes. I use 1 under my chimney, depends on the application how much charcoal is in it, but it lights quickly, about 1 beer.
I did just get a 500000 BTU propane weed burner, I'll give it a try on the next cook, possibly tomorrow.

If I'm using my kettle, then it's a chimney and newspaper. If it's the drum, then it's either a MAPP torch or the weed burner.

I keep a squeeze bottle full of cheap cooking oil, and save all the brown paper bags I can get my hands on.

Put paper in charcoal chimney, invert and drizzle a little bit of oil, then fill with charcoal and light. Newspaper works ok, if it hasn't been in a humid environment, but I quit using it.

Royal Oak fire starter
chimney 3/4 full of lump / charcoal
dump into fire basket or grill

Lump or briquettes in a pile in the Center of the charcoal basket, Weber cubes directly under in ash pan. Light starter cubes with Iwatani torch.

If I’m smoking with sticks, I usually chop some kindling nice & fine & stack it in the basket with the cubes in the ash pan underneath. Hit ‘em with the torch to start.

If I'm grilling, I'll pile the charcoal in the center, turn on the gas press the start button.After 5 minutes shut the gas off, coals will be ready to spread out and cook in 10-15 minutes.
If I'm smoking, I'll start some charcoal in small fry pan using a homemade chimney, when grayed over dump in center of charcoal and wood chunk filled basket.

I use lump in a chimney. I use 2 or 3 sheets of newspaper. I roll them from corner to corner and then shape them into a doughnuts. This leaves a hole in the center. I set it on a grate and light it. I have only had one failure to light and I think that was due to trying out a new lump.

Grilling I use chimney

Smoking on UDS I use flamethrower

Put the charcoal in the chimney, Kroger lighter fluid for about 5 seconds. Light it and 15 mins later charcoal is red and orange and ready to go.

Cotton balls soaked in rubbing alcohol. Just adjust for size of fire you're trying to light.

pile charcoal in turn gas on and lite, if out of gas a electric heat loop, no chemicals in years, I do keep fluid in the camper in case lol used a propane torch for years til it wore out,

If using the UDS or WSM, I put about a dozen coals in a chimney lite by put on gas grill side burner and sprinkle on top of my charcoal basket, If grilling on my 26 in kettle, I light 1/2 to 3/4 chimney on side burner.

Put coals in chimney, put chimney on side burner of a gas grill, turn on.
So easy even a.........:-D

I read or dreamt of a Boss that saved his grease soaked dripped used butcher paper. He would wad it up in baseball size and freeze. Get one out and use to start the chimney. I’ve used paper, cubes, cotton balls and a polite amount of lighter fluid. I was at a relatives house once and he used a pine tar fireplace starter stick. That’s the only time I “think” I could taste anything