Plan B for lighting coals


 
I used to use newspaper but had a hard time finding it since I don't get the local paper. Tried using the brown shipping paper that Amazon uses for packing things but that burned too quickly and had alot of small ash that blew all over the yard. Tried some paper from a paper mill, a relative picked up a roll for free. This worked good but hated the ash. I know use the Weber start cubes. With only 1 cube needed, a box has about 24 in them, it will last about 24 weeks if I only BBQ once on a weekend.

Dave
 
Coming late to the party, but do you get the sale papers delivered in the mail? I've used those or tore up a pizza box. The parts soaked in grease from the pizza really work well.
 
Our local grocery store prints adds every week on newsprint. They do a new one every Thursday. When I am there an a Wednesday evening, I grab 4 or 5 to keep on hand if imam running low.

But typically I start my chimney on the side burner of my gasser.
 
A. Vale said:
I have always used a weber chimney for lighting coals but have just stopped delivery of our newspaper as we generally read enough news online. I am looking at other ways to light my charcoal without a supply of newspaper. I have an electric loop somewhere but dragging out an extension cord has never been appealing. I would like to believe I could just pick up the local free paper but it is a smaller size which doesn't work as consistently and I know I'll forget to pick up a copy from time to time...
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Buy one Sunday paper...or get one at the recycling center. It'll last you a year. :cool:
 
Tim Evans said:
Coming late to the party, but do you get the sale papers delivered in the mail? I've used those or tore up a pizza box. The parts soaked in grease from the pizza really work well.
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Good thinking....Or tear up one of those cardboard trays dunkin donuts gives you....maybe with a little oil on it.
 
Joe F said:
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Yep, except I use the 91% variety.
 
Snail mail junk mailings is a good alternative to newspaper. I will try soiled paper towels from wiping CI pans. That is a great idea. I have the handheld torch head. It is a $35-40 solution to a penny problem. But if you have one, it does work pretty well.
 
I ran out of starter qubes this week so I used a couple paper towels with olive oil on it. Worked great. A lot of initial smoke but really no ash pile like I'd get with paper bags or newspaper. I do need to get more qubes though.
 
A few years back I was given a jar of wine bottle corks covered in rubbing alcohol, works rather well and no aftertaste. Just have to make sure you drink enough to keep up with your bbq-ing habit.
 
Jake from Iowa said:
I use my propane burner from my turkey fryer, works well and starts fast
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Yea I used to use mine also, but watch it. That is a pretty intense flame ( like a blast furnace) and I had a few chimneys fail, the bottom fell out and dumped a load of red hot coals on my deck and almost my foot.
Just sayin:)

Tim
 
I've been using a chimney since '08 when I got my WSM. Before that I had a little propane burger burner. I've used newspaper,oiled paper towels and ,more recently,the Weber starter cubes. I really like the starter cubes,especially when I'm trying to light TJ's briquettes. Those things give me a fit when trying to light with newspaper!
But I get my neighbor's mail and newspaper when she goes out of town,so I have a steady supply of newspaper! So much so,that I actually recycled the last papers I got from her! :D
 
I've tried the newspaper method a couple of times but the leftover ashes are annoying. I'll always use a single starter cube where possible, in an emergency I'll pour a little oil on some kitchen roll.
 
Clint said:
If you use cast iron cookware, (I do), what I do is let the oiled paper towels cool in the pan, & then I save them in a gallon ziplock bag in my kitchen. When I want to fire up the grill, I'll grab one of the oiled paper towels & stuff it under the chimney----IT ALWAYS WORKS, no ash, no problems, no waste, .....all good.
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Great idea! I'm starting my oiled paper towel collection tonight!
 
I'm in the minority here, but I use an electric wand / loop starter.
I place it in the kettle, mound up a chimney's worth of briquettes over it, plug it in for 9 minutes per the timer on my rubber watch, then unplug and hang up on a steel hook outside up and away from the drunks, kids, and dogs. Re-mound the charcoal, and in another 9 minutes it's usually ready for cooking.

I bought a backup wand last week for 1.29. The bigbox store marketeers are sure the grilling season is at end, so they're dumping (some) stuff.
 
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