Starting a fire.


 
Arun L.

Arun L.

TVWBB All-Star
Can someone post a video of a fire being started?

I've done it a few times, but don't think I'm doing it the best way possible. It takes me 40-50 minutes minimum.

From other threads, people say don't use lighter fluid. I haven't since the first time. I've been using charcoal and crumpled up newspaper in the chimney starter.

I want to see a video of everything. Including once the fire is starting in the chimney starter, I want to watch it until it grows big, so I know how long it takes. I don't want a video that shows it being started, then cuts to the coals being ready.

Thanks.
 
This would be a really boring video. When you say 'fire', exactly what are you looking for? Flames coming out of the chimney starter? You don't need that, you just need the coals lit. When using the WSM you don't have a traditional fire the way we usually think of a fire, it's more smoldering, it's not like a campfire with lots of flames, there's not enough air flow to support that kind of fire, and it would burn way too hot for low and slow BBQ.

I use lump (not briquettes), and usually use cardboard instead of newspaper (we get boxes weekly, but we don't get the paper), and in ~10mins I've got coals glowing red and they're ready to go into the smoker. Generally I get the chimney starter going, and while it's burning and coming up to speed I get the smoker set up, loading it with coals, wood chunks, etc. By the time I'm done the coals in the chimney starter are ready to go. With briquettes everyone says you want them to be ashed over before putting them in the smoker, not sure how long that takes but it shouldn't take nearly an hour.

If you want to get things going faster, use more newspaper, it'll burn longer/hotter and speed things up.
 
Arun L. said:
Can someone post a video of a fire being started?

I've done it a few times, but don't think I'm doing it the best way possible. It takes me 40-50 minutes minimum.

After you dump the glowing coals from the chimney into the WSM, yah it takes about 45 minutes for the WSM to get up to temp (~225)

From other threads, people say don't use lighter fluid. I haven't since the first time. I've been using charcoal and crumpled up newspaper in the chimney starter.

But how are you preparing AND placing the newspaper? If you only use paper (and no oil), it'll burn up way too fast to allow the coals to get lit.

Get two -three sheets of newsprint and overlap them by about 6 inches on a table and then spread about two tablespoons of vegetable/canola oil on the paper. Use your fingers and smear/spread it around good.

Then roll the paper up into a long tube. Insert one end of the paper tube in the other end of that same tube and make a big circular donut. Then crumple up another sheet of newspaper and put that in the middle of the donut hole. Light the crumpled part and then put the whole thing on top of a grate (a hibachi-type grill works well) and place the charcoal filled (about 12-15 briquettes is enough) on TOP of the burning newspaper. Wait about 10 minutes (flames will shoot out of the top of the chimney once it gets going. When all coals are glowing (NO more flames) after about 10-15 minutes, dump/spread the glowing coals on the unlit briqs in the WSM. Assemble WSM and wait :) This is the 45 minute part referred to in your first question.

I want to see a video of everything. Including once the fire is starting in the chimney starter, I want to watch it until it grows big, so I know how long it takes. I don't want a video that shows it being started, then cuts to the coals being ready.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Red print is my reply to your questions. No need for a video.
 
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Over the years I’ve developed a modified Minion Method for starting my fire.

In the charcoal ring, spread a healthy layer of recycled briquets with 2 – 3 chunks of wood buried in the center.

Place two sheets of bacon grease or veggie oil lightly soaked paper towel on top of the wood and give the paper towel a very short squirt of starter fluid. I use paper towel because newspaper leaves a large amount of nasty fluffy ash that gets into everything.

Place the starter chimney on top of the paper towel and pull up a corner of the paper towel on the outside of the chimney and give it very short squirt of starter fluid.

Pour 8 – 10 new briquets into the chimney.

Fill the charcoal ring around the chimney, to the top, with new briquets.

Light the paper towel. Once the briquets inside the chimney are grayed-over, I pull up the chimney and let the grayed-over briquets fall down (my chimney has a false floor for bottom release).

Always gives me a first-time fire start.
 
