Chimney Starter


 
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Any other way to fire up the chimney starter other than newspaper? I get the newspaper ashes kinda wondering around on there own after I dump the charcoal.
 
A turkey fryer burner is the best way to start charcoal(IMO). Or you can use the weber charcoal starters.
 
Got it. Thanks Bryan !!!!! /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
 
Hi wliebelt!

There is a new liquid starter on the market this year. We tried it out in Michigan and the stuff is great!

Just pour it into the chimney...it is a thick, glutinous mixture....and it will light many more briqs, therefore lighting the entire chimney quicker.
 
I've been using the sterno cans like the caterers use, at Rita Y's suggestion in a previous post. Be careful if you use your turkey frier burner, as you don't want ashes to clog your valves. You can use the frier burner to just get them going, then move the chimney to a fireproof surface until they are ready. The sterno cans are much slower than the frier burner, but I don't mind.

Kelly
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kevin Taylor:
[qb]There is a new liquid starter on the market this year. We tried it out in Michigan and the stuff is great![/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Kevin, do you know what this stuff's called?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kevin Taylor:
[qb]it is a thick, glutinous mixture[/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Nice adjective! /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Steve
 
Need to be careful if using the turkey fryer. I kind of wanted to really get the chimney going so left the chimney on until almost the whole thing was going, picked up the chimney and just as I was dumping it the bottom fell out! I have a coal and propane forge for another hobby and in looking at the parts figured out the problem. The combination of propane and charcoal basically is getting you to forging temps, around 2,000 degrees. The wire at the bottom got hot enough to get very soft and just slumped out. Oh well, at $1.98 for the new one not a big deal. However if it would have hit my feet with my sandals on, ouch.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by wliebelt:
[qb]Any other way to fire up the chimney starter other than newspaper? I get the newspaper ashes kinda wondering around on there own after I dump the charcoal.[/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I love the Weber fast starter lighter cubes. At$2.50 or so for a box of 24, they are a nice deal. 1 cube cut in half will start a chimney quickly and efficiently. Only a tiny bit of ash is left after lighting.

DrSarcasmo
 
I use the sideburner on my gas grill to get the chimney fired.
I've never had a problem with overheating or melting the gridwork that supports the charcoal.
Of course, I live at an elevation of above 7,000', so BTU's delivered are far less than at lower elevations.
Still, I can have the chimney blazing within minutes, then I take it off and let it sit on an inflammable surface till the coals turn that nice ash gray.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dennis Solin:
[qb] just as I was dumping it the bottom fell out! [/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>While the bottom did not fall of of my Weber chimneys they did start sagging. What is nice about the Weber Chimney is they have little loops sticking out from the grate. I ran a very heavy duty piece of fencing wire through the loops. Now if I forget it on the turkey fryer it will not fall out /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif
 
I was having the problem mentioned above the first couple of times I used the chimney, but gradually I just kept putting less and less paper in it. I use plain Kingsford charcoal without any lighter fluid.

With a little practice I am now able to consistently start the chimney with 1 sheet or a 1/2 sheet, whichever way you want to look at it, and that has greatly minimized the leftover ashes from the paper.

It takes me about 15 minutes to get the coals lit like I want them and using the Minion Method I have had good results.
 
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