Lighting briquettes with a Weber chimney

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Should I be able to light briqs with a chimney? I'm askin' 'cos, as part of my UDS project, I've made a stainless copy of a chimney, larger than the Weber, which I tried earlier but to no avail. I was a tad disappointed to say the least and decided it needed some more air holes, but I then tried the briqs in the Weber nd they didn't light in that either.
We don't have any brand name charcoal or briqs in the UK, just whatever the garden centres keep in stock, so I can't really get any better/worse ones.
Would I be better off lighting lump in the chimney and lighting the briqs off that?
I did think I could but a layer of lump in the bottom of the chimney and then top off with briqs?

 

[The Pickled Pig]

I light both lump and briquettes in the chimney w/o a problem. I typically use 2 full sheets of newspaper or the weed burner to get it started. Make sure you have enough of a draft to get and keep the fuel lit.

 

[91vw03]

Yep, it always takes 2 sheets of news paper. 1 sheet won't do it. For either briquets or lump.

 

[Divemaster]

The only time I had issues with a 'Frank-n-Chimney' was when it didn't get enough air...

 

[Smokin Gator]

I use 2 1/2 pieces of newspaper and rarely have a problem. Once in a while I will have a little trouble if it is really humid but other than that it is good to go.

 

[spicewine]

We put our Weber Chimneys on a turkey fryer base to start them. Works every time.

 

[Bigdog]

Confucious say: Drizzle a little veggie oil ona the paper, and you fire will light for shizzle (or sometime like that) :wink:

 

[D.F. Expat]

Confucious say: Drizzle a little veggie oil ona the paper, and you fire will light for shizzle (or sometime like that) :wink:

thats how i do it, a paper towel drizzled in oil in the bottom of the chimney on the coal side then some paper in the fire side to light the paper towel.

*EDIT: Fo Shizzle my fellow farkernizzles

 

[JamesTX]

I've made a stainless copy of a chimney, larger than the Weber...

You didn't make it too big did you? The heat has to be a little concentrated to get things going good.

 

[bman]

I never thought about the oil-on-a-napkin.....

 

[ipls3355]

Confucious say: Drizzle a little veggie oil ona the paper, and you fire will light for shizzle (or sometime like that) :wink:

What he said

Da shizzle lites with da drizzle

 

[Roo-B-Q'N]

I have tried the oil thing, but has never worked any different than 2 pieces of newspaper. Maybe I did something wrong.

 

[Bigmista]

Confucious say: Drizzle a little veggie oil ona the paper, and you fire will light for shizzle (or sometime like that) :wink:

Same trick I use. Thank you Alton Brown!

 

[Ron_L]

Confucious say: Drizzle a little veggie oil ona the paper, and you fire will light for shizzle (or sometime like that) :wink:

I think it was Confu-doggy-dog who said that...

I use the oil-on-paper method once in a while. Otherwise I use the side burner on the gasser.

 

[Westexbbq]

The Sunday New York Times Real Estate, Automotive and Classified sections work best for me.
3 sheets, crumpled.
Butane lighter mod.
Set on paving stone for air flow.
Shizzlefark fer shur.

 

[Papa Hogg]

Also, put the charcoal in the chimney then add the paper, I've found if you put the paper in then add the charcoal the coal dust can choke 'er out. 2 sheets always works for me.

 

[NCGrimbo]

2 pages on non-windy days, no oil.
4 pages on windy days, no oil.

Maybe I'll try the oil on the next windy day to see if that makes a difference.

 

[Azinine]

I would guess that you aren't getting enough air. One of the reasons that the weber chimney is so rockin' is because of the way the bottom grate is designed. There is virtually no air restriction.

I tried the oil on a paper towel thing once and didn't like it. The smoke it gave off was gross.

 

[Scrooge Fan]

Should I be able to light briqs with a chimney? I'm askin' 'cos, as part of my UDS project, I've made a stainless copy of a chimney, larger than the Weber, which I tried earlier but to no avail. I was a tad disappointed to say the least and decided it needed some more air holes, but I then tried the briqs in the Weber nd they didn't light in that either.
We don't have any brand name charcoal or briqs in the UK, just whatever the garden centres keep in stock, so I can't really get any better/worse ones.
Would I be better off lighting lump in the chimney and lighting the briqs off that?
I did think I could but a layer of lump in the bottom of the chimney and then top off with briqs?

Since you are lighting charcoal for the UDS I assume you are going to cook for a long period at a low temp. I wouldn't think that you would want a large chimney. From what I read on this forum is that you light just a few coals and put them on top and let them light slowly. Minion (Sp?) method.

If your coals wouldn't light in a Weber chimney, assuming you followed the instructions in thread-then the charcoal must be faulty or damp. I've had great luck with both lump and briquettes in Weber starter.

No brand name charcoal in the UK? Sounds like a great import business opportunity.

 

[Azinine]

If your coals wouldn't light in a Weber chimney, assuming you followed the instructions in thread-then the charcoal must be faulty or damp. I've had great luck with both lump and briquettes in Weber starter.

If I understood correctly, he doesn't actually have a weber chimney. He made one with the weber as inspiration. Sounds like he doesn't have the bottom grate like the weber, though. That, in my opinion, is why the weber works so well. That plus the extra capacity = awesome. If he actually had a weber, I don't think he would be having these problems.