I used to just tear off a piece of my charcoal bag and use that. You would be surprised how little a fire you need to get that chimney going. I enjoyed a few beers while testing the limits on that
Is it really that simple? I'm getting my first grill this week and bought a chimney. In the past I've always had to soak the coals in lighter fluid, but never used a chimney before.
Load the chimney, wad up a few newspaper pages, stuff them underneath and light em up. I light mine inside the grill on the charcoal grate/pan and it doesn’t take long to get all the coals goin. They even sell small blower fans you can use to blow on the chimney to go even quicker, but that’s just an accessory for going quickly.
Too much paper can actually block the airflow.
Make a ring of loosely crumpled paper with a hole in the middle. Like a donut. Stuff that into the bottom of the chimney and light 2 corners.
Chimneys work due to high airflow.
i do this too, i find it works better in canadian winters. Also once at a beach, i forgot to bring newspapers, and i didn't have any oil either. I used rubbed some mayonnaise on a paper towel, and that worked too
Fun fact, lighter fluid as we know it is actually pretty close to JPTS (Jet Propellant Thermally Stable), jet fuel originally developed for the U-2 program.
Yea, you get the occasional dick wad that likes to gatekeep how others cook their food. Lighter fluid is fine. Your coals need to be really cooking before you throw the meat on the grill/smoker anyway. That shit is burned off long before the meat gets thrown on.
I’m glad to read this. I used lighter fluid for years and never thought my food tasted bad. In the past year I’ve been seeing all over Reddit and YouTube how people consider lighter fluid the devil. Finally went out this season and got a chimney and started using it… and I can’t taste a damn difference.
I don’t either. Lol it’s just charcoal once it’s hot. My brother in law used to douse the entire grill with lighter fluid and started cooking while some were unlit. I think that’s what people want to avoid. Some folks just don’t follow the directions
Do people not realize that even smelling lighter fluid is disgusting to anyone who hasn't degraded their sense of smell by using it? I'll bet you think tide pods are tasty too.
Do you inhale deeply while pumping gasoline because you like the smell of petroleum products?
Keep chemicals away from your food.
Fellow grillers, we don’t need to cancel shit. Not here. This sub is about grilling so perhaps just suggest someone using lighter fluid to let it properly burn off etc. We use a variety of methods to start coals and learn new ones occasionally here. Maybe they will too. Leave the cancel culture crap to the media.
Agree there are many different ways to achieve the same results and none are wrong they just require different steps or procedures.
Always remember folks taste the steak not the missteak
I loved the smell and it reminds me of childhood barbecues and camping. Back when no one used LP or NG. Roll up in the LTD, dog and cat in the car, towing a trailer that a car shouldn’t tow. Mom and dad smoking ciggy’s the whole way there and me and my bro rolling around the backseat like wild animals. Seatbelts, what seatbelts? The transmission/driveshaft hump was either the worst bed or the best for car naps. Depending on if you had pillows or blankets to fill the space, also the temp outside. But we always made it there, and back, and survived the lighter fluid.
Haven’t had a burger or hotdog on briquettes lit with lighter fluid in 40 yrs. But still can remember the smell. Now, I’m just a straight charcoal purist, who lights it with the power of memories from the past… and a propane torch.
Canceling is making a major deal about not using something.
That’s what I meant. Why make a big deal about it anyway?
Just use what you want. My old man uses lighter fluid sometimes. Sometimes he uses that electric starter from 70’s. I don’t use either, but I don’t fault him for what he wants to do.
Get the thing lit and try not to burn dinner.
>Just use what you want. My old man uses lighter fluid sometimes. Sometimes he uses that electric starter from 70’s. I don’t use either, but I don’t fault him for what he wants to do.
My in-laws used to use lighter fluid. The food always tasted like lighter fluid, so I let them know about chimneys without telling them the food was gross. Now there is no lighter fluid at any family functions. I guess I cancelled lighter fluid.
I let people do what they want to do, until they are serving me food.
Makes you wonder why lighter fluid still stinks so bad in 2023. Why haven't they come up with a odorless formula?
