Which Method Do You Use To Light Charcoal?

[Bsamps]

Speaking from experience, I totally agree.

Yes, I have made this mistake many times.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Years ago now, we owned a home with a one acre wooded lot. There was an old oak stump in the backyard... Already seriously rotted out. One day, as I was clearing some brush, I started a fire about hmmmm 25 feet away from the stump... I decided, today would be a good day to burn out that stump and emptied a 5 gallon gas can into the hollow.... Somehow, the gas ran all the way down.... 25' away.... and then the big Whoooshhhhh.. The flame went up around 40' or so... because it singed the leaves that far up in a silver birch growing next to it.... My wife saw the evidence.... and our sons, pre-teens at the time, didn't waste any time telling them about the fire Dad made as well. They were entertained.... I was left with no eyebrows for a while. <eg>

I wish I had learned my lesson that time... but I had one other gas accident... pouring gas on a smoldering pile of branches, etc.... and the gas exploded and came all the way up into the 5 gallon gas can I had in my hand... I threw the gas can as far away as I could... and the little plastic spout melted as well as the button vent... fire was coming out of both of them, shooting into the sky until the gas was gone...

I've often said.... I'm not that bright... but after that, I always kept a 5 gallon can of kerosene around.

 

[House Boy]

I pile them up like a pyramid, use a little charcoal lighter fluid than when ready to use I'll put a little more fluid on the coals than light it up like it's the 4th of July. Once they get a little white I spread the coals with a Weber coal rake. Great tool btw, makes spreading for direct or indirect grilling easy.

 

[MoreArtful]

I pile them up like a pyramid, use a little charcoal lighter fluid than when ready to use I'll put a little more fluid on the coals than light it up like it's the 4th of July. Once they get a little white I spread the coals with a Weber coal rake. Great tool btw, makes spreading for direct or indirect grilling easy.

I recommending using Coleman Fuel or white gas. Both liquids burn off way way more cleanly. I've always used a Weber Chimney Charcoal Starter with cardboard underneath as either kindling or starter. And Cardboard burns very hot, facilitating igniting charcoal.

 

[ChiefHA]

I still use a weber chimney but due to lack of news print around my house I have started using royal oak tumble weeds instead. Not real expensive for how often i use them and they work great.

 

[Chef455]

Old school Weber chimney here lit with a culinary torch which I'll use to "encourage" anything stubborn down the road. I must admit I'm curious/intimidated(?) by O.H.'s methods...

 

[P-51G t]

Weber perfomer.
Propane started charcoal.
The convenience of propane starting with flavor of charcoal.

 

[Doc4]

I'll start a small fire in my Weber just like I'm making a camp fire, and once it gets going feed it with charcoal instead of wood.

Nothing like the taste and smell of gasoline or fluid fluid on a nice juicy steak cooked to perfection over charcoal.

Best way to cook breakfast.

 

[VaughnB]

I make a pyramid, douse the whole thing with lighter fluid, then find some newspaper and light it.

 

[tejolot3]

I have an old school Weber kettle.

1. Make a rectangular array of briquettes on the bottom grate. For something simple like hot dogs, 6x3 does fine. For something that needs to cook longer, up to 8x3. I suppose more might be required, but I personally never grill anything that does. Douse them all with lighter fluid.

2. Neatly stack an identical rectangular array on top: each briquette directly on top of another one. Douse them all with lighter fluid.

3. Next layer has overlap along one of the axes. If the first two layers were 7x3, then the next one is either 7x2 or 6x3. Douse them all with lighter fluid.

4. Next layer has overlap along the other axis. Douse all over with lighter fluid.

5. Light it up with a match, open the bottom vent.

The bottom two layers take a bit of precision. But I do it because I think it increases the amount of available air down inside there. The coals seem to get ready faster this way than if they're just dumped into a heap.

 

[bonjing]

In a chimney and going through all the fire starters that could be bought at the gun shows when they were cheap.

 

[KW Driver]

Blow torch...45 sec to a minute or so on the hot coals, leave lid open on cooker and off I go. Once it see the surrounding colas are igniting, I can close lid and adjust vents and dampener.

Chimney starter used to be my method of choice, until I read about the blow torch.

The torch sits in my BBQ accessory stand with a branding iron with my initials, so its easy and convenient to use.

And branding a guest’s steak with my registered brand is a fun touch.

I torch them too. It’s a common technique with competitive and pro BBQ postmasters as well