I've not got the experience some here have but, I use a "sidewinder Minion method". I place a piece of tapered duct work on the coal grate, fill the surrounding ring with KBB interspersed with smoking wood, light about ten briquettes in a baby chimney and when they are fully involved, dump them into the ductwork and pull it out, put everything together and adjust vents as needed.
No oil, no grease, just the paper in the bottom of the chimney,1 1/2 sheets in the baby size. (2 full sheets crumpled not too tightly in a full size one) then light it separately from the smoker, no possible way to have any ash trouble though, I've not had any real issues with that to speak of. I got a nice 13 hour smoke with one small addition of coal about ten hours in last brisket project. Don't over think it. The Weber site is pretty clear on how to start things off but, there is a lot more detail shared here.
The method I use is similar to the above. Now I need a trap door chimney, crap!
 
I use a propane torch or Weber starter cubes, usually takes 3-4 mins for the torch and 6-8 mins for the cubes.
I like RO lump or Briqs.
KBB takes a little longer like 10 mins.

Tim.
 
Dustin_G said:
This would be a really boring video. When you say 'fire', exactly what are you looking for? Flames coming out of the chimney starter? You don't need that, you just need the coals lit. When using the WSM you don't have a traditional fire the way we usually think of a fire, it's more smoldering, it's not like a campfire with lots of flames, there's not enough air flow to support that kind of fire, and it would burn way too hot for low and slow BBQ.

I use lump (not briquettes), and usually use cardboard instead of newspaper (we get boxes weekly, but we don't get the paper), and in ~10mins I've got coals glowing red and they're ready to go into the smoker. Generally I get the chimney starter going, and while it's burning and coming up to speed I get the smoker set up, loading it with coals, wood chunks, etc. By the time I'm done the coals in the chimney starter are ready to go. With briquettes everyone says you want them to be ashed over before putting them in the smoker, not sure how long that takes but it shouldn't take nearly an hour.

If you want to get things going faster, use more newspaper, it'll burn longer/hotter and speed things up.
Click to expand...

Hmm, good point on how the fire is different.

Good point on how for slow bbq, you want the coals lit. Whereas for something hotter, I think I'd want more flames?

I'm trying to use the WSM both for slow bbq and hotter cooking. Examples of hotter cooking being using the Kettle Pizza attachment, or maybe if I were to grill corn.

Hotter cooking would involve just the kettle portion.

Ok, I think you're right, I have gotten the coals lit. But it still seems to be taking about the time that I said.

I've tried more newspaper, but I'm not sure it's helping reduce the time by that much.
 
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Len Dennis said:
Red print is my reply to your questions. No need for a video.
Click to expand...

Len Dennis said:
Can someone post a video of a fire being started?

I've done it a few times, but don't think I'm doing it the best way possible. It takes me 40-50 minutes minimum.

After you dump the glowing coals from the chimney into the WSM, yah it takes about 45 minutes for the WSM to get up to temp (~225)

From other threads, people say don't use lighter fluid. I haven't since the first time. I've been using charcoal and crumpled up newspaper in the chimney starter.

But how are you preparing AND placing the newspaper? If you only use paper (and no oil), it'll burn up way too fast to allow the coals to get lit.

Get two -three sheets of newsprint and overlap them by about 6 inches on a table and then spread about two tablespoons of vegetable/canola oil on the paper. Use your fingers and smear/spread it around good.

Then roll the paper up into a long tube. Insert one end of the paper tube in the other end of that same tube and make a big circular donut. Then crumple up another sheet of newspaper and put that in the middle of the donut hole. Light the crumpled part and then put the whole thing on top of a grate (a hibachi-type grill works well) and place the charcoal filled (about 12-15 briquettes is enough) on TOP of the burning newspaper. Wait about 10 minutes (flames will shoot out of the top of the chimney once it gets going. When all coals are glowing (NO more flames) after about 10-15 minutes, dump/spread the glowing coals on the unlit briqs in the WSM. Assemble WSM and wait :) This is the 45 minute part referred to in your first question.

I want to see a video of everything. Including once the fire is starting in the chimney starter, I want to watch it until it grows big, so I know how long it takes. I don't want a video that shows it being started, then cuts to the coals being ready.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I'm saying it's taking 40-50 minutes just for the chimney starter part, not to temp the WSM.

I'm using newspaper that's been oiled.

Is olive oil ok?

Ok, I was mixing in paper and coals at the bottom of the chimney starter.

You're saying to light the paper first, then put briquettes on top of the burning paper. And, you're saying I only need 12-15 briquettes total.

Can I put the burning paper at the bottom of the chimney starter?
 
