charcoal lighting procedure

skywarrior

 I have a friend that has a different way to light up his egg. he fills the basket, opens the lid and vents all the way. Lets it burn until all of the coals are burning and bright red. He then shuts it down, closes the vents and when the temp reduces to what he wants, he opens the top and bottom vents to matintain that temp. Just wondering if anyone else does it that way.

alaskanassasin

Probably uses cowboy lump.

lousubcap

Haven't heard of that here but if it works for him, that's what counts. 

CPFC1905

Attach to large balloon
Call USAF
Wait for second sidewinder (the successful one)
Catch in basket (the bits that aren't lost at sea)

caliking

skywarrior said:

 I have a friend that has a different way to light up his egg. he fills the basket, opens the lid and vents all the way. Lets it burn until all of the coals are burning and bright red. He then shuts it down, closes the vents and when the temp reduces to what he wants, he opens the top and bottom vents to matintain that temp. Just wondering if anyone else does it that way.

With that MO, he must usually take 2 days to cook anything. 

buzd504

Seems like he's wasting a lot of lump.

Jstroke

He must buy lump by the pallet. But in all fairness, there may be a reason. He is avoiding the dreaded nasty smoke associated with (usually) less expensive lump by burning off the VOC’s first and then waiting to get down to temp. Simple, buy better lump. Or fire up wide open until the smoke clears and shut her back down. But that doesn’t mean the whole bed will be cherry red.

Florida Grillin Girl

It must take forever to get the egg back to correct cooking temps. He's doing it exactly backward. I hope he's not using lighter fluid, as well!

6baluts

@skywarrior
By chance is he a rotor-head or a shoe?

stlcharcoal

Different smokes for different folks.....

briwald

Yeah, agree that method must mean starting the grill at noon to cook at 6:00.  Unless I was firing pizzas, I can't see this way being efficient.  But hey, live and let live. Or burn and let burn.

Buckwoody Egger

Shutting down for a cool then reopening vents slightly at first to manage is one way to handle reverse sear for example. Just need to be careful about opening too quickly for backdraft. 

One of the people who told me about the egg about 20 years ago— for single proteins like chicken and steaks would cook with the bottom vent closed and the lid open for the sear then close it only for finish.  Have fun be safe. 

EGGjlmh

I like to light in just one spot and let the egg slowly come up to temp and choke down the vents as it slowly comes up to temp

flexfusion

What lump charcoal brands have the least VOC's? I know there are several that are terrible for VOC's. 

Dobie

flexfusion said:

What lump charcoal brands have the least VOC's? I know there are several that are terrible for VOC's. 

Find Rockwood

Langner91

The lowest VOC charcoal is used charcoal.

I love to fill my egg with new charcoal and light it.  Let it get rip-roaring hot, and then put it out.

The second time you light it, it burns very clean!

Obviously, that takes a lot of planning.  So, I use Rockwood.  I think it clears fastest.

flexfusion

I think your assessment of Rockwood is spot on.  I have burnt many different makes but Rockwood always seems to burn the cleanest.  Some of the brands out of Mexico are fifty dirty with VOC.  I've had to thrown some protein cooks away because of the meat smells so much of the VOC chemical.  

Money_Hillbilly

Grill Gun is my go to for lighting now.  I have used a mapp gas torch for years but the grill gun even tops that.  I can get the egg to 350 in about 2 minutes.