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Anyone try lighting a chimney starter on a side burner?

blind99
blind99 Posts: 4,974
in EggHead Forum
I'm not sure if this is a bad idea or not so if I'm doing something really dumb let me know.  It was cold and rainy tonight and I was worried my chimney starter wasn't going to work.  Starter cubes would have helped but I'm out.  So I popped open the side burner on the gasser and fired it up... seemed to do the trick.  Liking the Fogo alot.  Egg was up to 400 and ready to cook in 15 minutes.


image
Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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Comments

  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    Mmmmm....what can I use this fancy yard art for?..... :-? Ooh! I know! A lighter! B-)

    seems like a good idea to me.
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  • jaydub58
    jaydub58 Posts: 2,167
    I used to use a chimney back during my briquette days.................I don't see anything wrong with that..
    John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon
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  • busmania
    busmania Posts: 414
    That's all a gasser is good for. That's how I used to do it before I realized a torch was better/easier.
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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,988
    Brother that's about the only way that I light lump now. I fire the burner on Unit #6 up and set the chimney on it. Works like a charm. I use to use a weed burner exclusively, but I find this method works just as good if not better and doesn't use near as much gas. You are not alone sir.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    It works but I burned my house down doing it.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,974
    Little Steven said:
    It works but I burned my house down doing it.
    Alright, THAT'S not what I want to hear!  
    @SGH I wish I could name my cookers "Unit #X" but I'd be afraid your Unit #6 would show up at my back door and eat my puny gas grill for a snack :)

    I'm probably going to do it like that again but maybe I should keep a fire extinguisher nearby.
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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  • BuckeyeBob
    BuckeyeBob Posts: 673
    I used to do that back when I used a chimney with my Weber. Worked great.
    Clarendon Hills, IL
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    blind99 said:
    Little Steven said:
    It works but I burned my house down doing it.
    Alright, THAT'S not what I want to hear!  
    @SGH I wish I could name my cookers "Unit #X" but I'd be afraid your Unit #6 would show up at my back door and eat my puny gas grill for a snack :)

    I'm probably going to do it like that again but maybe I should keep a fire extinguisher nearby.
    Truth man. Fire started hours later

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,528
    Little Steven said:
    It works but I burned my house down doing it.
    You are supposed to do it outside, aren't you? How close to the house were you?

    Son uses his side burner all the time, for both lump and briquettes, his gasser is about 20' from the house mind you. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,974
    Little Steven said:
    blind99 said:
    Little Steven said:
    It works but I burned my house down doing it.
    Alright, THAT'S not what I want to hear!  
    @SGH I wish I could name my cookers "Unit #X" but I'd be afraid your Unit #6 would show up at my back door and eat my puny gas grill for a snack :)

    I'm probably going to do it like that again but maybe I should keep a fire extinguisher nearby.
    Truth man. Fire started hours later
    That's awful, I hope everyone was OK.  How did it start?  I had some paper in the bottom of the chimney, which fell out, smoldering, onto the burner.  Which I closed.  Guess I should go out and check it to make sure nothing's still burning.
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I tried lighting the lump in a chimney once. Thought it sucked and didn't see the point anyway. I just light it in the egg. Btw, if you're out of cubes, use oil and paper towels. Or just forget the cubes and go with oil and towels to begin with.

    How do you get the chimney full of hot coals from the gas burner to the egg without embers falling out?

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    image
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    I always use a chimney starter.
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  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,974
    Carolina Q said:

    I tried lighting the lump in a chimney once. Thought it sucked and didn't see the point anyway. I just light it in the egg. Btw, if you're out of cubes, use oil and paper towels. Or just forget the cubes and go with oil and towels to begin with.


    How do you get the chimney full of hot coals from the gas burner to the egg without embers falling out?
    The burner is about a foot from the egg so it wasn't far - just tipped it on over and in. The pieces of lump were newish and big, nothing fell through. I use the paper towel and oil method a lot, I like it a lot actually. It was just so darned cold and windy and rainy, my butane lighter could hardly stay on.

    I'm not going to do the chimney on the gasser when kids are around. If it tipped over it could be a real disaster.
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
    I tried to use this method on my piece of crap gasser but side burner no longer works.  It is now my storage cabinet for eggcessories.

