Tips For Using a Charcoal Chimney Starter
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- Опубликовано: 3 июн 2024
- Charcoal chimney starters should be in everyone's charcoal grill starter pack. They can light charcoal twice as fast and make it easier to get consistent temperatures and results when you grill. When you are new to grilling, knowing when the charcoal is ready can be a bit of a challenge and I give a few tips including how much charcoal to light, how to read the smoke coming off the charcoal, and a few other tricks to make it easier.
The Weber cubes, tumbleweeds, and chimneys, can be purchased at most hardware stores.
Tumbleweed Fire starter: amzn.to/3u19z3J
Charcoal Chimney: amzn.to/2Rosk45
Equipment I use to make the videos:
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the guideline on how much charcoal to use is super helpful!
Hello? Its Not rocket science!
Dad would always just use an old coffee can with the bottom cut out. He would fill and then pull the can up about an inch for air flow.
Excellent video. I'm using mine for the first time this weekend and this will help. Thanks!
Thank you for all your hard work making these videos.
What a great video - clear and easy to follow, and every step covered. Thank you!
Top tips dude love the newspaper with oil. I've never really struggled to light a bbq but I know of many that do.
After many years of barbecuing using a chimney I still learn things from you thank you for your videos and your advice
I bet I could learn some things from the way you do it too. There are lots of different ways of grilling with charcoal that people swear make all the difference. Thanks for commenting!
8😊
Great video......loved the wood chunks on top vs underneath as well
Thanks, Kevin. That was a fun experiment. Any day you can make two briskets is a good one!
You are so adorable and professional at the same time. Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for the concise and useful info.
I have an outdoor gas stove that I start my charcoal on. It’s much faster than any other method I’ve tried. I just put the chimney on top until I can see that the lower parts of the coals a glowing. Takes about 2-3 minutes for charcoal and a bit longer for brickets.
Great easy to follow video thank you for the heads up first time using a BBQ chimney today so hope it all goes well
You've got this. Thanks for the kind words.
thank you for the quality tips. love from oklahoma!
I save the empty charcoal bags because they make great chimney fire starters. No oil saturation needed.
Great idea! Can’t believe I never thought of this
Very informative and concise, great format. Please keep up the good work!
Thank you for the kind words!
Just ordered myself one! Thanks for the advice👍
Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks mate. That 3 mins video was more informent than the last 15 or so and a hour and a half later.
Your time is valuable and I try not to waste it! I'm glad it helped.
Good job on the lawn. Grass looks good.
Ha, ha! Thanks! It was the cooler time of year so it looks better than August.
Thanks for the videos and good info. I had stayed away from Charcoal grilling from my bad experience with the lighter fluid making the food taste like chemicals. So I went the gas grill route because I didn't know any better but got tired of replacing the gas manifold in my grill every few years and just resigned from grilling. I recently got a Weber kettle grill as a gift and found out that that make these fire chimneys to light your charcoal I feel so stupid. I didn't know about them. So your videos are helping to educate me to Charcoal grilling thanks so much. Looking forward to using my new grill and summer is just around the corner.
That's awesome! I remember when my neighbor asked for some lighter fluid and I tried to convince him to use my chimney. He just shook his head and walked off. It really isn't that hard and the flavor makes it worth it.
Very helpful tips thank you
Great tips here. Thank you
Nicely done Ryan!
Thanks, Tom. It seems like your channel has been doing really well lately too. Summer is a great time!
Great info. Looking to get one. I currently use the Royal Oak Fire Starter, with Kingsford Instant Light Charcoal Briquettes.
Is that the Match Light charcoal? That is presoaked in lighter fluid and I wouldn't suggest using it in a chimney. The benefit of the chimney is you can use natural charcoal and avoid the chance of a lighter fluid taste.
@@GrillTopExperience Ahh, Thanks for that. I am just getting into grilling. So a real noob. I haven't had the taste yet. Maybe I just don't know the difference. Imma have to try the natural charcoal.
Excellent video!
Seriously need one of these
Great Video. Thank you
Great informative video 👍 Thanks Ryan 💐💕🌸
Thanks! I needed to dust off the charcoal grill after a few weeks on my gas grill.
@@GrillTopExperience
Yes 👍 It’s summer time again ✌️💚💐We can go back to my friend the “Weber grill “🤗🌷💕🌸
I wonder how often people tell you you look like Matthew Modine?
