slow cook charcoal lighting method question

Unknown

I have a small, have always lit the bottom coals which gives me 9 - 12 hours at 225ish. I have recently read that some of you light the top of the coal pile and let it burn from top down. Is this method superior? Smoking an 8 lb butt overnight if it quits raining....

tach18k

I always light my large from the top with about a 1 minute shot from my mapp gas torch for long cooks. The top most often will have the new lump anyway.
Rain has never altered a cook either.

Grandpas Grub

I am a top lighter also. I will move some lump so I can light about an inch under the surface and once going I just pull some lump back over.

If you do light from the top this time it will be interesting to hear if you get a longer burn time.

I hope you post back with the results.

GG

civil eggineer

Light the top of the lump, the fire will move towards the air flow (front and down). Also fill your lump to very near the top of the fire ring (above the fire box). I light using a mapp torch at 9, 12, and 3 o'clock positions. About 10 seconds per spot gets the coals going. If you don't have a Maverick, check on the egg throughout the night every 2 to 3 hours or Murphy's Law will rob you of your glory.

Unknown

aight i'm going with lighting the top of the pile. Will let yall know how it goes compared to my original method. I'm gonna fill the egg and then light the top layer with a chimney starter as I am torchless. I am not however, maverickless.