How do you light charcoal: Basket vs stacker


 
I've used paper towel & a chimney for at least a few years. Probably around 3 years ago I started cooking almost exclusively with cast iron, it didn't take long before I started saving the oiled paper towels to light the coals.

I have a gallon ziplock bag in the cabinet above my stove that I save them in....after they've cooled off. Like today, I re-seasoned 3 CI pans, each with a little less than 1TBSP oil & 1 paper towel. If you use fryer oil, you could save a jar of that too for another zero cost option.
 
I have been using a 2nd hand weber chimney with my gas assist performer but i had two issues:

The grate of the chimney itself is very high in the chamber as it was designed to allow space for news print in the bottom of the chimney.
chimney_cutaway.jpg

The Flames on the gas assist burner are at their hottest just above the charcoal grate of the grill itself as they were designed to be used for charcoal baskets.
performer-inside.jpg

When the chimney is used on a performer there is a gap between the hottest point of the flames and the coals. The coals would light faster if they were closer to the bottom of the chimney where the flame is.

My Second wish is that the chimney would fit in the kettle with a cooking grate for storage once both are cool. It would be the easiest place to store and prep the next cook. If you place the chimney the grate the lid will leave a 1-2 inch gap, which is clearly not ideal.

Since the grate in the chimney is convex (cone pointing up), i tried taking out and flipping upside down to get coals closer to flame, Since this is an older chimney with a rusty grate i wasnt able to remove it, but i was able to bend it down a bit in the desired direction. Not pretty but effective.

As i saw how easy the grate bent i had a brain storm. If i squished the chimney itself it would be an oval instead of a circle which would allow storage in the kettle with the lid on and grate in and the oval shape actually gets better coverage of the gas assist flame as the GA burner puts out two side by side flames.
IMG_6922_zps4kqcnvux.jpg

IMG_6921_zpsfwak67gn.jpg

Chimney can fit under or over cooking grate during storage.
The results have been great. I am seeing my coal lighting almost 5 minutes faster now that the coals are closer to the flame, and now my already easy set up is even easier:

Take of cover
Lift lid
Lift cooking grate
Stand up chimney
Dump old coals from baskets back into chimney
hit gas assist button to light

If its a quick cook ( last night i did some quick grilled chicken cutlets for chicken Caesar salad) i can get away with a half a chimney of reused coals and i don't even have to open the charcoal bin! Easiest charcoal cook ever.
 
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For grilling or when I need more than a dozen or so briquettes (e.g.: for dutch oven cooking), I use a standard chimney in the standard configuration (rolled up strips of used KBB bags or newspaper underneath). When lighting smaller amounts (e.g.: for WSM cooks with the tin can minion method), I invert the chimney.

I recently got some of the starter cubes when I bought a Jumbo Joe, reasoning that they'd save me the trouble of hauling along the chimney when I go camping. I did a test burn with one cube at the end of a char-basket containing 24 briqs of KBB. Within 25 minutes, that sucker got up well over 500 degrees (past the limit on my Maverick ET-732)!
 
Charlie L said:
I have been using a 2nd hand weber chimney with my gas assist performer but i had two issues:

The grate of the chimney itself is very high in the chamber as it was designed to allow space for news print in the bottom of the chimney.
chimney_cutaway.jpg

The Flames on the gas assist burner are at their hottest just above the charcoal grate of the grill itself as they were designed to be used for charcoal baskets.
performer-inside.jpg

When the chimney is used on a performer there is a gap between the hottest point of the flames and the coals. The coals would light faster if they were closer to the bottom of the chimney where the flame is.

My Second wish is that the chimney would fit in the kettle with a cooking grate for storage once both are cool. It would be the easiest place to store and prep the next cook. If you place the chimney the grate the lid will leave a 1-2 inch gap, which is clearly not ideal.

Since the grate in the chimney is convex (cone pointing up), i tried taking out and flipping upside down to get coals closer to flame, Since this is an older chimney with a rusty grate i wasnt able to remove it, but i was able to bend it down a bit in the desired direction. Not pretty but effective.

