Question about the charcoal chimney

Judy Mayberry

Maybe I'm just dense, but I can't figure out how to have the chimney full of glowing coals and sitting on the Large Egg grid...then having to lift the hot grid up to dump the coals into the charcoal below. I'd have to have three arms.

AND, if I'm using the Large and want to light coals for the Small Egg, when the Small lid is up, the chimney is too big to fit on the grid.

Help me!

Jstroke

How about setting the chimney on the unlit charcoal. Dunno, I use a weedburner. 

Carolina Q

I only tried the chimney once, right after I got my egg. Don't remember what I did, but the temp was out of control! That was seven years ago and I never tried it again. 

Can't you just set the cooking grid aside and place the chimney on the fire grate? Dump the lit lump out of the chimney and then replace the grid.

But why are you going to the trouble? 

KiterTodd

I use it all the time on my large...

Okay, I put it on the grate, open the top vent and bottom vent of the egg.
Put a piece of newspaper underneath and light it.  Usually one does the trick, sometimes I have to add a second.
I don't let the entire thing get red, that's too much, you'll have a tough time controlling the egg temp if you have a low and slow planned.  When I see the first of the flames start to lick the top of the chimney, it's time!   And that's for a 350, cook...if it's a low and slow I just peek down in there and when I see the bottom third glowing, that's good enough for me.
I usually put my gloves on, but not always.  Use my grate lifter (multi purpose tool) to lift up the grate, dump in the lump.  Arrange the lump as needed with the grate lifter that is already in my hand and put the grate back on.   Oh yeah, I have usually rested the grate so it's 2/3 off the grill, resting between the side tables and edge of egg.

It's easier than it sounds.  I just had shoulder surgery and have only one good arm and I can still do it.  Practice without the fire and you'll see how it works out.

Carolina Q

Judy,  just aim a torch at it.

blind99

I use my chimney a lot. I usually set it on the side burner of my gasser. If not, I take the cooking grate off the large and set the chimney and coals down in the egg and start it there with a piece of newspaper. When the coals are ready, dump them and put the grid on. I'll try to remember and start it that way tomorrow and take a pic. 

KiterTodd

I've never started it down in the egg, but will try that next time as well.  If it works, one step is omitted from my process!  

Judy Mayberry

What about using the chimney for the Small when I can't use the Large to light it? It doesn't fit when the lid is up. I just thought of something. Use a tile under it and let it light on the ground?

cheeaa

I use my Weber kettle but if I didn't have that Id just put the platesetter leg side down on the ground and put the chimney on top. 

xfire_ATX

blind99 said:

I use my chimney a lot. I usually set it on the side burner of my gasser. If not, I take the cooking grate off the large and set the chimney and coals down in the egg and start it there with a piece of newspaper. When the coals are ready, dump them and put the grid on. I'll try to remember and start it that way tomorrow and take a pic. 

+1

RRog17

I light mine in a small galvanized tub that I keep under my table. I use the same tub for dumping ashes in after cleaning them out. 

DRoberts908

I have found that the chimneys have the terrible habit of allowing smaller lumps of charcoal to become lodged in the holes in the bottom of the Chimney and then slowly smolder and fall out at a later time. With that being said you have to be very careful that the chimney is empty and where you set the chimney after use. I start mine with 91 % alcohol in the Egg!

Battleborn

I have only used it once for lump charcoal, but a ton for briquettes for my Weber. I usually start it in an outdoor fire pit that I have next to my grill setup. I have started it on the Weber charcoal grate before, but I could not seem to get rid of all of the newspaper ash. 

Jstroke

Taking a page from @YukonRon

Nice talk
Weedburner
Next Topic

blind99

Judy, I have also put it in the small, with the cooking grate off. It's not ideal - it tilts a bit. But it works. Ill take a picture of that too. 

Skiddymarker

Another reason to keep a gasser, @blind99 notes above - the side burner. No newspaper muss or fuss. @cheeaa also notes to use his kettle. Having a gasser and briquette eater around are good places to start and hold hot chimneys. I only use my chimney for briquettes. Maybe it is time for a torch, if you don't want a weed burner, the Bernzomatics are quite popular. 

Lit

I light mine right on my driveway all the time. A tile would work also or a paver or anything.

HoustonEgger

Never used a chimney in 10 years of egging. Does it help the coals light faster or get hotter sooner? I currently use a Mapp torch to light my lump and I'm cooking pretty soon thereafter

KiterTodd

HoustonEgger said:

Never used a chimney in 10 years of egging. Does it help the coals light faster or get hotter sooner? I currently use a Mapp torch to light my lump and I'm cooking pretty soon thereafter

Nah, I think it's just different strokes for different folks.   We each have what we're comfortable with.  There are many ways to light a piece of charcoal...

