Chimmney Heat Up ???


 
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Allan Jones

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How long does it usualy take to get a chimmney up and going?? I use two single sheets of news print and it is 25/30 minutes to get 85%of the Kingsford regular brickets going. Maybe it's just pre-mature hunger pangs!!
 
30 minutes is normal.
Now the wait begins /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
 
It depends on what kind of chimney you use. The Weber chimney has holes on the upper side to allow more air to enter. Some of the cheaper ones don't have these extra holes. Make sure your chimney is out in the open so it can get a breeze to fan the fuel. It also depends if you keep your charcoal where the moisture can get to it. This will also slow it down. Other than that just prep your meat while the fire gets going.
 
Allan,
Try using just one full sheet of newspaper vs. 2. One gets me going evertime with no problems. I think the airflow is better with 1.
 
Another way (which I belive was posted here in the past) is to light it with a burner from a turkey fryer. I use that method all the time and it works great! /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif
 
When using paper try using only 1 sheet. Let that burn down, and then add another sheet. I find that 2 sheets at once sometimes inhibits airflow and just causes the paper to smolder instead of burn, especially when there's no breeze.

Lately I've been using my turkey fryer to start things up. About five minutes over the burner and the coals are ready to go.
 
I have found that the weber starter cubes work much better. And it seems that the local mega-marts here are trying to give them away. So, I just keep buying them when they put them on a clearance sale.
 
Two full sheets work best, but you need to create a "doughnut"-- with an open center hole-- to facilitate airflow, and therefore flame, up through the middle. Demo.
 
I'm with Keith, I use the Weber cubes and they work pretty good and if it is a little breezy, no problem. I have found the news paper takes to long to get the coals going.
 
If you want a quick start using the Minion Method, try using a propane torch to light 4-5 spots on the pile of Kingsford in your fire ring. This takes about 10-15 minutes. Then assemble the cooker and leave the door off until the temp rises to 175-200 or so, then replace the door and adjust all dampers to slightly open. Using this method, I can be close to cooking temps in less than 30 minutes.

Clark
 
Going by the king of Good Eats Alton Brown, I have started using one sheet of newspaper that a spray a couple shots of Olive Oil on with my Misto. This seems to do the trick pretty well and I am up and running with my Weber Chimney in no time.
 
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