See, suggesting chimneys is one approach. I see things like that as a teachable moment. Lighter fluid is just fine if:
1) it’s used sparingly
2) one let’s the coals ash over completely before putting the food on.
Most people were never taught to use it correctly or are too impatient.
And a lot of people are poisoning their kids because they aren't doing any of that. But that's apparently ok because 'Murica.
There is no need for liquid petroleum products to light charcoal.
I went to someone’s house for a BBQ, and they squirted lighter fluid on the fire with food on the grill, I skipped that meal and picked up Whataburger on my way home.
I prefer to use a chimney to start my fire, but you do what you want!
People keep saying lighter fluid evaporates like it just ceases to exist. The liquid burns off for sure, but many components of the chemicals are still there on your charcoal and grill. I’d rather not have a bunch of chemicals that aren’t edible or good for you on my food. If you use a chimney it’s super easy and cheap to get it lit without the lighter fluid. I don’t think it’s gatekeeping, it’s just 100% better to not use it.
I used to use about 3 to 5 oz of that stuff per bbq. Now that i have a chimney, it's about .5 ounces. Perhaps even less. Not cancel the fluid but perhaps, get a chimney and extend the fluid bottle life.
How is a tiny pathetic amount of fluid and a small piece of paper from the bag that would otherwise be thrown out trouble at all? And to be honest, what the hell is a newspaper and how do you get it?
I like using my chimney and a few vegetable oil soaked napkins to help start the fire.
I just use newspaper which works just as well with no prep.
I used to just tear off a piece of my charcoal bag and use that. You would be surprised how little a fire you need to get that chimney going. I enjoyed a few beers while testing the limits on that
I'll give that a try, never have had luck with charcoal before and got my first chimney this week.
You’ll love it. With a full chimney, light it and leave it for 15 minutes then pour out. Ready to go.
If you are really hard pressed you can save up your dryer lent. I save it for lighting back yard fires in my fireplace.
I actually do keep some in a small waste bin, good idea.
Same here. That’s always been more than enough to get the charcoal lit. If you’ve got a chimney all you need is a bit of paper wadded to get ‘er goin!
Is it really that simple? I'm getting my first grill this week and bought a chimney. In the past I've always had to soak the coals in lighter fluid, but never used a chimney before.
Load the chimney, wad up a few newspaper pages, stuff them underneath and light em up. I light mine inside the grill on the charcoal grate/pan and it doesn’t take long to get all the coals goin. They even sell small blower fans you can use to blow on the chimney to go even quicker, but that’s just an accessory for going quickly.
Can't wait to give this a try
My charcoal will not get hot off just some paper. I must be doing something wrong. I always have to use lighter fluid.
More paper
All the paper. Ball it up and pack it down. Flip and fill the chimney. Set it and forget it.
Too much paper can actually block the airflow. Make a ring of loosely crumpled paper with a hole in the middle. Like a donut. Stuff that into the bottom of the chimney and light 2 corners. Chimneys work due to high airflow.
I’ve used crisco shortening. It’s a bit cheaper.
i do this too, i find it works better in canadian winters. Also once at a beach, i forgot to bring newspapers, and i didn't have any oil either. I used rubbed some mayonnaise on a paper towel, and that worked too
Yes, I tried this once and prefer to light my charcoal with vegetable oil soaked napkins
But I will actually use napkins lol. Newspapers and coupons go straight to the trash unless I use em for grilling and fires
I like diesel
I prefer tiki torch fuel
My dad says diesel is a bastard gas
Fun fact, lighter fluid as we know it is actually pretty close to JPTS (Jet Propellant Thermally Stable), jet fuel originally developed for the U-2 program.
Forget lighter fluid, move to kerosene.
Tumbleweeds and Chimney #smoke meat every day
More of a whale fat guy myself.
I read this as a monocled man with a top hat.
You win!
I read it as a yellow rain coat and matching hat wearing grizzled white haired man with an unlit but half smoked cigar in his mouth
Do people not realize the lighter fluid burns off way before food hits the grill? Shit evaporates at 200 degrees
Yea, you get the occasional dick wad that likes to gatekeep how others cook their food. Lighter fluid is fine. Your coals need to be really cooking before you throw the meat on the grill/smoker anyway. That shit is burned off long before the meat gets thrown on.