Focker

Lit said:

I light mine right on my driveway all the time. A tile would work also or a paver or anything.

Be careful.  Have blown a chunk out of my patio doing this.  My concrete needs replacing so it didn't bother me, patched it up with the rest.  Would hate to see that happen to nicer stuff.

Get a 12 x12 patio paver, bricks, pavers, etc. Keep it off to the side.

BYS1981

I rest the chimney in my rusted out wheelbarrow rested on some bricks. I usually let it go for about 10 minutes, but you can let it go longer, handle will get hot tho, lights extremely fast. 

Judy Mayberry

@Lit, I have a patio paver just sitting there in another part of my garden. That's the perfect answer. Thanks to all for your great suggestions.

bgeaddikt

I got rid of my charcoal chimney the first day i got an egg. I personally don't find a need for it, as the temperature gets too hot too fast, unless i am searing steaks or pizza, but other then that i don't like to go from being cold to extremely hot for my egg.

Carolina Q

Judy Mayberry said:

@Lit, I have a patio paver just sitting there in another part of my garden. That's the perfect answer. Thanks to all for your great suggestions.

Judy, when you pick up the chimney, you're going to lose some lit lump as you walk to the egg. 

Lit

Focker said:

Lit said:

I light mine right on my driveway all the time. A tile would work also or a paver or anything.

Be careful.  Have blown a chunk out of my patio doing this.  My concrete needs replacing so it didn't bother me, patched it up with the rest.  Would hate to see that happen to nicer stuff.

Get a 12 x12 patio paver, bricks, pavers, etc. Keep it off to the side.

Thanks for the heads up. Plenty of pavers laying around.

KiterTodd

Carolina Q said:

Judy Mayberry said:

@Lit, I have a patio paver just sitting there in another part of my garden. That's the perfect answer. Thanks to all for your great suggestions.

Judy, when you pick up the chimney, you're going to lose some lit lump as you walk to the egg. 

Yeah, it should be a location/paver/grill right next to the egg you are lighting.


To the folks who say the chimney gets your egg too hot, too fast...you were doing it wrong.    You don't have to let the entire thing light.  Only let as many of the coals light up as you need.  The red embers grow up from the bottom...stop where appropriate based on needs.

lkapigian

I use the chimney all the time, set it in my Weber- That being Said, you don't really need or want a full chimney 25-50% is all you need and when you dump in the egg, it wont get out of control- you only need a few lit coals--

blind99

Vegas Eggus

blind99 said:

Hesitant to agree with a Cubs fan but this is my method. Mines in a table so I learned the hard way that you need to pay attention when dumping. Lump had a tendency to hang up and drop out onto the table if you are not careful. 

caliking

Carolina Q said:

Judy,  just aim a torch at it.

This.

Judy, I have tried using a chimney to start my eggs, and found it cumbersome. Weedburner is my first choice for lighting, then MAP torch, then Weber starter cubes. I have tried just about every method mentioned on this forum in the past few years and haven't cared for most of them.

If you really want to use a chimney, then Weber started making a smaller version a couple of years ago. Its easier to handle than the original larger one, and should fit in a SBGE. Also, since it holds less lump than the larger version, you light a smaller amount of lump, even if the whole chimney full is lit. I like using the Weber starter cubes to light my chimney when I'm firing up a Weber kettle grill. Newspaper ash annoys me. 

https://www.amazon.com/Weber-7447-Compact-Rapidfire-Chimney/dp/B009IH0ICG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466052744&sr=8-2&keywords=weber+chimney

DieselkW

I don't have a chimney starter anymore, found it to be redundant since the egg is a chimney starter by itself. The process is exactly the same - air is forced in to the bottom of the lump by a small fire igniting the lump.

If you're like me, too cheap to buy starter cubes, and interested in little do it yourself projects... not so much cheap, more like: "Hell, I can make that myself" 

OK, I'm cheap.

You know that egg carton made of fiber, not the styrene kind? Tear off the top and recycle it. Then I fill twelve little egg size cavities with sawdust and pour a tablespoon of melted wax on top of each.
Separate the fire starters and you have almost two weeks worth of starters for the cost of a little clear wax that you can melt in your egg while you're shutting down after a cook. I use an old coffee can and a pound of wax will make 100 of these. Leftover sawdust goes into the compost pile.

No wood working projects supplying sawdust for you? Home Depot and Lowes give it away for free, just bring a paper bag to the lumber aisle and ask. You might have to pick it up off the floor, but they'll thank you for taking it.