Chimney & Paper Towel w/ Veg Oil


 
I soak several paper towels at a time in a ziploc container, squeeze out the excess, light it and place it inside one of those small top shelf cans. Punch a few holes at the bottom with a can opener and you're good to go. The can will hold what little ash you have
 
At home I use the performer and a chimney, but at the cabin (no performer yet, just a kettle) I've been using one of these: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obi...N/B00004SPZV/tvwb-20 Misto sprayers for a couple of years. They are great in the kitchen to replace the pam type of sprayers and save money, also for oiling the grill and spraying a paper towel to light the chimney. I also keep one filled with vermouth for those extra dry martinis.
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I picked mine up @ TJMax for around $7, but if you buy from Amazon please connect through TVWB
 
A variant of the method below. Place several small pieces of lump charcoal in a glass jar with a wide mouth. Fill the jar with vegetable oil, perhaps cheap canola oil. The charcoal absorbs the oil. Over the next several weeks, when starting a grill, a smoker or a wood fire, pluck one out as a starter.

They light immediately, and burn long and hot, and with no hydrocarbons at all. Four big pieces would consitute a Minion start method in a smoker.



Originally posted by rich langer:
I used to soak one briquette in KEROSENE
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I got myself an extra side burner. Fill chimney with charcoal light burner 10 minutes max you got coals. No messy oils or expensive pam
 
Have any of you tried paper towels with denatured alcohol, I find it works much better than oil because it doesn't smoke like oil does and it burns way hotter and I think that it lights the chimeny faster than oil does. But mainly because it burns so cleanly, and burning oil isn't pleasant.
Frugal it's not, but once you try it, you won't go back.
Safe it's not either. It lights up fast and hot, and the fire is hard to see, especially in daylight. Best to use a lighter with a long stem, and don't stand right over it.
I'd be interested in doing a side by side test to see if the denatured alcahol does in fact get a chimney lit faster due to it's higher burn temp...
-B
 
I find the best way to light the chimney is to use the side burner on my gas grill. I put the chimney with coals on the side burner and turn it on high and come back in a few and they are ready to put in the WSM.
 
I tried the paper towel/veg oil when I read about it here. One paper towel, a little oil and it has worked perfectly every time. Much better than newspaper.

I may try the denatured alcohol. Seems like that would work well.
 
I like to break off a chunk of a duraflame starter stick/log and use that. Also found a firestarter that combines a match head making it easier to start....
 
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