As i saw how easy the grate bent i had a brain storm. If i squished the chimney itself it would be an oval instead of a circle which would allow storage in the kettle with the lid on and grate in and the oval shape actually gets better coverage of the gas assist flame as the GA burner puts out two side by side flames.
IMG_6922_zps4kqcnvux.jpg

IMG_6921_zpsfwak67gn.jpg

Chimney can fit under or over cooking grate during storage.
The results have been great. I am seeing my coal lighting almost 5 minutes faster now that the coals are closer to the flame, and now my already easy set up is even easier:

Take of cover
Lift lid
Lift cooking grate
Stand up chimney
Dump old coals from baskets back into chimney
hit gas assist button to light

If its a quick cook ( last night i did some quick grilled chicken cutlets for chicken Caesar salad) i can get away with a half a chimney of reused coals and i don't even have to open the charcoal bin! Easiest charcoal cook ever.
Click to expand...

I remove the cooking grate when lighting the coals and place the chimney directly over the burner on my Performer. When ready, I dump the coals, then put the cooking grate on.
 
The baskets on my performer. The chimney starter with a weber cube for my WSM. Sometimes on the performer I just place a few fresh briquettes in the center above the gas jet and the place what ever left over charcoal i have from the last cook on top of that and turn on the igniter. All ways see to work about the same. Of course I NEVER use starter fluid.

Mike
 
Chimney & New's paper, I still have my dad's old electric charcoal starter must be 25 + years old and still work's like a charm
 
I use a chimney, with one of these:

972611b.jpg


These things burn for a solid 10-15 minutes, they burn hot, and they don't leave much ash behind. It costs about six bucks for a bag of 72 of these.
 
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Phil Perrin said:
Chimney here. Usually with newspaper, sometimes with the Weber starter cubes.
Click to expand...

Same, I have started making my own starter cubes.. But paper or lately has been the kingsford bags, although there is a lot of ash left and takes some effort to evac all the ash... Kingsford bag burns longer and hotter though as well.
 
Using the baskets on opposite sides in a 22.5".....

Take one sheet of newspaper, split, roped and stuffed/wrapped into the underside of a #7447 chimney
Pull 8 briquettes from each basket (opposite ends)
Place into the chimney
Wet with a splash of rubbing alcohol (Walmart quart squirt bottle)
Light with long-stem lighter
After 15-20 min, place lit coals in baskets with tongs
 
I have the non-gas assist Performer so that somewhat limits my choices. I do have both the standard and compact Weber chimney's. I use the compact when I'm using my Jumbo Joe and usually use a couple of paper towels drizzled with cooking oil to light it. When I use the bigger chimney, I usually use the side burner on my Genesis to light it. Either way, once the coals are ready I typically use the Weber charcoal baskets and fill them from the chimney.
 
I splurged on the gas-assist Performer a couple of years ago. I wouldn't go back. I usually light baskets (together in the center, then move them with tongs) for grilling on the Performer. I use a chimney to start coals for the WSM. It's very clean and convenient.
 
I use the baskets over the gas assist and the chimney over the gas assist. It just depends on what I'm cooking. I like the baskets for shorter cooks as it's real easy to snuff out the charcoal and use it again.
 
I still do it the way I originally posted. However, when using my new Vortex, I set the Vortex centered on the charcoal grate of my Performer with gas assist. I typically use the small Weber chimney full of UNLIT. I dump the chimney in the Vortex making sure the coals are arranged properly. I turn on the gas and stick a hand held gas lighter under the Vortex and light the gas. I leave the gas on exactly three minutes. In about fifteen minutes the Vortex (acting just like a chimney) is fully lit and ready to go.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
Agree with Robert about the Vortex. Once the vortex is loaded with charcoal, I light the gas on the Performer and comeback in about three minutes and then wait for the charcoal to be fully lit then put the chicken on around the outside of the grill and wait for some of the best chicken you can have. Robert is spot on about the Vortex. I recommend everyone get one. To me it is an essential item in my arsenal.

Robert McGee said:
I still do it the way I originally posted. However, when using my new Vortex, I set the Vortex centered on the charcoal grate of my Performer with gas assist. I typically use the small Weber chimney full of UNLIT. I dump the chimney in the Vortex making sure the coals are arranged properly. I turn on the gas and stick a hand held gas lighter under the Vortex and light the gas. I leave the gas on exactly three minutes. In about fifteen minutes the Vortex (acting just like a chimney) is fully lit and ready to go.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
Click to expand...
 
Chimney with 2 tuna cans with the bottom one inverted. Put 1/2-3/4 oz of 91% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol in the top tuna can, light and place chimney over them. 70% IA would probably work but would need to use a bit more.
 
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