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timothy said:
I use a propane torch or Weber starter cubes, usually takes 3-4 mins for the torch and 6-8 mins for the cubes.
I like RO lump or Briqs.
KBB takes a little longer like 10 mins.

Tim.
Click to expand...

I have both Royal Oak lump and Kingsford briquettes.

Can you link to your torch model? Do you recommend that over matches?
 
Just to give people a little background.

I did my first few cooks (one slow, others hotter because it was pizza) a few times last year.

Then I took a break after January.

I think I was doing some things better with starting a fire last year, and some things better this year during this summer.

I think I'm doing better at properly inserting elements in the chimney starter. Last year I was over-filling it. And I was lighting from the top.

But I also think I had more flames last year, so I also thought something was better last year.

I watched at least 7 or 8 videos last year, and had read from the Weber website.

I'm not sure if I'm just out of practice, or doing other things wrong.
 
Arun L. said:
I'm saying it's taking 40-50 minutes just for the chimney starter part, not to temp the WSM.

I'm using newspaper that's been oiled.

Is olive oil ok?

Ok, I was mixing in paper and coals at the bottom of the chimney starter.

You're saying to light the paper first, then put briquettes on top of the burning paper. And, you're saying I only need 12-15 briquettes total.

Can I put the burning paper at the bottom of the chimney starter?
Click to expand...

Any edible oil will do.

Don't mix the paper with the briqs. The chimney has a little conical grill at the bottom. The briqs go on top of the grill. The lit donut of paper goes below the grill.

Light the paper donut, place it on a hibachi grill (even on dirt but NEVER on concrete/paving stone/asphalt--the stone/asphalt will either crack or melt) then place the chimney with 12-15 unlit briqs on top (of the conical grill) over the burning donut (below the conical grill) but make sure you don't snuff out the fire by either using too much paper (or even by placing the chimney down too fast on top of the burning donut). Should only take 10-15 min to get those chimney briqs lit.

This method is so efficient, when the fire is fully engulfed, your chimney will turn cherry red the heat is extremely intense.
 
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I, too, had some issues with starting coals in a chimney, and I solved my problem by crumpling (2) newspaper pages (full size) individually, and placing them side by side in the bottom of the chimney (under the coal grate). More often than not, depending on the brand, my coals are ready in about 20 minutes or so, although I've never timed them. Lump and Kingsford light the fastest, while briquettes like Royal Oak take longer.

If matches are a problem, try using a long-nose lighter.

There have been times when coals (especially used coals) didn't fire off quickly as I like, so I remedied that by inserting two more crumpled newspaper sheets under the chimney. Since some coals were already lit, no 2nd match was needed to ignite the paper.
 
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Len Dennis said:
Any edible oil will do.

Don't mix the paper with the briqs. The chimney has a little conical grill at the bottom. The briqs go on top of the grill. The lit donut of paper goes below the grill.

Light the paper donut, place it on a hibachi grill (even on dirt but NEVER on concrete/paving stone/asphalt--the stone/asphalt will either crack or melt) then place the chimney with 12-15 unlit briqs on top (of the conical grill) over the burning donut (below the conical grill) but make sure you don't snuff out the fire by either using too much paper (or even by placing the chimney down too fast on top of the burning donut). Should only take 10-15 min to get those chimney briqs lit.

This method is so efficient, when the fire is fully engulfed, your chimney will turn cherry red the heat is extremely intense.
Click to expand...

After I put the chimney on top of the burning doughnut, can I then put the chimney on a paving stone? I had bought a paving stone last year.

I don't have a hibachi. Outside of my WSM, the only other appliance I have is a gas grill.

Where can I start the burning doughnut?

Here's a picture of my backyard from last year (before getting the WSM).

This is also before getting the paving stone.

http://i.imgur.com/QvKwVKx.jpg
 
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Rusty James said:
I, too, had some issues with starting coals in a chimney, and I solved my problem by crumpling (2) newspaper pages (full size) individually, and placing them side by side in the bottom of the chimney (under the coal grate). More often than not, depending on the brand, my coals are ready in about 20 minutes or so, although I've never timed them. Lump and Kingsford light the fastest, while briquettes like Royal Oak take longer.

If matches are a problem, try using a long-nose lighter.

There have been times when coals (especially used coals) didn't fire off quickly as I like, so I remedied that by inserting two more crumpled newspaper sheets under the chimney. Since some coals were already lit, no 2nd match was needed to ignite the paper.
Click to expand...