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
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  • ddub
    ddub Posts: 7
    I almost always use a starter chimney. I take the old lump out, clear the air holes, place the loaded chimney over lit cube on the bottom grate and dump it when its ready. I don't know why but mine seems to come up to temp quicker and stabilize faster if the new lump is on the bottom, it probably has more to with the cleanout than the burn. The added benefit to cleanout is it allows one more time with their favorite adult beverage.
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  • Zmokin
    Zmokin Posts: 1,938
    BYS1981 said:
    I always use a chimney starter.
    I use a chimney starter lighting briquets for things I use briquets in or on & under.
    I light my lump in my egg with an electric starter.
    Large BGE in a Sole' Gourmet Table
    Using the Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter,
     and a BBQ Guru temp controller.

    Medium BGE in custom modified off-road nest.
    Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter, and a Party-Q temp controller.

    Location: somewhere West of the Mason-Dixon Line
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  • Zmokin
    Zmokin Posts: 1,938
    blind99 said:
    I'm not sure if this is a bad idea or not so if I'm doing something really dumb let me know.  It was cold and rainy tonight and I was worried my chimney starter wasn't going to work.  Starter cubes would have helped but I'm out.  So I popped open the side burner on the gasser and fired it up... seemed to do the trick.  Liking the Fogo alot.  Egg was up to 400 and ready to cook in 15 minutes.



    Yes, but I only left the burner on for a couple of minutes, once the bottom coals were lit, I turned off the gas and let the chimney do it's thing.
    Large BGE in a Sole' Gourmet Table
    Using the Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter,
     and a BBQ Guru temp controller.

    Medium BGE in custom modified off-road nest.
    Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter, and a Party-Q temp controller.

    Location: somewhere West of the Mason-Dixon Line
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  • bboulier
    bboulier Posts: 558
    Seems risky to me.  I usually put the chimney on the Weber grill and use 1/4 of a Super Cedar firestarter to get it started.
    Weber Kettle, Weber Genesis Silver B, Medium Egg, KJ Classic (Black)
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    blind99 said:
    Little Steven said:
    blind99 said:
    Little Steven said:
    It works but I burned my house down doing it.
    Alright, THAT'S not what I want to hear!  
    @SGH I wish I could name my cookers "Unit #X" but I'd be afraid your Unit #6 would show up at my back door and eat my puny gas grill for a snack :)

    I'm probably going to do it like that again but maybe I should keep a fire extinguisher nearby.
    Truth man. Fire started hours later
    That's awful, I hope everyone was OK.  How did it start?  I had some paper in the bottom of the chimney, which fell out, smoldering, onto the burner.  Which I closed.  Guess I should go out and check it to make sure nothing's still burning.
    No one was hurt and the house sustained less than complete damage. We were out for a year and a half and ended up having to sue the insurance company (which cost 150K in legals). The house is worth a considerable amount more than it was but we put a couple of hundred grand in improvements. Would I go through it again. Not a chance in hell. Most of the money we spent was making it fireproof.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Mikee
    Mikee Posts: 897
    I like the chimney starter and is a good choice for some and not good for others. My Egg is on a concrete patio so any hot coals that may fall thru is not an issue. I place lump, on the bottom, that is bigger than the holes in the chimney starter. That lessens the chance of hot embers falling thru. I put newspaper or sheets of paper from the phonebook in the bottom. Add lump to the Egg and place the chimney starter on top of that. Open the bottom vent, remove the top cap, light the paper, and pull the dome down a little to cover the chimney starter. After 10 minutes the lump is fire up in the starter plus the lump below it is glowing. I then raise the dome, pick up the chimney starter, give it a good shake, and then pour it in. Occasional a small piece of lump will fall out. Not a big deal for concrete but not good for a wooden deck.  
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    Maybe that's why I got a new phone book delivered this week. We couldn't figure out who still uses them. Lump starter. :-bd
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  • Mikee
    Mikee Posts: 897

    One 3" phone book is good for a long time. I put the yellow pages to good use!

    :))
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 19,780
    Little Steven said:
    No one was hurt and the house sustained less than complete damage. We were out for a year and a half and ended up having to sue the insurance company (which cost 150K in legals). The house is worth a considerable amount more than it was but we put a couple of hundred grand in improvements. Would I go through it again. Not a chance in hell. Most of the money we spent was making it fireproof.
    Man, I shudder every time I hear this story. A very close shave.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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