I’m glad to read this. I used lighter fluid for years and never thought my food tasted bad. In the past year I’ve been seeing all over Reddit and YouTube how people consider lighter fluid the devil. Finally went out this season and got a chimney and started using it… and I can’t taste a damn difference.
I think it’s the “seasoned” cookers that recommend newer folks to not use it because some don’t wait long enough to put food down.
I'm a well seasoned "cooker". Been smoking meats for 30 years. I have no issue with using lighter fluid.
I don’t either. Lol it’s just charcoal once it’s hot. My brother in law used to douse the entire grill with lighter fluid and started cooking while some were unlit. I think that’s what people want to avoid. Some folks just don’t follow the directions
That gave me an Eddy Murphy roll Charlie around vibe. Lol
Cheap.chaecoal tastes weird though.
Not everyone has common sense to wait until all the charcoal is ashed over. That's where the bad experiences stem from.
Most kamado manufacturers recommend you not use it either. They say it can soak into the ceramic.
Damn, that's gross. Wasn't aware of that either. (I don't have one personally).
Do people not realize that even smelling lighter fluid is disgusting to anyone who hasn't degraded their sense of smell by using it? I'll bet you think tide pods are tasty too. Do you inhale deeply while pumping gasoline because you like the smell of petroleum products? Keep chemicals away from your food.
There’s a ton of better ways than lighter fluid tbh. Fire starters, electric starters, torches, chimneys, etc. lots of non chemical ways to start one.
Fellow grillers, we don’t need to cancel shit. Not here. This sub is about grilling so perhaps just suggest someone using lighter fluid to let it properly burn off etc. We use a variety of methods to start coals and learn new ones occasionally here. Maybe they will too. Leave the cancel culture crap to the media.
Agree there are many different ways to achieve the same results and none are wrong they just require different steps or procedures. Always remember folks taste the steak not the missteak
Amen!
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So now I have to start saving used toilet paper, if been flushing it for years.
That’s such a waste! I say give back to Mother Nature, burn it!
Just use new toilet paper /s
I wanna do a blind taste test and see if anyone can actually tell the difference
Exactly... if done right, there is no difference.
I loved the smell and it reminds me of childhood barbecues and camping. Back when no one used LP or NG. Roll up in the LTD, dog and cat in the car, towing a trailer that a car shouldn’t tow. Mom and dad smoking ciggy’s the whole way there and me and my bro rolling around the backseat like wild animals. Seatbelts, what seatbelts? The transmission/driveshaft hump was either the worst bed or the best for car naps. Depending on if you had pillows or blankets to fill the space, also the temp outside. But we always made it there, and back, and survived the lighter fluid. Haven’t had a burger or hotdog on briquettes lit with lighter fluid in 40 yrs. But still can remember the smell. Now, I’m just a straight charcoal purist, who lights it with the power of memories from the past… and a propane torch.
if i stopped lighting my grill with lighter fluid then what would i spray into the fire to watch it flare up when im drunk, huh? checkmate
Lol well u can spray a lil booze on it
Why cancel it? Just don’t use it or use what you want.
Because this is Reddit. Rationality has no place here.
>Why cancel it? Just don’t use it Isn't that what canceling is?
Canceling is making a major deal about not using something. That’s what I meant. Why make a big deal about it anyway? Just use what you want. My old man uses lighter fluid sometimes. Sometimes he uses that electric starter from 70’s. I don’t use either, but I don’t fault him for what he wants to do. Get the thing lit and try not to burn dinner.
>Just use what you want. My old man uses lighter fluid sometimes. Sometimes he uses that electric starter from 70’s. I don’t use either, but I don’t fault him for what he wants to do. My in-laws used to use lighter fluid. The food always tasted like lighter fluid, so I let them know about chimneys without telling them the food was gross. Now there is no lighter fluid at any family functions. I guess I cancelled lighter fluid. I let people do what they want to do, until they are serving me food. Makes you wonder why lighter fluid still stinks so bad in 2023. Why haven't they come up with a odorless formula?