I have one of those matchstick lighters too (for helping start the gas grill).

But it's also hard to keep a flame for more than a second. Just the way you have to hold down on a button on top and press the trigger. Pushing on two things at the same time and keeping a prolonged frame is hard.
 
Arun L. said:
I have one of those matchstick lighters too (for helping start the gas grill).

But it's also hard to keep a flame for more than a second. Just the way you have to hold down on a button on top and press the trigger. Pushing on two things at the same time and keeping a prolonged frame is hard.
Click to expand...

I'm trying to picture in my head how you're lighting your chimney starter, but unless you have a lot of wind, there shouldn't be much of an issue with igniting your fire - unless you're lighting the starter material from inside the chimney (top down), which may extinguish the match / lighter. If necessary, hold the chimney in the air, and light the starter material from underneath. A small torch might be of help, or you can purchase a long nose wind-resistant lighter.

As for a place to sit your flaming chimney starter, it *will* crack / shatter anything made of cement / concrete. You might could sit it over the opening of a cinder block? I sometimes sit mine on an upside-down rectangular heavy mesh wire basket (about 2" deep) I fabricated at work years ago. So far, this method has kept my concrete surfaces intact.
 
Rusty James said:
I'm trying to picture in my head how you're lighting your chimney starter, but unless you have a lot of wind, there shouldn't be much of an issue with igniting your fire - unless you're lighting the starter material from inside the chimney (top down), which may extinguish the match / lighter. If necessary, hold the chimney in the air, and light the starter material from underneath. A small torch might be of help, or you can purchase a long nose wind-resistant lighter.

As for a place to sit your flaming chimney starter, it *will* crack / shatter anything made of cement / concrete. You might could sit it over the opening of a cinder block? I sometimes sit mine on an upside-down rectangular heavy mesh wire basket (about 2" deep) I fabricated at work years ago. So far, this method has kept my concrete surfaces intact.
Click to expand...

Here are the concrete blocks and paving stone that I have:

http://imgur.com/a/CGraX/layout/grid

What do you suggest?

I've used the paving stone a few times. Hasn't shattered.

It can get windy especially in spring. 15-20 mph winds.

During summer, yesterday had 7 mph winds according to the weather history at the time I was grilling in the evening.

Can you post a recommendation to either a small torch or a wind resistant lighter? The matchstick lighter I have this one:

Vh9Ljf7.jpg


It's sufficient for the gas grill.

When lighting matches yesterday, I only had 1-2 seconds after lighting before the flame would die. So I didn't have time to lift the chimney.

I instead just kept the chimney level low with only a few briquettes and oiled newspaper, and started it there from the top. I could keep the flame longer if I kept the match partially inside the chimney to shield it from some wind.

But, as I've mentioned, the lighting of the match wasn't the only issue. It was also how long the chimney seemed to take to get ready (40 minutes minimum) before the coals were glowing.

There's some suggestions in this thread which I hope will help with this latter issue.

It just seemed that if I needed two hands to light a match, then 1 hand to lift the chimney so I could ideally start it from underneath with the newspaper, that was too much motion required for 2-3 seconds until the flame would die.

Hence why I had to resort to trying from the top with only a few briquettes and newspaper at the bottom of the chimney. At least the flame would last longer (closer to the 3 seconds) than 1 second.

I also had a few matches break.

Hence why something easier to ignite would help, then I can focus on just how to get the coals to light within 20 minutes.
 
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I use a very lazy method.
Just charcoal in the chimney. I use lump charcoal and the amount depends on whether I want to smoke or grill.
Then a piece of firelighter under the chimney (needs 1 match to light) and off we go ....

I estimate it takes about 20 minutes for a full starter, around 10-15 for half a starter
 
Wind is always an issue using matches. Hold the donut in your hand and light the crumpled up piece in the middle of the donut. Once it gets going put it on your grill surface/stone/whatever (stone will crack) then place the chimney on top. This is not difficult stuff. Just keep out of the wind when using a match.

The lighters you've pictured are ok but as was said, I find that they only put out a small flame that is difficult to maintain in the wind. Having said that, I do use one but usually fall back on using a match (or three because of that same wind you describe ;) )

Maybe you'd be better off using one of those starter cubes that weber sells:confused: if you have a difficult time using matches?
 
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