How do you light charcoal: Basket vs stacker


 

Daum

TVWBB Super Fan
I have a performer with the gas assist. Usually I just fill a basket or two and then throw the gas assist on for ~3 or so minutes to get them going. It takes a while to get them fully started, but its really easy. I've also done where I put the charcoal stacker in the middle filled, and it gets lit way quicker, but then you have to dump it (really easy...but still).

Was just curious how you guys are starting off your charcoal?

Daum
 
Depends what I'm cooking, I installed a propane adapter on mine so I could use a regular tank, if I'm going cooking anything above 325 degrees I'll use the charcoal baskets and starter and I leave the propane on for 10 minutes. If I'm doing a long cook like Saturday (cooked Ribs), I light about 15/16 Briquettes in the Chimney and place them on unlit coals. If I didn't have the propane adapter I'd just use the Chimney.
 
99.9% of the time, chimney. But if I'm doing something just for me, or want to better contain the coals, I use the baskets.
 
I use the chimney. I usually grill on the Performer. One thing I did was invert, (turn it upside down), the wire grill on the chimney. This way its closer to the fire source and holds more charcoal should I need it. For the other grills, it’s still the chimney using a paper towel soaked in olive oil.
 
I use the chimney nearly always. Sometimes, I use the Performer gas assist (exactly THREE minutes, turn off the gas, then let it sit for a total of 20 minutes). Sometimes I use the inverted tuna can under the chimney with ONE Weber starter cube. I light the cube, set the chimney over the can, and in twenty minutes dump it.

I use the "Tin Can Minion Start" with my IKEA Silverware Caddy as a mini-chimney with a few coals and one Weber cube (drop the lit cube in the bottom and carefully drop in 8-12 briquettes. After they are lit, then dump them in the tin can shell and remove the can and button up the smoker (14.5" and 18.5").

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
So I broke down and bought some of those Weber starter cubes. I put one in the chimney in the bottom of the charcoal section and poured charcoal on top. Then I used one piece of paper in the paper section and set the chimney on the coal grate. Man lights paper, paper lights cube, cube lights coal. Worked like a champ!
 
T, take a briquette and put the cube on that. Then just light the cube. A lot less ash!

Weber charcoal chimney ( full size for grilling, small size for smoker) and paper towels with a little oil. I used to use newspaper because it is ubiquitous and essentially free but it leave way too much volatile ash that always seems to find its way airborne.

I've tried to convince myself to save the paper towels with oil after I oil down the grates for the next time but I admit I usually start anew.
 
T, take a briquette and put the cube on that. Then just light the cube. A lot less ash!

Thought about that and just lifting the chimney to access the cube, but the single piece of paper (Harbor Freight ad, so double satisfaction!) allowed me to light the paper while the chimney was setting on the fire grate of the kettle. By the time the coals were ready the paper ash was inconsequential.
 

 

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