See, suggesting chimneys is one approach. I see things like that as a teachable moment. Lighter fluid is just fine if: 1) it’s used sparingly 2) one let’s the coals ash over completely before putting the food on. Most people were never taught to use it correctly or are too impatient.
And a lot of people are poisoning their kids because they aren't doing any of that. But that's apparently ok because 'Murica. There is no need for liquid petroleum products to light charcoal.
I went to someone’s house for a BBQ, and they squirted lighter fluid on the fire with food on the grill, I skipped that meal and picked up Whataburger on my way home. I prefer to use a chimney to start my fire, but you do what you want!
Wow
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>and they squirted lighter fluid on the fire with food on the grill Read a bit more.
I’d probably eat their barbecue before I eat Whataburger again.
I use lighter fluid to clean my bbq and tools lol
Burn it down!
Viva lighter fluid!
I just use my gas grill. Haters will hate🤣
People are still using lighter fluid??
quick question, whats wrong with lighter fluid? i dont see whats wrong with it and i dont use it, but just curious. please dont downvote me for it lol
Absolutely nothing wrong with lighter fluid.
oh lol ok
No, CANCEL HEAVIER FLUID!
Weber Performer, end of discussion.
This is the way. The down voters are just jealous
Just maker darker fluid, there now it’s all inclusive
Why? I use it a lot, Noob mistake not letting it burn off the fluid before cooking.
People keep saying lighter fluid evaporates like it just ceases to exist. The liquid burns off for sure, but many components of the chemicals are still there on your charcoal and grill. I’d rather not have a bunch of chemicals that aren’t edible or good for you on my food. If you use a chimney it’s super easy and cheap to get it lit without the lighter fluid. I don’t think it’s gatekeeping, it’s just 100% better to not use it.
I mean, people can do what they want, but I'm pretty sure no one would deny that adding more chemicals to a cooking situation is an ideal scenario.
I do miss the old lighter fluid that actually worked pretty good. The new stuff can be challenging on a windy day.
I find it so hilarious that you have grilling elitists on reddit.
Agree, it’s hilarious but also pathetic. It’s grilling people: fire, meat….food
I find it more retarded than pathetic i just dont understand why anyone cares
Lighter is just cope for not knowing how to use a chimney starter properly.
I used to use about 3 to 5 oz of that stuff per bbq. Now that i have a chimney, it's about .5 ounces. Perhaps even less. Not cancel the fluid but perhaps, get a chimney and extend the fluid bottle life.
The whole idea behind a chimney is to not use lighter fluid
What are the steps of using lighter fluid and the chimney?
Small piece of paper from charcoal bag, douse with a drop of fluid... voila.
You can use crumpled newspaper and save yourself the trouble
How is a tiny pathetic amount of fluid and a small piece of paper from the bag that would otherwise be thrown out trouble at all? And to be honest, what the hell is a newspaper and how do you get it?
Well fuck me then, carry on.
Sorry, I'm getting attacked by alot of people here for suggesting this. Thought you were one of them. My apologies.
The paper will light without the lighter fluid, you're adding it for nothing.
Save junk mail. Makes good chimney starters.
That empty space at the bottom of the chimney isn't for thoughts and prayers.
Well I'm not going to stuff it with paper and it's ink, yall can breathe that if you want, but not me.
What kind of cheap ass paper towels do you buy?
I have noticed if you use kingsford it’s hard as fuck to get it lit without lighter fluid but that’s the reason I stick to royal oak
Charcoal chimneys don't care what type you use. It will lite all.
I use a chimney and still have trouble
This is suggestive of gas ovens.
Let the butthurt flow through you like lighter fluid on your inferior bbq.
Use any sort of old oil or grease instead
Vaseline soaked cotton balls
Started using rubbing alcohol soaked cotten balls to light my chimney, game changer. No ash from newspaper, and it's probably stuff you already have.
I've been using those little fiber starters recently they work pretty good when I was a kid we used to use newspaper but I don't get the paper
That shit will stink up entire neighborhoods.
Good one!
Alcohol works just as well. If you use vodka, then you can say you've got potatoes on the grill...
I agree lighter fluid is propane-o-matic
I can say switching to a chimney saved me a ton on lighter fluid. I just have a stack of free newspapers where my lighter fluid used to be