And great tip. Learned what I needed to know. Thanks
Just bought a cheap one for 8.99 from grocery outlet today. Looks similar to yours. First time ever using one and thanks for the advice!
The cheap ones work well too, but they may not last as long. They will all rust out eventually!
@@GrillTopExperience I have had mine for about 5 or 6 years be sure to never leave the chimney out over night . I grill on my deck and put the chimney on the ground until it’s cool and safe to bring inside . What the video missed is the saving as I use newspaper and you don’t have the lighter fluid taste!
Great sharing..thanks.
Useful, thanks!
Thank you!
Brown Packing Paper leaves little to no paper ash. No need to use any oil, set the chimney on the lower grate. Just light the paper with a match, in four places. Shake the Chimney a minute or two before dumping, to burn the paper ash up. When you are done grilling, close the Top and bottom vent, and make sure the lid is set evenly on the base. Lack of Oxygen, will snuff the Fire out. Next time put this Charcoal in the Chimney first, and add new charcoal on top.
Yah, i'm buyin one. Good job GTE, thanks
Totally worth it! Thanks for checking it out.
I needed this video. It's a struggle for me to light my grill.
You've got this!
@@GrillTopExperience i think so, now. I just bought a chimney. Thanks.
Thanks very helpful.
Thanks. If you have any other questions, let me know.
I ultimately landed on Weber starter cubes as the best way to fire up a chimney. And I have used every method there is. Paper is free and works, but the ash is a horrible mess. One cube under a chimney of lump and you have a fire in less than 10 minutes. For a while I stood there with a MAPP or propane torch to light a pile of lump but that uses a ton of gas and you have to stand there. Fire up a cube under a chimney and walk away.
I don’t know why anyone would put a lit chimney starter anywhere but inside the kettle. That’s where it goes.
DA!
Only Way.
My BBQ is on my deck close to the back door and I lit my charcoal in the garden so I the smoke doesn't go in the house.
If you have barrel type the flames may burn the top
ah shit, i put the starters on the floor next to the bbq! explains why they never do anything
Thanks for the shoes tip, I was planning on wearing flip flops! 😅
Finally getting around to the family grill night, hoping all my research has paid off!
I hope it went well today! The rest of the flip flop story is the guy's wife grabbed the hose to put out the ember, but it has been sitting in the sun all day. Ouch!
@@GrillTopExperience
Oh no! Well, you saved me from it today! 😅
It went great! Soon enough we'll have the charcoal amount nailed down and will be golden. My dad was having a blast! Thanks for helping us make a great July 4th grill-out! 💥
I’m glad the white smoke is normal. I bought one of these and it was smoking like crazy i thought I was doing it wrong
You are only doing it wrong if you toss it in the grill with the white smoke going strong. Some charcoal smokes more than others.
Thanks for sharing this, I'm for sure have to give this a go as a nice addition for my own video's.
Grill on and make those videos great. Thanks for the support.
Amazing editing
Thanks 🙏
Cheers from Tropical Queensland 🖐🏾🦘🤎
EXCELLENT!
The best inventment ever.
Yes! And if you get a good one, it'll last a long time. I leave mine outside and lost it in the snow and it was just fine once it melted.
I always handle my lit chimney with bbq gloves or mitts. I find the coals are extremely hot if they are completely ashed over. Good tips though. I also found the Weber coal rake extremely useful (highly recommended).
That is a really good point. Some chimney's don't have a heat shield and it can get pretty hot. I don't have a rake, but use a set of long tongs that are dedicated to coals if I need to move anything around. I'll have to check the rake out.
@@GrillTopExperience yeah, try the Weber coal rake. If helps alot when you want to shove a lot of lit coals around, or give something a whack. Turned out to be a very useful tool, vs something you use once or twice and never use again.
I am a Man! I grab one one by one and place them carefully on the grill. lol
Mr. Allan: ive never even used a chimney, seldom use briquettes NEVER use starter fluid. I use "mesquite hardwood lump charcoal" so i am smoking while cooking! And i use a natural, non toxic
Starter block.
@@alantrumbly2992 I've have some Weber starter cubes... but most often just use the chimney. You can use a starter cube under the chimney instead of paper, it might be a little faster. Also, there are some hacks out there that uses a chimney... like getting a crazy sear on a steak. Either way, as long as we get the coals going without any off flavors, its bbqing time!
Nice video I have been using one for years. Saves tons of money on that stinking lighter fluid.
It does stink! Keep up the good work.
