under the chimney. 1 cube flames up enough for a full chimney. if you are using briquettes and need to light it faster 2 would be better. i have found that 1 works well enough for lump and rancher's hardwood briquettes.

quote:

Originally posted by russell swift:
Do you place the cube underneath the chimney or place it at the bottom of the stacked charcoal?

I drop the cube in the chimney then add the charcoal, light the cube and your done.

The Harbor Freight Piezo start Weed Torch for those "hurry up n' go" starts!
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/swamprb/100_1397-2.jpg

If you use a turkey fryer,don't crank it or you will see what the inside of a steel mill looks like

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Moriarty:
The Harbor Freight Piezo start Weed Torch for those "hurry up n' go" starts!
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/swamprb/100_1397-2.jpg

Since I have the performer I most of the times will just load the chimney set it on the food grate and light the propane starter. Works great. Otherwiise I would either load it with newspaper and set it on the top of the WSM or a upside down "u" of bricks and light. Lately I have been using this - which is kind of like the weed torch (sort of) but more targeted to the purpose:

http://secure.thebbqguru.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp...ory=28&idproduct=116

http://www.thebbqguru.com/bbqGuruGolfClub.cfm

Comes with a nice wire holder/stand that pretty flexible. It's kind of like having a hand held, portable version of the system that comes with the lighter on the Weber Performer's It's designed for lighting from underneath the fuel rather than a top down application. Plus when disconnected from the tubing/propane you can use it for other stuff aside from ignition.

I used to use a couple of sheets of newspaper with a few drops of vegetable oil. However, I'm not sure that my neighbors appreciated the blowing burned paper. So now I just place 1 or two of the Weber starter cubes, depending on how much charcoal I'm lighting, on a square of aluminum foil. It has never failed to light.

I just tried these estonian forest starters. They strike like a match and are triangular in shape, once you strike you stand it up under the chimney. lasts about 6 minutes and the coals are going in 15 minutes. Box claims no chemicals and to be all natural. I got them at Shop-rite in NJ, .99 cents for 20.

quote:

Originally posted by Sam:
I just tried these estonian forest starters. They strike like a match and are triangular in shape, once you strike you stand it up under the chimney. lasts about 6 minutes and the coals are going in 15 minutes. Box claims no chemicals and to be all natural. I got them at Shop-rite in NJ, .99 cents for 20.

wow, that's cheap

What you need to watch out for is products labeled wood starters.These are for fireplaces or wood pits.My wife bought a box thinking i could use it as a charcoal starter,since i ran out of cubes. the box said 100% natural fatwood sticks, and they were pieces of small kindling with a resin coating.The store were my wife bought this had this in the outdoor section right next to the kingsford. I read the box and nowhere did it state that you could or could not use this for charcol.But it did state that it was recycled pine stumps which when i burned 2 small pieces gave off a thick black creosote cloud.I'm no expert but i'm a carpenter and i build with pine not cook with it.

quote:

Originally posted by timothy:
If you use a turkey fryer,don't crank it or you will see what the inside of a steel mill looks like

you got that right..ive had two weber chimneys bottoms burned out by using a turkey fryer in competitions..best is to keep that fire low for about 5 min..its all you need..no need to crank

quote:

Originally posted by timothy:
What you need to watch out for is products labeled wood starters.These are for fireplaces or wood pits.My wife bought a box thinking i could use it as a charcoal starter,since i ran out of cubes. the box said 100% natural fatwood sticks, and they were pieces of small kindling with a resin coating.The store were my wife bought this had this in the outdoor section right next to the kingsford. I read the box and nowhere did it state that you could or could not use this for charcol.But it did state that it was recycled pine stumps which when i burned 2 small pieces gave off a thick black creosote cloud.I'm no expert but i'm a carpenter and i build with pine not cook with it.

That was the first thing I checked, no strange chemicals. It states on the box for starting BBQ and grills. There was very little smoke while they were burning.

I use the weber chimney upside down with a weber starter cube. Use one cube to start 12 briqs in the summer, or 18 briqs in winter.
Briqs are ready in ~30 minutes. Minion method.

quote:

Originally posted by Al Smith:
I use the weber chimney upside down with a weber starter cube. Use one cube to start 12 briqs in the summer, or 18 briqs in winter.
Briqs are ready in ~30 minutes. Minion method.

When you flip the Chimney upside down will the flame from the Cube reach the charcoal? I have a hard time trying to light 10-15 briqs for the MM.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Calhoun:
When you flip the Chimney upside down will the flame from the Cube reach the charcoal? I have a hard time trying to light 10-15 briqs for the MM.

You drop the cube into the wire basket first and put the charcoal on top of it. Then reach up inside and light it.

quote:

Originally posted by Doug D:

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Calhoun:
When you flip the Chimney upside down will the flame from the Cube reach the charcoal? I have a hard time trying to light 10-15 briqs for the MM.

You drop the cube into the wire basket first and put the charcoal on top of it. Then reach up inside and light it.

I do it a bit different than Doug D.
First I put in one briq in the bottom of the basket, then lay several more around the edges, and put the cube on top of the first briq I laid in the bottom. Light the cube, then put in the rest of the briqs on top of the cube. That way the cube is more in contact with briqs and won't fall thru the wire as it gets small. Works great for the MM.

I use some 3" square pavers. Set one on the ground with 1 cube light it and set your chimney over the paver.For the upside down method stack 3 pavers and do the same.I had the pavers leftover from a weekend project. Price was about 30 cents each

And just thinking out loud, couldn't one just pile there coals,and place a cube or starter device under one corner to achieve a Minion Method

Fatwood is an all natural product, just pine root/stump. It's not coated with resin, it's full of pine resin naturally. It's great for starting fires but I wouldn't use it for starting anything related to food.

Someone in our group gave me the idea a couple of years ago to turn the grate in the Weber chimney upside down. It was too tight for me to do it so I went to my local Ace Hardware and told them I would buy a new chimney if they would turn the grate for me. They did, and I did.

Works grate! And it hold more briquets too.
Rita

quote:

Originally posted by Rita Y:
Someone in our group gave me the idea a couple of years ago to turn the grate in the Weber chimney upside down.
Rita

Keri C posted that one, I did it to mine and love it. It holds the cube dead center and gives you more room for a little more charcoal in the chimney.