Starting Fuel with a Torch ?


 
J

James Harvey

TVWBB Pro
Hi all,

I generally start my minion cooks with a partial chimney of lit. Can anyone comment on using a torch instead? If so:

What kind of torch?
How much do you light (roughly)?
Is there any worry about the propane/butane flavour?

I'm curious as to alternative lighting methods.
 
I use an old BernzOmatic push button torch as seen in this thread.
On the WSM I stick it into each bottom vent and lite off one spot on top.( about 15-20 sec per spot) Now thats when I use lump. For briqs I use the partial chimney lit on the OTG.
And no.. No off flavours from using a torch.

Tim
 
Why use the torch? Why not? Why would propane affect the taste? I light my charcoal in the ring before I put the middle section on.

I find it quicker getting up to temp since you're using a heat source to light the whole charcoal ring, not just a little bit of charcoal in a chimney...but you're still only lighting the top layer, which is what the Minion method is about. Also, the MM is about getting the charcoal to burn very cleanly, and for the aforementioned reason, the smoke cleans up faster than pouring on out of a chimney.

Probably the best way to light is how a guy suggested to me on another forum. He says to light dead center for :30 seconds and then :15 seconds each at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 'o clock positions. This way you get a very consistant burn, but don't move the torch around trying to light the entire top of the ring. He was probably speaking of lighting a 22.5" wsm, and if you are lighting an 18.5" you might want to only light in two or three spots. I'd either bury your wood chunks in the top of the coals right after lighting or simply lay them on top, mainly on what's not lit.

I use the torch also to light charcoal for my grill. Sunday, I had my coal bed layed out from the day before, and after church I lit all the lump and had it going in no time flat. Use it to burn your grates off if you want to. Char poblanos. Crisp chicken skin. Seriously, there's lots of uses. First came fire, and then came the torch.

MIne still lights just fine and it's several years old:

http://www.harborfreight.com/p...n-igniter-91037.html
 
What kind of torch?
How much do you light (roughly)?
Is there any worry about the propane/butane flavour?
Click to expand...

I just use a plain ole hardware store Propane Torch. Nothing fancy, but functional.

When using my 18.5" WSM, I light 6-8 coals. In the kettle using the firebrick method, I light 4-6 coals (4 in the 18.5", 6 in the 22.5") I don't light the entire coal with the torch, just the lower side and edge. It takes a few minutes, but you know they're good to go when you remove the torch - wait a minute - and they're still putting off decent heat.

When grilling in the kettles, I just use my Weber Chimney & Weber Cubes underneath to get things going.

No worries about propane flavor. When it burns it becomes odorless instantly - no residue, no residual odors or flavors, etc.

Hope this helps.
 
If you do try a torch make sure to use eye protection. Dave's weed burner might not be so bad, but a hand held torch puts your face closer to the snap crackle pops when using lump in the ring.
I've caught a few when using RO lump.

Tim
 
Funny you should mention eye protection, Timothy. Yeah, as anyone who has lit lump by any method can imagine, lump shrapnel can often be an issue. Not always, but often.
 
Originally posted by timothy:
If you do try a torch make sure to use eye protection. Dave's weed burner might not be so bad, but a hand held torch puts your face closer to the snap crackle pops when using lump in the ring.
I've caught a few when using RO lump.

Tim
Click to expand...

To avoid this I fill the ring with lump, but I'll use a handful of regular K to torch. It doesn't crackle.
 
Where's your sense of adventure, Mike?
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No seriously... for lighting lump in the wsm, I'd go ahead and put the middle section on for some protection, and wear long gloves and glasses. You'll be fine then. It is a bit more adventurous lighting lump on the kettle, though, since it's spread and there's no telling where the shrapnel will go.
 
A long time ago in another forum I happened to mention Jim Minion and using a chimney starter to fire off a drum smoker in the same post.

He responded to the thread and said he uses a weed torch like I had and he calls it "lighting his cooker".
 
I have been using a weed burner since I had my first BDS. Lots faster than a chimney starter and you can pinpoint where you want your burn to be.
Both ways work great, but it is sure lots funner with the torch!!
 
Originally posted by Brian Moriarty:
A long time ago in another forum I happened to mention Jim Minion and using a chimney starter to fire off a drum smoker in the same post.

He responded to the thread and said he uses a weed torch like I had and he calls it "lighting his cooker".
Click to expand...

That confirms what I'd heard when someone referred to lighting with a torch "the NEW Minion Method".
 
When I was a kid and before he converted to gas, my dad would light charcoal with his oxyacetylene torch...now THAT did a good job!!
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Brad
 
Dave has seriously good ideas consistently through threads in this forum. His ideas here are on target.
Of course, there are as many ways to light a WSM as there are ways to skin a cat. I have developed a personal preference over the years:
I have a 22.5 WSM. I use a one pound coffee can with top and bottom cut out so its just a hollow metal sleeve. When I build my charcoal mound, I set the empty can in the center. I then place several wood chunks against the outside of the empty can. I then fill my unlit coals in the ring around the can leaving the can's center empty. I also put a few more wood chunks here and there throughout the coals. I turn my charcoal starter chimney upside down so the short end is where I fill my double handful of coals. I light them with a weed burner torch I bought at Northern Tools for $29. Boy...this gets it lit in a hurry with no gas smells at all.
Fill the empty coffee can with the burning coals, then remove the can with a heavy glove or tongs. This puts the burning coals in direct contact with the wood chunks you lined up around the can to begin with. As we all know, the first phase of your cook is where the meat accepts the most smoke goodness.
This is just my way, and I'm sure there are at least a thousand more variations to get the job done.
 
Well, thank you, Morrey. That means a lot coming from someone such as yourself. You must've learned a LOT over the years cooking on all those smokin' rigs!
 
I do the coffee can in the middle thing also. Never have a problem regulating temps, unless I while I'm smoking I enjoy the event too much, often other parts get overheated, but never the WSM!

Dennis
 
I use a weed burner, I've never experienced shrapnel or burns because of it. I used to use the half chimney but the torch lights it almost instantly and brings it up to temp way quicker it seems. Like always, whatever you prefer is the best method. Try not to over engineer it.
 
Originally posted by James Harvey:
I never even considered a weed burner. I thought a simple propane torch might be the norm.
Click to expand...

James, a little propane torch isn't even close. Guess the weedburner is just something you gotta try to appreciate.
 
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