Fluid is just unnecessary and dangerous for no reason.
In the kettle grill on the coals grate: 2 pages of newspaper without the glossy finish (toss those), a couple handfuls of broken sticks from fallen tree limbs, lump charcoal, 1 wooden match, light and wait about 10 mins til I see flames shooting out the top and Bob's your uncle, Keep a pair of leather work gloves at hand to protect hours while you tip the charcoal onto the grate
Dint have lighter fluid and had a brand new chimney starter that I never even attempted to use. Lit it up last night and it’s safe to say I’ll never go back to lighter fluid again lol
Paper doesn't need oil added to burn. Just a couple pieces gives plenty of fire to get the charcoal started.
I was use to a gas grill, and would walk out on my patio in just my socks and cook. First time using my kettle, a tiny piece of lit charcoal fell out of the bottom of my chimney as i picked it up, and i stepped on the charcoal. Not only did it instantly really badly burn the underside of my foot, but it fused to my sock, so as i kicked my foot out in pain, the charcoal stayed right there - had to rip my sock off! Never used my weber without shoes on since! But since learning how to use charcoal/chimney/weber, I use it 90% of the time, and rarely use gas.
Ouch! I'm hoping you and me can save people from learning that lesson the hard way.
So do I need to put a base layer of charcoal down before I lay the kettle bricks onto my kettle floor?
What kind of oil do you put on the paper? Olive oil etc?
OK so.. Just why was this so soothing to watch?
People have been cooking with fire for a long time. It can be a great escape to make good food!
Up camping I use newspaper no color adds, at home I place the it on the side burner of the gas grill for 2 min on low then shut off. I never use lighter fluid!
Heck I use a set of used hubcaps from a Hanford maintenance truck
blow torch lights charcoals nice and fast!
That's a cheater method. Might as well go wanna be grilling with pellets man. 😂
I used mine yesterday for the first time, it was great but I think I left the coals in the kettle a bit too long and they became a bit too ashy, next time I'll tip it in 5/10 mins sooner, live and learn. Great video though, thanks!
Congrats on the first cook with your chimney. Once it gets going, it can get hot pretty quickly and burn up more charcoal than you were hoping. I still mess than up sometimes when I get caught up doing other things getting ready for the cook.
@@GrillTopExperience I'll do what you recommend and tip it as soon as the white smoke goes clear, thanks chef, peace ✌️!
When the charcoal is lit hot enough, do you just simply mix it in with new charcoal or do you add wood chips on top or the bottom? Thx
Put the lit charcoal on top of unlit charcoal for a longer burn at the same temp. Add wood under or over the coals. Where you put it makes a difference, but that is a different video.
Thanks for the video brotha. Btw are yu related to rob dyrdek? Lol
hey man I love your videos. I have an issue though. I'm trying to sear with the slow n sear. I heated a whole chimney of lump charcoal. I waited until some was ashed over then dumped it. it never got above 450 or so. then I grabbed the hair dryer and got it to 550, but as soon as I threw the steaks on the heat dropped to 350 or so. I never got a good crust. I wonder if I'm not dumping my charcoal at the right time
Did you see my how to light video for SNS? They aren't a fan of my hair dryer method!
Are you putting the lid on for the sear? The coals will be the hottest and give the best sear if you leave the lid off. If the steak isn't to my target temp after searing, I'll put it on the cool side of the grill with the lid on until it is. It sounds like you are doing everything else by the book though.
@@GrillTopExperience I was putting the lid on, I guess I shouldnt
Your video on how to light the slow n sear was the first one of yours I watched. I love the hair dryer method lol
I think I may have been leaving the lump in the chimney to long. I was treating it like briquettes and apparently that's to long.
@@jeremysmith6359 I'd start with the lid off and see where it goes. You are right, it is easy to leave the charcoal in the chimney too long and have the bottom coals burn out. The SNS acts like a chimney with the lid off and can fish the job if you dumped the coals too early.
Oiling up those steaks right before they hit the grill helps develop a terrific sear. Don't get fancy, I prefer a light, neutral flavor oil like canola or soy.
I recently filled this up with charcoal, and I waited for the charcoals to turn grey. The first thing I learned was that one of these things is not nearly enough charcoal. The second thing I learned is that waiting until the charcoal is grey is a mistake. After I dumped the grey charcoals into the grill, it was incredibly hot - for about five minutes. After that, the heat started cooling very much. In as little as ten minutes, there was only one small section of the charcoal that was still generating heat. If anyone has any tips, feel free to share them.
