British BBQ Society Forums

slatts wrote:I used to put my chimney starter on a tile on the floor in my garden as the wife moaned about the black marks on the patio, the other night the tile shattered

I had that too.

My wife bought me a Smokey Joe for Xmas to light them...well not just for lighting the chimney but an A1 wife having told me all summer I didn't need one as she already purchase it!

She is obviously responsible for all this rain, as can't even be bothered to build the thing at the moment.


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Thanks for the tips all. Unfortunately the storms of late have taken the felt off my shed roof and my charcoal is pissing wet so it'll be a while before I can judge how well it works

Argh! Buy more and keep the wet stuff as reserve for future?

You have my sympathies for the storm damage, I hope it isn't too expensive to repair.

Seven fence panels and a shed roof down, but at least my house stayed dry which plenty round here didn't so I can't complain.

Will have to keep my eye out for some out-of-season (pfft!) charcoal bargains!

Ouch. Sorry pal.

£7 for a 12kg bag of restaurant. Can of worms if you debate the ethics of non certified lump. http://bbbqs.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f= ... 4&start=20

My charcoal is stored in plastic boxes with a tarp over them, hopefully it is okay. I have a small portable gas ring (bought when the idiots fitting our kitchen left me without a hob over Christmas a few years ago) cost me £7 in Asda sale. To date I haven't needed it to start the chimney but it is there if I do.

keith157 wrote:My charcoal is stored in plastic boxes with a tarp over them, hopefully it is okay. I have a small portable gas ring (bought when the idiots fitting our kitchen left me without a hob over Christmas a few years ago) cost me £7 in Asda sale. To date I haven't needed it to start the chimney but it is there if I do.

Toby said in a post recently that as long as it's sheltered from rain and - crucially - off the ground, it should be fine. I keep mine in the cellar, which isn't the driest place, but I keep it on a shelf and it's always fine.

I've heard the Weber firelighters are good for starting chimneys, but I dunno what they're made of. Last chimney I started I tried the charcoal bag routine but after four attempts I went and got some newspaper.

Loose newsheets ftw.

I always use a catering gel pot under the chimney or a firelighter. the main point of a chimney starter is it to keep nasty chemicals away from the charcoal ie lighting gel, self lighting charcoal etc etc

Toby wrote:I always use a catering gel pot under the chimney or a firelighter. the main point of a chimney starter is it to keep nasty chemicals away from the charcoal ie lighting gel, self lighting charcoal etc etc

Yeah, I've shyed away from doing this myself for this reason (and cause newspaper works fine and I have lots of it. Not sure if the natural (chemical free) ones would produce a high enough flame, I would imagine so, but much more expensive that newspaper!

What is a catering gel pot please Toby?

ETA scratch that, a quick google answered! Would these work with a fondue set?

Chaffing dish fuel like this............http://www.nobleexpress.co.uk/8-hour-ch ... s253vRdW8A will last a long time, wot taint your fuel and probably cheaper than buying a couple of broadsheets.