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Lighting my egg

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acr
acr Posts: 27
edited April 2012 in EggHead Forum
Grilled some burgers last night, they turned out OK (overcooked, but I can't blame my tools for that).  When you guys are setting up for a direct cook, do you light the lump in several places?  I lit it in the middle with a fire starter, but this results in a hotspot as only the centre of the charcoal is burning.  Any tips?
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
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    I have done plenty of both but now I light in the middle and leave the lid open until the entire load gets going. Then I close the lid and take up or down to temp. I used to light in several places with a torch and that works too. the main this is not to choke down the fire until your fire is burning evenly throughout the fire box
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
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    Why not light in the middle, then once it's got the middle well lit, stir the lit lump around and wait a few minutes?  I have a section of rebar I found in the road that I thought would be perfect for this when I found it.
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  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
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    I did away with the firestarters. Thanks to some advice from the forum, I now only use a napkin with a little cooking oil on it (not saturated). Make a little "nook" in the lump, drop in the lit napkin, and place some pieces of lump over the flame. Works quickly, it is clean, it is cheap. Cant beat it.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
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    I do the same...probably using too much oil, but since at the moment its from a supply of used cooking oil, the cost of the amount is a non-issue.  Seems to work as well as fire starters at a fraction of the price.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    i just find it burns better without too much oil. when the paper is translucent, that's enough.  doesn't drip on the kitchen floor either (happy wife)
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • AZbge
    AZbge Posts: 96
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    Buy a weed burner. Saves a lot of time and energy.
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  • bhugg
    bhugg Posts: 317
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    I prefer the chimney with the oil in towel thing.
    Large BGE Dallas, TX
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  • xraypat23
    xraypat23 Posts: 421
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    i've said it a hundred times, but ill say it again. Low temp cooks, electric lighter right in the center of the lump. Pull out once it's burning good, let it go a few minutes with the top open and bottom draft door open. Close it up and start closing down the vents 25-50 degrees from the target temp. High temp cooks, break out the weed burner. It's way too much fun, sounds like a jet engine and gets the whole bed of coals going pretty evenly in about 30 seconds, probably less but I'm usually having too much fun to put it down. Fuel consumption wise I've had the same used lp tank(took it off my gasser which was unused for a few years) and probably have lit my egg a dozen times and my webers at least 50. At $25 for a refill that economical enough for me.
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