Starting Charcoal

[hvacker]

I don't know about you but I can have problems with the chimney starters. I don't like to use starter fuel and the chimney takes a longer time. Sometimes I've used my Mapp handheld torch just to speed things up. I've never tried the paraffin starters.
Today I looked at my turkey fryer and tried putting the charcoal chimney on the fryer burner. The charcoal started right away and was at full burn really fast. This is how I'll go especially if I'm in a hurry.

[corny]

Wad up some newspaper and mound your charcoal over the top of the paper, light the paper.

The newspaper wont add any smell or flavor....lol.....to what you are cooking.

Do this on the grate so the air can come up thru the bottom.

Sort of like a chimney but you are making a combustible chimney for the paper out of the charcoal.

[waterpirate]

If you had a grill with a side burner, you would not have to fire up the turkey fryer to light your grill. I recently bought the best grill I have ever owned. It is a gas grill, with a side burner, bolted to a charcoal grill, with a smoker box bolted to the charcoal grill. Putting the chimney on the side burner and then dumping it in the charcoal side is priceless.
Eric

[hvacker]

I've got a side burner and also wads of newspaper. I was talking about speed. Sometimes I can be pressed for time. In the last time a storm was comming in.

[waterpirate]

A little snark for your Friday.
Speed and being pressed for time rarely yeilds a quality result, specially with charcoal. Why not put a chip burner on your gas grill and call it done? Speed and short time to start, the reason gas grills were developed.
Eric

[madhat]

With a Chimney Starter I can be ready to grill in 25 to 35 minutes. A sheet and half of newspaper, under the chimney starter. Left over charcoal goes on the bottom, new on top. Light it on four sides. Dump it after 15 to 20 minutes. Half close the bottom damper, barely crack the top damper. In 10 minutes the coals are ready to sear the meat. I then push the meat so it's at the edge of the coals to finish. Potatoes I pre-heat in the microwave before grilling.

[OldSchoolMech]

If you had a grill with a side burner, you would not have to fire up the turkey fryer to light your grill. I recently bought the best grill I have ever owned. It is a gas grill, with a side burner, bolted to a charcoal grill, with a smoker box bolted to the charcoal grill. Putting the chimney on the side burner and then dumping it in the charcoal side is priceless.
Eric

I would love to see a Picture of this Machine sounds like a beast!!!
I would love to have a smoker

[Cooked]

I can tell you what not to use.

Long story short. Boating trip, miles from nowhere, plenty of hot dogs, buns and mustard, hungry kids and disgruntled wife(s). No lighter fluid. Me and my school teacher buddy decided to use a little gasoline. Worked great, charcoal got a nice grey ash and it got hot too.

Bad part - hot dogs tasted like 89 octance. Kids pissed, both wives pissed. Long ride back to boat ramp. Yes this story involves excessive alcohol.