Fill and light or light and fill?

jld

Curious if anyone lights their egg, lets it heat up for a few minutes and then tops up the charcoal to create the fire lower in the fire box? 

Usually I fill and then light on top but curious if either of these methods would have different outcome/benefits/drawbacks? 

Perhaps one is better for low and the other for hot?

InfectedDAS

When I started I lighted the Egg in one-two spots while the chimney was taking care of another load of charcoal then toss it up on top to cut time, now I enjoy the ride by just lightning the Egg in one spot and wait for the VOCs to burn off.

theyolksonyou

I light each piece individually and then toss in. I find that gives me the most evenly distributed heat. 

Carolina Q

theyolksonyou said:

I light each piece individually and then toss in. I find that gives me the most evenly distributed heat. 

lousubcap

Side stepping the obvious- load the charcoal and when ready to go-light (no lite or light beer here) as you have sorted out.  The more lump initially fired up, obviously the hotter the initial temp.  Just wait for the desired dome (calibrated?) temp and go.   Above all, have fun.

Toxarch

Sometimes. Old lump seems to light easier and spark less. So sometimes I do light the old lump, let it start going for a little while, then top off the lump, set the vents or hook up the Stoker and let it heat up. The downside is that it does not seem to light the very top of the lump. I have to stir the coals if I want red coals on the top of the lump.

saluki2007

Dump...light.  Sometimes I shave after the dump.

northGAcock

jld said:

Curious if anyone lights their egg, lets it heat up for a few minutes and then tops up the charcoal to create the fire lower in the fire box? 

Usually I fill and then light on top but curious if either of these methods would have different outcome/benefits/drawbacks? 

Perhaps one is better for low and the other for hot?

Don't listen to @theyolksonyou   he is a @sshole. You see why his wife makes him sleep out in the garage. 

theyolksonyou

An @sshole.  Grammar, Robin.

Skiddymarker

Toxarch said:

Sometimes. Old lump seems to light easier and spark less. So sometimes I do light the old lump, let it start going for a little while, then top off the lump, set the vents or hook up the Stoker and let it heat up. The downside is that it does not seem to light the very top of the lump. I have to stir the coals if I want red coals on the top of the lump.

Always light from the top and let the fire follow the fuel down - that's why you can mix smoke wood through out the lump and the fire will find it throughout the cook, for inferno type grilling, doesn't really matter as you want as much lit as you can get - kinda like a wildfire. 

@Toxarch has a good point, after I almost fill the egg, I often top up with some second burn lump, which does spark considerably less and is often easier to get going. Too much second burn can what appears to be that the top is not burning, even though it is. 

GrillSgt

Foghorn

I usually fill then light.  But I have done a light then fill a couple of times including this past weekend - just for the heck of it.  When you add lump onto your firestarter or small fire, you can snuff it out.  And it can smolder as the airflow is restricted by the charcoal that is laying over it.  But because heat rises, it eventually lights everything above it and burns it's way out (if not completely snuffed out initially) - and when it does it really heats up fast.

So, I've concluded that the heating up process is more linear and easy to gauge if you fill then light.  If you want to live on the wild side, you can choose to light before you fill.

bgebrent

Fill and light. Scatter the appropriate amount of smoke wood for your cook.  Don't overthink it like @nolaegghead.  Keep it simple...

northGAcock

GrillSgt said:

Can you send me that sign when you are finished with it? 

fishlessman

large lights better from the top, mini lights better from the bottom thru the lower vent.  worse pork butt i ever did was in the large lit thru the lower vent, the butt was white when it was done, zero bark

THEBuckeye

Fill then light

GrillSgt

northGAcock said:

GrillSgt said:

Can you send me that sign when you are finished with it?