terra cotta saucer


 
K

Kent Chambers

New member
New guy here. After a lot of reading and browsing on this site I just need a clarification on using the Weber chimney starter.
If I don't have heat resistant paving stones at my disposal, all I need is a terra cotta saucer that I can place weber starter cubes on, then place chimney full of briquettes in the saucer till ready dump into wsm. Is this correct?
And this saucer can set on cement or wooden deck while igniting coals? Thanks for any response.
 
I put a small grill grate on top of the TC saucer and put the chimney on top of that. Seems to get better air flow under the starter and into the charcoal. I set mine on cement. Might get a little nervous having sparks from lump charcoal flying from the chimney that close to a wooden deck.....better safe than sorry!

My friend Jack uses his Smokey Joe to sit his chimney starter on.

Pat
 
I put my chimney on the charcoal grate of my kettle. Then I either put the hot coals in the WSM or the kettle.
 
K. Thanks. And I take it that terra cotta is terra cotta the country over. Its all heat resistant to withstand the chimney starter?
 
AFAIK it's fired in a kiln between 1000-2000degF. You can get glazed or un-glazed the latter would be what you want. You also want the type without a weep hole.

Tim
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Lew Newby:
I put my chimney on the charcoal grate of my kettle. Then I either put the hot coals in the WSM or the kettle. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

+1.

I do the same thing Lew does by starting my chimney on the charcoal grate of my kettle with the cooking grate removed. If you use a Weber starter cube or a oil dunked paper towel to light your chimney, it will not leave much ash in your kettle like newspaper does. If I have to start charcoal in the chimney outside the kettle, I will sit the chimney on a couple of fire bricks.
 
Just don't put the chimney directly on a solid block of cement or concrete, the heat differential between the area below the chimney and the rest of the slab can cause a small pock mark (3-4 inches across) to "explode" out of your slab.
 
I don't want to stray too off topic I love my chimney when I need a mess of raging hot coals for a steak or something but latley I start all my long minion cooks with this torch with the MAPP propane (yellow can) so you can hold it at any angle. I just get the center of three or so pieces of K hot for a few seconds


03-007-824-01.jpg
 
Thanks for responses. I bought a clay saucer today and placed 2 weber cubes in saucer then placed a chimney, half full, of Kblue on saucer.
After 3 or 4 min. saucer broke and split in two.
Probably should have place SS grill grate on top of saucer then placed chimney on top of that.
 
Don't put your chimney on the saucer at all. Place your chimney on another grill you own or take the top cooking grate off the WSM and place your chimney on the bottom grate.
 
Thanks for the advice. Use my fire pit by placing grill grate inside it, with Weber fire cube underneath. Worked perfect for chimney starter, so first smoke is in progress. chicken thighs.
 
Kent,

Buy a used smokey joe off Craigslist. I keep one sitting beside my grills and light my chimney on the charcoal grate of the Joe. I put a multiple folded square of tin foil on the grate, the fire cube on top of that, and then the chimney on top of that. The square last a long time for many cooks.

If I'm doing a minion cook I have a brick, a standard, everyday brick, that has had one third of it broken off, then I stand it up on the Joe grate, place the cube on top of it, and then an inverted chimney over the brick with the cube. That way my 12-15 charcoals funnel down to the cube. It's as simple as can be and works every time.
 
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