Starting: dome open or closed

stemc33 said:

When I used BGE starters I'd close fairly quickly especially if it was windy. I wouldn't worry about the a wax smell coating the dome. I use a chimney now just because it was so hard to get the actual starter blocks lit in the wind. I can start the chimney in the garage and then move it outside. 

I'm sure your careful about garage door open and no unattended flames, etc., but when I read that I thought of all the chemicals that stored in so many garages and pictured your house blowing up like it was in a bugs bunny cartoon.  

I use an electric so the dome is open for the first 8 minutes, then closed once the branding iron is removed. 

Little Steven said:

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Legume said:

I use a chimney with a paper towel soaked in olive oil.  I close the lid right away to get a good draw going since the chimney cannot draw air from the side, only top or bottom.  L&S vs hot fire, the only difference for me is how much lump I put in the chimney, much less for L&S as I don't want to start a big fire.

Hope you aren't using good quality extra virgin. Cheap vegetable oil works just as well.

Yeah, guilty as charged, sort of.  I don't presoak the paper towels, I just hit 'em with a blast from one of those little kitchen oil misters that has olive oil in it, maybe get 50% of the towel sort of wet with oil. I soaked some in veg oil in a tupperware container at first but then got lazy and just reverted to game-time prep. Unless I've just done a clean burn, the chimney has used lump in it, so it lights quickly, it doesn't need the whole thing soaked to burn slowly.  I buy the Kirkland EVOO - it's really good quality and it's cheap.  One more confession, I also buy name brand paper towels!

acegg77 said:

Set me straight on this. After I light the little square starter block, should the dome stay open for 5 to 10 minutes or should I immediately close it (withbottom vent open and lid off)... or does it matter? 

What do the pros do?

For Low and Slow cooks I light a BGE starter cube in the middle of the lump. After 4-5 minutes I use the Digi Q DX2 and Pit Viper Fan to ramp up the temperature with the dome closed and Smokeware Cap or DFMT on. Since I have started using this method I never over shoot my target temperature ie 225 grate. If I am searing a steak I light the starter cube and leave it wide open for ten minutes. Then I shut the dome with the DFMT or Smokeware Cap off until it gets to around 650.

Drinking heavily. ...leave it open and forget about it. 30 minutes later you can melt cast iron. [-X