Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Starting your Fire

I am currently using a chimney to start my fire where I add some small wax firestarters to ignite the charcoal.  I like to hear how the more experienced Egg users start their fires.  I welcome the advice.
«1

Comments

  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    Weed burner. 

    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. 

  • saluki2007
    saluki2007 Posts: 6,354
    MAAP torch
    Large and Small BGE
    Central, IL

  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791

    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. 

  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,741
    I may not know what I'm missing, but vegetable oil and paper towel works just fine for me.
    Stillwater, MN
  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    I may not know what I'm missing, but vegetable oil and paper towel works just fine for me.
    I know what you mean. I bought a big box of Rutland fire starters last September and I'm still working on the same box. I haven't had the need to try anything new. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
  • SmokyBear
    SmokyBear Posts: 389
    SciAggie said:

    Same here for both the Mini BGE & KJ Classic.  Works great and I don't throw sparks all over the place (like a Weedburner or Looflighter).
    Mini BGE, KJ Classic - Black, Cookshack SM025, Weber Gasser (mostly for Kamado storage!)
  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262

    Most egg cooks i used oil soaked paper towels (recycled from the blackstone)

    If I'm in a hurry or for higher temp cooks like Pizza I use a weed burner.

    For grilling on the Weber, I use a chimney starter.


    Phoenix 
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,945
    Lighter fluid or match light briquettes.   Depends on my mood.  Sometimes both.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • Jstroke
    Jstroke Posts: 2,600
    Shot glass of shine.
    Columbus, Ohio--A Gasser filled with Matchlight and an Ugly Drum.
  • Gunnar
    Gunnar Posts: 2,307

    Paper towel and VO for years....could shave off a minute or two but where am I going with that...this is about 7 minutes in...yes I'm anal enough to make a little tunnel....another 30 seconds squandered.....another beverage please....while I rake the coals into a level pile...
    LBGE      Katy (Houston) TX
  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
    I don't like the smell of the wax fire starters. I use a chimney and squirt some 91% alcohol on the charcoal below the chimney.  Starts very fast and hot in only a few minutes.
    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA
  • NonaScott
    NonaScott Posts: 446
    Used the BGE starter cubes that came with the egg until I ran out. Been using vegetable oil and a paper towel since. Works great.
    Narcoossee, FL

    LBGE, Nest, Mates, Plate Setter, Ash Tool. I'm a simple guy.
  • Reltserw
    Reltserw Posts: 45
    Looftlighter - might be my favorite purchase so far. Gets the fire up and burning quick. 
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,174
    As you have concluded from the above-there are many ways to get there (pass on @Ozzie_Isaac 's pearls of wisdom.)  What you need (bottom line) is to ensure you have ignited the lump to the point where the fire is self-sustaining.  Once there, all the methods are just ways to get there faster.  After a self-sustaining fire then the air flow volume will control the speed of advance ( temperature climb).  FWIW-

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • FWRealtor
    FWRealtor Posts: 57
    I use a 30 dollar heat gun from Northern Tool. So much easier than a chimney starter and faster, too. 
    Big Green Egg Owner since 2012
    Fort Worth ,Texas
  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    SGH said:
    Weed burner. 
    Or sometimes this. The ole Weber chimney and a jet burner.

    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. 

  • onedbguru
    onedbguru Posts: 1,647
    MurrayG said:
    I am currently using a chimney to start my fire where I add some small wax firestarters to ignite the charcoal.  I like to hear how the more experienced Egg users start their fires.  I welcome the advice.
    I use a chimney with just newspaper. Simple and don't have the added expense of firestarters.  Starting the fire is like pre-heating your oven, you don't wait until the food is ready to go on it before you start it. 
  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    Gunnar said:
    I'm anal enough to make a little tunnel....

    I could be off by miles, but I think the anal opening leads to a tunnel ;)

    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. 

  • yljkt
    yljkt Posts: 799
    I been using the Weber starters, the little white wax ones. 3 bucks for a 24 pack. Just lit my new medium for the 1st time tonite and work really well. 
  • bigbadben
    bigbadben Posts: 397
    My favorite way, assuming I have the time, is 3-4 hrs before the cook I light 2 Rutland cubes.  Add heat deflector, set my vents and let the temp slowly rise. It can take 3 hrs to hit 250, but the temp are rock solid. The fire is never too large. 

    I also have a heat gun and propane torch. Both work great. 
  • yljkt
    yljkt Posts: 799
    bigbadben said:
    My favorite way, assuming I have the time, is 3-4 hrs before the cook I light 2 Rutland cubes.  Add heat deflector, set my vents and let the temp slowly rise. It can take 3 hrs to hit 250, but the temp are rock solid. The fire is never too large. 

    I also have a heat gun and propane torch. Both work great. 
    It sounds good but I'm pretty sure most of us don't have 3 hours to get to temp. 3 hours to 250 and my eggs are target practice. Just sayin'. 
  • bigbadben
    bigbadben Posts: 397
    yljkt said:
    bigbadben said:
    My favorite way, assuming I have the time, is 3-4 hrs before the cook I light 2 Rutland cubes.  Add heat deflector, set my vents and let the temp slowly rise. It can take 3 hrs to hit 250, but the temp are rock solid. The fire is never too large. 

    I also have a heat gun and propane torch. Both work great. 
    It sounds good but I'm pretty sure most of us don't have 3 hours to get to temp. 3 hours to 250 and my eggs are target practice. Just sayin'. 
    There was a reason that I started this with "if I have the time". I don't always...

    ribs for dinner, lit that up in the AM. Overnight cooks...  Ect. It is my preferred method, not the only way to do it. 
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,945
    edited June 2016
    lousubcap said:
    As you have concluded from the above-there are many ways to get there (pass on @Ozzie_Isaac 's pearls of wisdom.)  What you need (bottom line) is to ensure you have ignited the lump to the point where the fire is self-sustaining.  Once there, all the methods are just ways to get there faster.  After a self-sustaining fire then the air flow volume will control the speed of advance ( temperature climb).  FWIW-

    Don't knock it, till you try it ;) ..... :dizzy:
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • REMtx
    REMtx Posts: 63
    I used Rutland or Big Green Egg starter squares.  The last time I ran out of them, the dealer I went to was sold out that day so I bought a BGE Electric Charcoal Starter.  I've used it for 4-5 cooks now.  I'll consider it a good deal if it lasts me as long as two boxes of charcoal starters.
  • NorthPilot06
    NorthPilot06 Posts: 1,179
    @REMtx let me know how you like that as time passes...

    My dealer tried to sell me one today 
    DFW - 1 LGBE & Happy to Adopt More...
  • jaydub58
    jaydub58 Posts: 2,167
    I like rubbing alcohol.  Splash on a bit, let soak in for a couple of minutes and drop in a match.
    Quick, easy, clean. 
    John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon
  • cajunrph
    cajunrph Posts: 162
    edited June 2016
    I've used the BGE fire starters squares, the BGE electric, a heat gun I picked up cheap from Lowe's and paper towel soaked in oil. The heat gun is a little sparkly. Use a welders glove and you'll be good. I burnt up my first electric starter by not paying attention and the fire got too high. After cycling through the others I bought another electric fire starter. I almost burnt this one up too. If I do, I'm just going to go with the paper towel and oil trick.         
    LBGE, Weber Grills, Silverback Pellet grill, PBC. No I don't have a grill issue. 

    LBC, Texas