How do you start your fire?

[backyardchef]

I guess it depends on my mood and the weather-- sometimes I'll use kindling and slowly throw on bigger pieces of wood, sometimes charcoal and a firestarter or weedburner (if I'm in a hurry or feel lazy), sometimes all wood.

Usually, I leave the lid up on the firebox and the door open until the fire is really going well and cleanish and burning down, and then close it, and let it go full open on the inlets until I hit the target temp, or when I'm really patient, I'll wait until the steel is heated up all the way around and the temp is stable. Then I might start making air adjustments.....Honestly, it's not set in stone.....what are you doing?

 

[Plowboy]

Walk out on the deck and turn the dial to 225. :twisted:

 

[backyardchef]

Walk out on the deck and turn the dial to 225. :twisted:

Farkity-farkin' farker.

Did you get my email?

 

[Steppenwolf]

That was funny, though.
Newpaper starting up my briquets, add wood if desired.

 

[Bigdog]

I use a Weber chimney, newspaper, 1/2 lump on the bottom and regular charcoal on the top.

 

[Jorge]

Turkey frier for a chimney of Kingsford or lump.

 

[backyardchef]

No doubt it was funny. :lol:

What do you cook on, Steppenwolf? How long does it take to get up to temp (generally...), how much fuel.....?

I know people are generally secretive about techniques and whatnot, but I never really see people discuss fire building.....tending, yes, building no.....

 

[Bill-Chicago]

Turkey frier for a chimney of Kingsford or lump.

Just melted my first chimney a few weeks ago with the ol' turkey fryer burner.

Oops

 

[River City Smokehouse]

I empty a 20 lb. bag of Kingsford into the firebox and lite the log lighter. I close the door and let it burn for about 5 minutes then turn on the guru and turn off the log lighter. I like to burn for 2-3 hours before I ever begin to put any meat on. It takes a lot to get her all heated up and runnin where I like it. My wood is free so I don't worry about the cost of the fuel.

 

[backyardchef]

Cool! Thanks, River City....I bet it takes a while to heat up that monster Bates of yours....

Hehe....monster bates.....that sounds dirty.....

 

[Bigmista]

I load up the chimney with lump. Then I pour dome veggie oil on a couple sheets of newspaper and shove it in the bottom of the chimney. Then I light the paper and walk away. 15 minutes later I have hot coals that I dump into my barrel with unlit lump and put the lid on.

About 10 minutes later the cooker is up to temp and I put on my meat.

Simple.

 

[Pork Chop]

Chimney filled with wicked good and then the after burner to torch her off.

 

[Bigmista]

monster Bates....

I had to read it twice.

 

[RichardF]

propane torch

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

I use a Big Farking Chimney (2 feet tall and about 10 inches in diameter) with torn newspaper or old charcoal sack paper, three sticks of fatwood, and a mess of lump charcoal or briquettes on top. The chimney's large enough that no smoke gets into the smoke chamber until the fatwood's all burned off and the coals are ready. I line the 'Dera's fire box with three sticks of wood - front, back, and smokebox side - and that hot, dry wood is ready to combust when I dump the chimney, close the lid and open intake and chimney baffles.

 

[Pork Chop]

Yes propane torch they work great. But I am jealous about that 2 footer.

 

[RichardF]

Walk out on the deck and turn the dial to 225. :twisted:

Must be one of them easy-bake ovens...

 

[G$]

I load up the chimney with lump. Then I pour dome veggie oil on a couple sheets of newspaper and shove it in the bottom of the chimney. Then I light the paper and walk away. 15 minutes later I have hot coals that I dump into my barrel with unlit lump and put the lid on.

About 10 minutes later the cooker is up to temp and I put on my meat.

Simple.

and G$ edited it to read:

I load up the chimney with lump. Then I pour some veggie oil on a couple sheets of newspaper and shove it in the bottom of the chimney. Then I light the paper and walk away. 15 minutes later I have hot coals that I dump into my bandera with unlit lump and put the lid on.

About 30 minutes later the cooker is up to temp and I put on my meat.

Simple. Unless it is windy. Then everything takes three times as long.

 

[Steppenwolf]

No doubt it was funny. :lol:

What do you cook on, Steppenwolf? How long does it take to get up to temp (generally...), how much fuel.....?

I know people are generally secretive about techniques and whatnot, but I never really see people discuss fire building.....tending, yes, building no.....

I use a Car-Broil Silver Smoker (offset) I picked up from Home Depot last spring for under $200.

You can see the Kingsford Charcoal Starter on the bottom rack. The starter was quite a bit larger than the other's I've had in the past. About 12" diameter, but not one of the monster set ups a lot of you folks have around here :shock: . I'd say, so far, I grill about 80% of the time and Que about 20% in as I'm still a babe in arms.
I'll fill it 3/4 full with briquets, place 3 loosely crumpple newspaper sheets and light. Fire's going well within 15 to 20 minutes. Spread out and wait for temp to stabilize- usually add wood chunks wihin 10 minutes and allow it to ignite. About 5 minutes later close the lids and manage the vents (stack about 1/3 open and firebox just barely open). It'll usually be 235 to 250 within a few minutes. I check hourly, placing new briquets just outside of the "fire" adding wood chunks basically at whim.

I gotta remember that tip about the oil on the newspaper. This town's newspaper uses some special type of paper made out of some kind of bush that doesn't light very well.

 

[crow-p5]

Walk out on the deck and turn the dial to 225. :twisted:

*sigh* You have it so easy. I have to turn the knob to medium and play with it until I get it right. :tongue: