Propane Torch lighting

tarheelmatt · January 2014

This is the way to light the egg in a hurry for sure! If you really want to see a sight, hit the trigger and watch the lump light up! Who else lights their egg with one of these?

My brother got me the one shown in the link below. So far, I love it! A lot better than the starter cube (BGE starter cubes).

http://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-with-push-button-igniter-91037.html

Question for those that are familiar. How long do you generally leave the torch at your lump for a short cook (say grilled chicken, steaks, chops)? How long for a long cook (butts). Also, when you light the lump and have a good fire going, do you close the lid (like after the 10min or so for a starter cube to burn) or do you leave the lid open for 10 min or so then close the lid?

Yesterday, I closed the lid after I shut the torch off and seemed to work out.

margareedaville · January 2014

Why not cook your steaks with the torch?

warwoman · January 2014

If it's the propane one, I've used that myself. A lot of folks here use the MEPPS torch, as they say it get's hotter. I may try one of those, but their more expensive.

I have a connector that allows me to hook up the small propane bottle to a larger tank and refill it to some extent. Just be careful of putting the small tank too close to a heat source. I read a story recently where one lady did that and it blew up on her and caused serious injury to her.

I very rarely use the torch now, opting for the plug in starter. However, if we ever lose electricity, which has happened up here, I have the torch to fall back on. I guaran-damn-tee you I wouldn't even think of putting lighter fluid in my Mean Green Cookin' Machine!!

cazzy · January 2014

warwoman said:
If it's the propane one, I've used that myself. A lot of folks here use the MEPPS torch, as they say it get's hotter. I may try one of those, but their more expensive.
I have a connector that allows me to hook up the small propane bottle to a larger tank and refill it to some extent. Just be careful of putting the small tank too close to a heat source. I read a story recently where one lady did that and it blew up on her and caused serious injury to her.
I very rarely use the torch now, opting for the plug in starter. However, if we ever lose electricity, which has happened up here, I have the torch to fall back on. I guaran-damn-tee you I wouldn't even think of putting lighter fluid in my Mean Green Cookin' Machine!!

I got this one to avoid putting the tank near the heat source. Love it!

OP...takes me about 60 seconds to get it lit...then I close my egg, open the vent, and leave off the daisy wheel. Fire is typically ready to go in 15-20 minutes for 400 degree cooks.

Mickey · January 2014

Just having fun.

Mickey · January 2014

Ok, this is how 99% of the time in the two Larges. For the Mini I use the sissy Map.

tarheelmatt · January 2014

@Mickey - It was a lot of fun to light for sure. I was a little apprehensive to get mine going like yours in your first picture, but was like that only smaller. My back deck is covered and I was afraid to catch something on fire, lol.

@Warwomen - The torch is well away. There is a nice long line on that model so I keep my propane tank a nice distance from the egg.

The discussion if one gas is hotter than another... Meh.. It gets pretty dang hot with standard propane! Look at @Mickey picture. It does not take long to get the fire up and going with standard propance. Heck, if it is quicker than the other then I see no fun in it...

:O)

cazzy · January 2014

Mickey said:
For the Mini I use the sissy Map

) You're not right lol

tarheelmatt · January 2014

margareedaville - Lol... Guess you could. I am sure someone has tried it and posted a YouTube video about it.

tarheelmatt · January 2014

cazzy said:

For the Mini I use the sissy Map
) You're not right lol

Lol... For sure!

Mickey · January 2014

Look at the bottom of the handle. Burnt the crap out of it trying to light with weed burner. Have to use Mapp.

tarheelmatt · January 2014

@Mickey - Do you close the lid after you have the coals looking like picture 2 or do you leave lid up for a little while then close the lid?

Mickey · January 2014

tarheelmatt said:

@Mickey - Do you close the lid after you have the coals looking like picture 2 or do you leave lid up for a little while then close the lid?

Close

WeberWho · January 2014

Weed burner all the way!

warwoman · January 2014

I have one of those "weed burners" that attaches to a regular BBQ propane tank. They used to call them "pear burners" in South Texas, cause they would use them to burn the needles off of cactus so the cattle could eat them. Greatest thing for an icy driveway, but you don't want to use it for that too often.....heat meets cold...sometimes cracks!!

I've used them to kill fire ants, weeds, and unfortunately SWMBO's Dahlias and hydrangeas.

dlk7 · January 2014

I use the bernzamatic TS8000 with Mapp gas so I can pinpoint my lighting area. I light only where I'm cooking since I usually only cook for two on my XL.

caliking · January 2014

The weed burner makes short work of lighting the egg. Barely a couple of minutes with the weed burner gets it going very well.

