chimney lighting?

[addicted-to-smoke]

I'll tell you what doesn't work. Crayons. It was my wife's suggestion, and we have a ton of crayons.

Now that my Performer's up and running I find that a decent stack of charcoal, sans chimney, works OK, too, and there's no fear of freeing loose embers on my plasticized deck surface during the pick-it-up-and-turn-it-over procedure. 1buckie: I like the trap door plan your dad had!

That said, I like the Weber cubes a lot. Not a fan of paper very much. I've used Matchlight pieces under the chimney a few times in desperation.

One thing I wouldn't do, is light with the Performer gas-assist and place the kettle lid on. Well, when I say "I wouldn't do" I mean you shouldn't do. I did that once in damp weather, thinking it would heat up faster, and came back outside to see the kettle lid lifting off of the kettle. It kept popping up!

[argentflame]

Awesome Technique. I will try this weekend.

[addicted-to-smoke]

... My Dad built a chimney out of a 3 pound coffee can that had a flap built across the inside about 1/4 of the way up......don't remember exactly how it worked, just that after the coals were burning all good, he would reach down in with ViseGrips & pull out a wire & they would all dump ...

I saw something similar at Home Depot yesterday. I forgot the brand, and it's not on their site. The briquet grate is flat (not coned like the Webers) and has a leg that, when setup on a grill, supports the briquet grate inside the can. The briquet grate is hinged.

So, you load newspaper/other fuel into the bottom or start your wax flame, placing briquets into it ONLY while the can is sitting down where it'll be working. When ready, you pick up the can, the leg and briquet grate gives 'way and coals fall out the bottom.

Neat idea, especially for those of us with composite decks that melt from sparks and hot charcoal embers. I played with this thing. Aside from the fact that the briquet grate is flat, so you lose efficiency, it easily and completely can fall out of the can and the whole affair is painted steel. Piece of junk.

[crazej36]

I tried most of the methods everyone posted . The cubes are by far the easiest with no mess. Should have bought them sooner. Cutting them up works great. The gasser is being moved to the shed.

[AJ328]

Up to this point I've been using newspaper, but this thread reminded me of the old boy scout fire starter of cotton balls and vaseline. The idea is dipping 4/5 of of the cotton ball into melted vaseline leaving a little dry top part to light. They burn for almost ten minutes and should accomplish the job.

Does anyone think the vaseline would impart a bad flavor or have some unintended consequence?

[Metal Mike]

Had much success with a ball of any paper & (empty) vertical TP tube in the top half.
Or half paper towel roller, Whatever is available...

[Cuda Dan]

Metal Mike,
Look at page 3 to see how I use the bag to start my coals. With the paper bag it burns hotter to start the coals faster.