Mar 25, 2012
If you are like me, you have spent too much time trying to light charcoal on a picnic, a camping trip, or just out in the backyard for a Saturday hamburger. If you only use gas or electric for most of your bbq grilling, you may have never thought about lighting charcoal, but chances are, one day you will need the technique for lighting charcoal the easy way.
Two words: Charcoal Chimney.
There are many charcoal chimneys on the market and you can pick one up at your local big box store or order online. The main thing to be be concerned with is make sure that you get one of decent quality and can be used for many years to come. Of course, you should be aware of safety as you will be dealing with fire and extremely hot coals.
Follow the instructions with photos found at The Virtual Weber Bullet for complete details on using a Charcoal Chimney.
Using a double-wide sheet of newspaper, roll loosely on the diagonal from one corner to the other. Bring the ends together to form a donut that fits inside the chimney starter (Photo 5).
Repeat with a second sheet of newspaper.
Stick the two newspaper donuts in the bottom of the chimney (Photo 6). Note that this leaves a hole in the center for air to flow up through the newspaper for faster lighting.
Turn the chimney right-side up, place it on a fire-safe surface, and fill it with the amount of charcoal you want to light.
Light the newspaper in several locations. You’ll begin to see smoke coming out the top of the chimney starter (Photo 7).
After the newspaper has burned completely, wait 1-2 minutes, then hold your hand over the chimney…you should feel the heat of the coals starting to light.
It will take 10-20 minutes for the coals to light, depending on wind conditions, how much charcoal is in the chimney, and the type of charcoal being used.
The charcoal is ready when you see orange color deep inside the chimney starter, flames licking at the charcoal at the top of the chimney, and gray ash just starting to form on some of the charcoal at the top (Photo 8).
If you wait for all of the charcoal at the top of the chimney to be fully ashed-over, much of the charcoal in the bottom of the chimney will be spent, so go ahead and dump the charcoal into your cooker when it looks like Photo 8. Original Article Here »
Stop worrying about charcoal lighter or buying poor quality charcoal, use chimney for a fast start that works every time and doesn’t add undesirable flavors to you meat.
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