Using a chimney starter..

[PeteW]

Yeah, I know... this is meant to be easy, but I always have trouble using it! It normally takes me a good hour and two or three attempts to get the blooming thing lit!

Firstly I'm never sure of how much newspaper to put in it… if I put in lots it's too dense and won't light, it just sort of smoulders without flames, but if I put in less, the newspaper burns nicely but not for long enough to actually light the coals above it!

The second thing I'm not sure about is when the coals are ready to use, I either seem to do it too early and the coals aren't hot enough to light the unlit ones, or too late and the coals are cooling down and won't light the unlit ones...

Any tips? How do you use yours..?

Cheers

Pete

[GuyB]

I fill mine with lumpwood (no paper) and then place it on the gas hob till it starts to smoke and then outside and leave for 20 mins till fully lit - also works with briquettes (heat beads not Big K).

If you haven't got gas hob (or Missus vetos its use) can place a lit firelighter on floor and stand chimney on top.

[Dennis52]

I use Weber lighter cubes 2 at a time, about £3 for 24. Charcoal briquettes have to be white all over and lump wood must be white on the edges.
Cheers Dennis

[grum]

Vegetable oil drizzled onto some of the paper works well for me - burns for longer.

[robgunby]

If you want to use newspaper (I do, works fine and I have lots lying around), here is my tried and tested method:

Take a broadsheet newspaper, and take two full sized sheets out (ie 2x two-page spreads), and separately, lightly scrunch them into the bottom of the chimney. Don't scrunch them up when they are layered together, you must separate them first.

Put the chimney on a grill grate - keeps airflow round the bottom and keeps the chimney off the ground which it can easily scorch. Light the paper on either side and let it do its thing. You'll know within five minutes if it's worked - if the coals have started to glow, or you can feel a fierce heat, it's going. If not, bang another two sheets in and light again.

If it's taking more than a couple of attempts, I would suspect the charcoal of being a little damp.

[slatts]

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

[robgunby]

Yeah I scorched a couple of patio slabs before realising that's what the other five barbecues in my garden are for - standing the starter on!

[power]

I use an old ironing board! (metal type) for my chimney! also comes in handy as a bench, chopping board, empty beer cans, and putting the wsm lid on! and its got adjustable height

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[keith157]

I tear up the bags the charcoal comes in, burns longer than newspaper

[robgunby]

I use an old ironing board! (metal type) for my chimney! also comes in handy as a bench, chopping board, empty beer cans, and putting the wsm lid on! and its got adjustable height

Sent from my GT-I9305T using Tapatalk

Not a bad idea! My ironing board needs replacing really, so that might end up as a new pit table!

Keith is absolutely right about charcoal bags, if I'm emptying a bag I use that instead of newspaper, it does work a treat.