@WeberWho? : Where did you get the adapter to attach your weed burner to the little tank? Is that the fill adapter to refill small tanks from the big bbq tanks? I would love to not have to lug my big tank around to light the eggs.

ReldtiCDN · January 2014

cazzy said:

If it's the propane one, I've used that myself. A lot of folks here use the MEPPS torch, as they say it get's hotter. I may try one of those, but their more expensive.
I have a connector that allows me to hook up the small propane bottle to a larger tank and refill it to some extent. Just be careful of putting the small tank too close to a heat source. I read a story recently where one lady did that and it blew up on her and caused serious injury to her.
I very rarely use the torch now, opting for the plug in starter. However, if we ever lose electricity, which has happened up here, I have the torch to fall back on. I guaran-damn-tee you I wouldn't even think of putting lighter fluid in my Mean Green Cookin' Machine!!
I got this one to avoid putting the tank near the heat source. Love it! OP...takes me about 60 seconds to get it lit...then I close my egg, open the vent, and leave off the daisy wheel. Fire is typically ready to go in 15-20 minutes for 400 degree cooks.

Just opened this one on christmas morning sure helped in melting the 3inches of ICE off my egg cover which put my egg in lockdown as I wouldn't chance chipping the ice off. This allowed the turkey for dinner to be egged and not done in the oven. SWMBO appreciated that.

Cookinbob · January 2014

I got a MAP torch (Bernzomatic) for Christmas. Have used it twice. Much easier than the chimney I have been using up until now.. I am lighting in a couple of spots for less than 2 minutes total. So far only low and slow cooks, it is taking about 15 minutes to get the temp up to 225-250, though outside temp has been only 10 degrees or so.

WeberWho · January 2014

@caliking

My Dad was sick of me dragging the bbq tank around for eggfests, camping, tailgating, bonfires, to his house, etc. He's a mechanical engineer by trade so he threw it up on AutoCad for the design and machined it down in his shop. He joked about making them and selling them. Who knows.

sodigthisbigcrux · January 2014

I use this....love it. You can use propane or MAPP. Been using propane thus far and it works great.

http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-19425-Self-Igniting-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00008ZA0F/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

caliking · January 2014

@WeberWho? - If the cost is not too high, I would be interested in buying an adapter for myself. Do you think he would be game to make another one? I could throw in some rubs or sauces to sweeten the deal

WeberWho · January 2014

@caliking

Not sure what pricing would be like since it's handmade. I think he was joking about making more but I could ask next time I talk with him

Egghead_Daron · January 2014

I see a group buy coming!!

bbrawler · January 2014

A standard heat gun works just fine for me. Little more control, but by the looks, the heat gun is much less fun.

bud812 · January 2014

sodigthisbigcrux said:

I use this....love it. You can use propane or MAPP. Been using propane thus far and it works great.

http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-19425-Self-Igniting-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00008ZA0F/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

+1 on this. I got it at Lowes.

MacKay52 · January 2014

I use propane, both a weed burner and a small torch whichever is necessary.
Hate to break it to you guys but MAPP gas actually isn't produced anymore. Did you notice the tanks are marketed as "MAP/Pro"? It propylene now, still works great.

RV10Flyer · January 2014

I use the same weed burner as the OP and I love it. Yesterday I found an opened box of BGE starter cubes. I decided to polish off the box since there were only two left. I couldn't get the damn things to light due to the wind. I grabbed the weed burner and pulled a @Mickey and lit their a$$ up with a huge burst of flames. Man that was fun.

@tarheelmatt, I leave the burner on the lump for about a minute. It doesn't take long. If it is a low and slow I close the lid and adjust the vents as needed. If I'm wanting a higher temp, I leave the lid open for about 5 minutes to let the fire spread to more of the lump.

tarheelmatt · January 2014

@MacKay52 - I thought I read that the MAPP gas is no longer available. People claim hotter than propane, but if they saw the force of the torch I have when the trigger is pressed it does not matter!

@RV10Flyer - Thanks. I did some grilled chicken and wanted to cook around 400° - 450° direct. I held the torch to the lump for a while to get a larger area of burning lump. It did very well.

500 · January 2014

I use the Harbor Freight weed burner, on a standard 20lb. tank. I store the tank, burner, and other Eggcessories in an aluminum pickup truck bed box on the deck next to the Egg. I don't use the turbo mode on it for lighting. I regulate the gas flow depending on whether I'm doing low and slow, mid heat for normal cooks, and crank it for steaks. After I run it for about 90 seconds or so, I hit the lump with the Air Grill inflator; http://www.air-grill.com/index.html. Together, its short work getting the fire going. I generally close it up soon after and its up to temp in no time.

Propane Torch lighting

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