Charcoal Chimney

[Alan F]

What do you put under your charcoal chimney to protect the ground?

I used a paver for years. It broke, thought I'd try a clay saucer and it cracked from the heat on the first use. It's a shame it cracked- I liked how light it was and the ashes remained in the dish. Next I'm thinking of cheap cast iron.

What say you?

 

[CorySwartz]

I have a paver waiting for my midnight cook. If yours lasted for years, seems like you got a good ROI. I don't know if the cast iron would transfer too much heat or not.

 

[Dave O]

I use my smokey joe or kettle then pour into the smoker

 

[Cliff Bartlett]

Light it right in the kettle, on the charcoal grate. If I can't do that a cheap concrete stepping stone works fine.

 

[ChuckO]

What Cliff said, but all the answers are good

 

[Dwain Pannell]

In the RV I use a lid to an old alum pot. At the house I put it on the charcoal grate of the kettle.

 

[Robert McGee]

I light my chimney right in the grill (whether I am working with the grill or with the WSM's). After I dump it, I sit it in an aluminum pan from the thrift store until it is cool enough to put back inside. The pan sits on my patio and keeps me from blackening the patio stones.

FWIW
Keep on smokin',
Dale53

 

[Rob (Allentown)]

I light mine in the kettle on the charcoal grate. I use a corner piece of firebrick to elevate the paraffin cube into the chimney.

 

[Enrico Brandizzi]

I used the grill grate of my OTG but its toooo hot! I moved to floor with bricks just belowe the chimney

 

[Joe F]

I use a paver.
Lately though, using the kettle I light directly in the Weber sheet metal baskets....good routine.

Also, whether chimney or baskets, I've been using rubbing alcohol 70% for my lighter fluid....works well.
No newspaper smoke and fly ash.
$2.00 for a quart at Walton's Market.

 

[Bill Farmer]

I picked up one of the really cheap picnic grills about $5 (the ones with removable legs). It helps to capture the ashes from the paper on windy days

 

[CLasko]

I have a pretty thick landscaping retaining wall brick that I use. Seems to do just fine.

 

[timothy]

Another vote for in the kettle on the charcoal grate. I don't do newspaper so no worries on fly away ash.

Tim

 

[StuClary]

Light it right in the kettle, on the charcoal grate.

Yep. Thats what I do.

 

[GGross]

I use some basic bricks. I have done it right in the kettle on the bottom grate but my grill is nearer to the house and I don't like the smell which seems to creep inside.

 

[Brendan R]

I use the stainless weigh pan from an old counting scale.
It is a little warped and black in the center but has worked well for years.
The best part is that the edges surprisingly don't get too hot so I can pick it up to dump the stray crumbs of lump that fall out of the chimney.

 

[Dave/G]

Yep. Thats what I do.

In the kettle. There's another way?

 

[Chris H.]

Light it on 2 cheap pavers I bought at Home Depot.

 

[Dave R]

I put 3 pavers under my chimney but now that I uset the Weber fire starter blocks and a 20 oz aluminum pepsi can (when chimney is inverted for lighting 8 briquettes) - 12 oz pepsi can when chimney is set normally and lighting more than 10 briquettes (cold weather smokes), I could probably do away with the pavers but it is added insurance that I don't char the patio cement.

Dave

 

[Michelle in New Orleans]

I light my chimney right in the grill (whether I am working with the grill or with the WSM's).

Us, too, Robert.