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Starting the egg

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Moe St. Cool
Moe St. Cool Posts: 7
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Hi All,

Pretty new to the forum, but really enjoy reading. First cook was 2 16-20# turkeys for Thanksgiving last November both turned out great. Used the Mad Max turkey recipe found on Naked Whiz's site... Amazing.

One of the reasons I love this site is that although we all agree the BGE is amazing, they may not be the best of the best in accessories like lump, gaskets, etc.
Anyway to my question, I have run out of the little cubes that came with my egg to start the fire. Is there a general consensus on what people use for starting the egg?

*edit just realized not Whiz's recipe but Mad Max's
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Comments

  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
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    Definatley not a general consensus. :)

    I prefer cubes(BGE/Rutland)and have used all of the common methods aside from rubbing alcohol.
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  • jaydub58
    jaydub58 Posts: 2,167
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    I am a big believer in using 93% rubbing alcohol. Starts quickly, no extension cord for a starter, no bad stuff released into the atmosphere. Just be careful, highly inflammable.

    ;)
    John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon
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  • Kailas
    Kailas Posts: 146
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    I use the electric starter. As long as I pay the electric bill, I'm not going to run out.
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  • Medium-Rare
    Medium-Rare Posts: 72
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    I've also used the 93% rubbing alcohol with good results. Sixty cc's in a plastic condiment bottle works for me. Make sure you stand back when you toss that match.
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  • SheepDog
    SheepDog Posts: 176
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    The electric starter is hands down the best! :whistle:
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Oil & paper towel works as well or better than starter cubes and very inexpensive.

    I also like the alcohol method as it is clean way to start the egg.

    MAPP/propane lighter works great but watch out for those sparks ruining shirts.

    Chimney Starter works well,but may as well use oil & paper towel.

    Electric Starter works but I don't like that method.

    Weed burner is the absolute quickest way to light the lump. One can be light and stable in 60 to 90 seconds. Long handle and less chance of spark burning clothing.

    I prefer alcohol, then oil & paper towel. When it is cold I use the weed burner. As a backup I have MAPP/Propane available and do use it once in a while.

    GG
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  • reader40
    reader40 Posts: 69
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    i have used some like gelatin starter things from home depot and some of the campfire starters from Shopko here in my area.

    I would like to try a weedburner because it looks like fun. I personally didn't have too much luch with the mapp torch. flame kept going out but that could be fixed.
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  • probe1957
    probe1957 Posts: 222
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    I use a MAPP torch but it does sparky aloty.
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  • atlpats
    atlpats Posts: 102
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    When I ran out of the BGE starters, I started using the vegetable oil on paper towel. Seems to work well, but I may try the rubbing alcohol.
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  • EggerFromIowa
    EggerFromIowa Posts: 181
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    I currently use Canola Oil on paper towels that were folded in to squares and then twisted in a roll. I light 4 of them at 12,3,6 and 9. Sometimes 2 stay lit or I may get all 4 if I'm lucky.
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  • Dondgc
    Dondgc Posts: 709
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    I use a weedburner but eye protection is essential. The sparks can really fly.
    New Orleans LA
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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,674
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    This works well for me (Large and Small) except on the Mini. For the Mini I use the Mapp...
    photo-9-3.jpg
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

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  • Moe St. Cool
    Moe St. Cool Posts: 7
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    Thanks everyone. It sounds like I would get a similar result to the cubes if I use the oil on a paper towel. I will have to look into the weedburner, first I have heard of it.
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  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
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    Its better NOT to look into the weedburner :laugh:

    It is what I use and would never go back.
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  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 6,296
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    I use the electric goosneck starter with starter cubes only when electricity is un available. Mainly that means I have a box of cubes to use after hurricanes take down the powerlines.
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,471
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    Newbie question: MAPP is....?
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • Shwiezzee
    Shwiezzee Posts: 304
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    For the past four years I have used the electric starter however I just picked up a Looftlighter. Used it twice, WOW Holy Cow. (compared to the electric starter)

    Jay
    I'm ashamed of what I did for a Klondike Bar.
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  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 6,296
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    I don't have a MAPP in case you were asking me.
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  • Mike in Abita
    Mike in Abita Posts: 3,302
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    This is MAPP

    MAPPGas008.jpg
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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
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    I personally don't think the oil/ptowel works as well as the cubes. As far as the cost, it is negligible. For $10-$11 at Ace hardware you get a box of 144 Rutland cubes which are identical to BGE cubes and can be cut in half to start 288 fires. More convenient than oil, less hassle, not as messy, and I would argue the cost is about the same or less.
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  • jdwhit
    jdwhit Posts: 15
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    The best starter, by far is a propane torch (they are for burning grass and weeds out of cracks in concrete). Yfou can get one for a few dollars at your local big box hardware store. They look like a walking cane. A small propane tank (like a Coleman Tank) screws on the short end. You turn the valve, light it and focus the torch flame for a count of ten on four or five spots in the lump, close the egg with the vent wide open and in ten minutes the egg is rocking.
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  • jdwhit
    jdwhit Posts: 15
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    The best starter, by far is a propane torch (they are for burning grass and weeds out of cracks in concrete). Yfou can get one for a few dollars at your local big box hardware store. They look like a walking cane. A small propane tank (like a Coleman Tank) screws on the short end. You turn the valve, light it and focus the torch flame for a count of ten on four or five spots in the lump, close the egg with the vent wide open and in ten minutes the egg is rocking.
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  • jaymag_87
    jaymag_87 Posts: 111
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    I use SureStart Fire Starting Squares. They're easy. I'm lazy. AND running out gives me an excuse to go into Elliott's Hardware, where we bought both BGEs. ;)
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  • Jersey Doug
    Jersey Doug Posts: 460
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    I've used cubes, oil on paper towels, propane, MAPP and a starter chimney. The starter chimney works best for me and it costs nothing to run.
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  • CNL
    CNL Posts: 96
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    I keep a mapp torch on hand for hurry lites. Hurry is not normally my goal with my egging time. I normally use starter cubes because they work well are clean and I can't prove a huge savings with oil soaked towels. I'm intrigued by the alcohol (too much sometimes :) ) I would be interested in the $$ difference between that and the cubes. I buy my cubes @ Ace or I chip up an organic fire log and keep it in a coffee can. That is pretty cheap.
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