Remember to always be safe!

[bryan baker]

I have lit my chimney starters at least a dozen times over the past year using the metal pan from the parts store as a heat shield. I don't believe it's ever been as hot as it was yesterday when I tried it. I kept smelling burning cedar. Thought a piece had found it's way into my charcoal bag but I found this eventually.

Be extra careful on wooden decks. Learned my lesson the hard way.

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Memorial Day!!

 

[MKEvenson]

Good tip. I always put a grate on 2 bricks when firing my chimney. Had a great Smoke Day.

 

[Jonny]

this is my biggest fear i don't start my chimney anywhere near my deck i start it up on cinder blocks. i still dont know why i have so many cinderblocks in my back yeard, but they come in handy

 

[T Bounds]

I light my chimney on the charcoal grate of my performer. I put the hot chimney after emptying it on my smokey joe then the lid on it. No problems so far, only great food!

 

[Dave/G]

I light my chimney on the charcoal grate of what I'm using, grill or WSM and I always Minion using the WSM. So a few pieces of fuel catch while the ~20 in the chimney get going. No big thing.

 

[Frank Eriksen]

All you guys that start your chimney's on a wood deck must not be married!

 

[Gregg M.]

I have an old really small cheap grill that I set my chimney on to light it. It is about the size of a Weber Smokey Joe. Perfect for lighting chimneys safely.

It almost was thrown away though. I used to take two bricks, set a stainless steel bucket on them, and then put a grate on that to fire up the chimney. One day I was setting it all up when I looked over at the trash pile we made while doing spring cleaning and saw the grill.

 

[Rick Rockwell]

In a more general application, I use this under my WSM to catch the stray hot cinder, grease from setting dow the lid, etc.

http://www.jameshardie.com/hom...ducts-interior.shtml

Its cheap, fireproof, available at most home supply outlets, and available in 3X5 ft pieces. Just right for a WSM side-by side with the lid or mid section.

In my case it sits on a brick patio as a grease protector but should work well in a wooden deck also. It has neen in the weather for 1 year now with no ill effects.

The one I use is the 1/2 inch version.

 

[CullenJ]

I have one of those outdoor firepit things I light mine on.

 

[Larry D.]

That picture reminds me of a weekend camporee our scout troop once went on. The rules said no open fires, so we used a fire pit made out of the bottom of a 55-gallon drum, and had a fire going in it almost nonstop for two days. When we picked it up to move it, the ground below was charred down to who knows how deep. We dumped a couple of gallons of water on it to cool it down, for fear that the grass around the big black spot might catch fire after we left.