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Starting a Low Fire

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Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I'm a new egger coming over from gas and having a hard time starting a fire that's not a conflagration. I've been using paper in the bottom... sometimes by inserting it below the grate and sometimes in the firebox. [p]If I use enough paper to get the fire going, it generates a lot of smoke and by the time the smoke's settled, the fire's roaring up to at least 400. Shutting down the throttle it's still too hot in there for an hour and it burns off all my aromatic wood. I thought this thing was supposed to be more efficient... or do I need an electric or MAPP starter to get a low and slow burn.
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Comments

  • Sigmore
    Sigmore Posts: 621
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    NewEgg, Look down a few threads and you will see all kinds of ways to light the egg. Yours was not one of them.
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  • MAC
    MAC Posts: 442
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    NewEgg,[p]Mapp is good. I have graduated to the weed burner after 15 years. You just have to watch the dial once you start it. Once the egg "catches on" it goes fast. I watch it and put the wheel on the top when I see it getting to the proper temp. Then I adjust the damper. I can have my large singing at 250Deg in no time.

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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    NewEgg,
    paper is a bad way to start an egg - besides being inefficient it creates plently of crappy ashes to contend with. Though others have suggested MAPP and a weed burner I prefer either a small Weber wax starter block or a packet called a Sure-2-Burn by CharBroil. Good luck and BTW if you got that paper idea from the BGE manual that has a wire spiral back on it just pitch that book - it has so many out of date or misleading items in it!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Eggin in Peoria
    Eggin in Peoria Posts: 262
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    NewEgg,
    Electric starters work great. [p]Tim
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    NewEgg,I use start'r sticks I got from my BGE dealer. They are 1/2"X1/2"x5". They are better than the BGE starters. I take one and break it in half and stick it down in the charcoal with the broke half straight up. I never have a problem with getting the fire started and almost never have a smoke problem. I do not stir the old lump but just add new each time. I do not like the idea of using a torch.

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    NewEgg, forgot to say I put 1/2 on one side and the other 1/2 on the other so I have two small fires with just the top of the fire stick showing. As it burns down you will get a good fire. Also open the bottom vent wide open and shut the lid leaving the top vent with no cover or daisy wheel. The temp will go up as the sticks burn but when they go out the temp will drop until the lump really gets going. Depending on the temp you want put the daisy wheel on as you approach the desired temp and start control so you do not get too hot.

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