Please expand on a couple of lighting methods

[hb2301]

I hope I'm not breaking protocol by starting a new thread about this.

I use a weed burner to start my WSM but I just use a chimney and newspaper for my kettles. Do any of you use a weed burner for that small amount? If so, do you just spread it on in the grill and torch it, pile it up or what? Or do you use a MAPP torch? Would a regular propane torch work? Or maybe I should just keep using the chimney and newspaper.

Thanks for your ideas.

 

[peppasawce]

I use a Hot Plate that I still have from when I got Married back in 1989...The coals are lit within 20 minutes flat..No stress at all

 

[Smokin' D]

No weed burner for me. No newspaper either. Charcoal chimney fired with rolled up paper towel soaked with vegetable oil. Works great and no little bits of flying ash either. For small starts I put a coffee can in the chimney and fill that with charcoal, about 13 briqs, when all hot, dump it on the lump.

 

[Kevin]

I use a chimney most of the time. The side burner on my gas grill was what I used, but we moved the gasser and it's location is no longer convenient. Those little cans of Sterno that are made for chafing dishes work pretty well to fire the charcoal up without all of that newspaper ash flying around.

 

[bbq ron]

i light everything with weed burner, pile it up and ready to go in seconds

 

[Derek]

Here's one I will be doing from now on, thanks to a lot of friends.

fill up your ring, get a coffee can, make a BIG impression, fill up your chimney half way with coal, lump coal, then fill the bottom up with newspaper ( you should & can do this before the coal fill ).

Anyways lit the chimney, wait 15 minutes, pour the lit coals in the impression, and then I think you know the rest!

 

[Rover24]

Does anyone have experience using any of those firestarter cubes? I too am trying to get rid of the excess newspaper ash flying around.

 

[jgarofalo]

I think some people turn their chimney upside down for small amounts. I tried it once but it seemed moot.

I really do have to try the towel/oil thing. I'm getting tired of the ash.

 

[el_matt]

Regarding the paper towel method... Does it go above, or below the "bottom" of the chimney? I'd like to give it a try.

Matt

 

[Alan in Ga]

I use the chimney and paper towel method also towels go on the bottom of chimney

 

[BigButzBBQ]

When firing up the big cooker or a lot of cookers, I use the weed burner. But, for my UDS's I'll still put the coals in the chimney and then hit them with the burner instead of just straight shooting the fire basket because, for me, the coals burn more evenly. When I shoot the baskets direct with the burner I've noticed they don't always burn evenly. Any other time though, I just use the chimney with paper for the smaller cooks on just one UDS or the Kettles.

 

[BobBrisket]

If I'm in a hurry, I just toss the coals into the Kettle, bank em to one side and hit em with the weed burner. Another good thing about using the WB is that you can also incinerate all the crud off the grate and the inside of the kettle, drum etc at the same time.

 

[Phubar]

Paper towel is better compared to newspaper...it leaves almost no ashes.

 

[BobBrisket]

While camping a couple weeks back, I learned that pine cones make some fierce starters. :becky:

 

[1FUNVET]

While camping a couple weeks back, I learned that pine cones make some fierce starters. :becky:

I figured they would have had that funky pine smell.I know they burn hot and quick.

 

[JD08]

I use a mapp torch, but right now, I'm using an old propane torch someone gave me. The mapp lights a little faster, but since it costs 3 times as much, I'll probably stick with propane.

The little cubes work just fine. They burn slow enough to light any charcoal they're touching.

The chimney starter isn't quite as clean as the torch since little bits of lit charcoal would fall on my gasket.

 

[bam]

I use a weed burner to start my fires. If out of propane got a chimney and weber cubes as a back up.

 

[zydecopaws]

Does anyone have experience using any of those firestarter cubes? I too am trying to get rid of the excess newspaper ash flying around.

I've been using the Rutland fire starter squares in Bubba Ho-Keg and they work pretty good. No smell, no newspaper ash, and they work good by just sticking them down in the lump. Haven't tried them with briquettes, and don't know how much I will be using them in the future as I scored a MAPP torch today and plan on using that pretty exclusively.

 

[Kevin]

Does anyone have experience using any of those firestarter cubes? I too am trying to get rid of the excess newspaper ash flying around.

I use a weed burner to start my fires. If out of propane got a chimney and weber cubes as a back up.

Yep. The Weber cubes work fine.

 

[Mister Bob]

Weed burner

Weed burner for the offset and the BGE, chimney for the Stumps and the kettle. But I still use a small propane torch to start the chimney. I have patience for BBQ but not for starting fires...go figure!