What charcoal were you using? One (Weber) chimney is enough for over an hour at roasting temps. The charcoal on top should have some grey spots, but if they are fully grey, it's gone farther than you want.
@@GrillTopExperience I was using Kingsford charcoal. I did wait extra time for the charcoal on top to become fully grey. I knew it was supposed to take 20 to 25 minutes. But it took more like 35 minutes for the ones on top to become fully grey.
When I dumped the charcoal onto the grill, several things were clear:
1. Even though I was using a $20 grill that was not large, it still could have had two or three of those Weber Chimney's dump charcoal on it. One appeared to not be enough.
2. The grill was still initially very hot, even though the charcoal did not over the entire area of the grill.
3. Unfortunately, the heat only lasted about five full minutes. At about ten minutes, the heat had become far less hot. And at fifteen minutes, there was only one small section with any heat at all.
I had watched videos on RUclips before using the Weber Chimney. So, I was surprised it ran out of heat so quickly.
Based on what I observed through experience, it seems as though it would be a good idea to put one of those white Weber cube things underneath the Chimney as I did before. However, it seems like it would be a good idea to put another one halfway through the charcoal. I'm wondering if this might cause the charcoal to get finished twice as quickly.
@@michaelzoran Michael - I light the charcoal in the chimney. The initial smoke will be heavy gray or bluish. After the smoke goes away and all you see is the superheated air rising from the chimney, the coals are ready to dump in your grill. This only takes maybe five or six minutes. A full chimney will cover half of the charcoal grate in a Weber kettle with a double layer of charcoal. I usually cook like that. It gives me a hot side and a warm side.
You can spread it out to a single thin layer if you like.
After you have dumped the lit charcoal from the chimney, put on your grill grate and close the lid with all your vents, top and bottom, fully open to allow the grill grate to preheat for a few minutes.
Many suppliers have grill grates that have hinged sections to allow the addition of additional briquettes while you are cooking. The addition of unlit briquettes will add more smokey flavor to your food.
I like the Slow and Sear hinged grate because it is heavy duty stainless and doesn't corrode on a couple of years like the cheaper nickel-plated grill grates.
I also stopped using Kingsford charcoal because in my opinion it has declined quite a bit in quality over the last decade or so while getting ever more expensive.
I'm not affiliated with any brand at all, I've just been happily grilling with charcoal for thirty years now.
Hope that helps.
@@jaym8027 thanks. I was having the same problem as Michael. I think I waited too long for my coals to get all ashy
@@michaelzoran Waiting till it is all gray on top is stupid. You only need about half of it to turn grey. Dump it in the grill, but leave it in a pile, don't spread it, let it all catch. As it is all catching, the grill will heat up too.
My dude you have the absolute kindest looking face/voice combo I’ve ever experienced. That camera angle is so perfect for you.
Thanks! I've had the opposite reaction from quite a few people. Never trust a skinny chef they say. I'm just glad to be a help for some.
Thanks dog, great video
I have two. So much easier than stacking the briquettes p.
Yes, and better still than cheating with lighter fluid.
Should the charcoal be below that first vent hole to stay at 225? Can you get the same results in the chimney instead of trying to light them in the corner of the slow and sear? Also When are you supposed to put the hot water in?
The SNS folks say to start with a dozen lit coals for low and slow and it's hard to light that few in a chimney, but you can if you put it on one side. I suggest putting the hot water in the SNS before you light the charcoal so it doesn't spatter.
Also be careful where you put the chimney after you pour the coals. My brother in law got a good burn on his leg after stepping back onto his chimney he had just carelessly put down!
Ouch! The chimney will glow red if you light it at night. It stays hotter longer than most people would think.
That's a badge of honor, that you cook with real fire, not sissy propane that you just turn on a switch, might as well just cook inside on your stove, if you just want to turn on switch.
I had a dandelion growing in a flower bed that would keep coming back even if I pulled up 5-6 inches of its root. Then I started setting the chimney on it. That was a couple of years ago and it has yet to come back up.
Have the same charcoal Kettle. Great to light charcoal but way too much smoke. Got complaints about the smoke.
Some charcoal smokes more than others. Some neighbors complain more too. I've found that lump smokes the least.
I recently started charcoal grilling and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I got a chimney too, I let the coals burn until the top ones are like half white, then pour them in the grill and let it sit with the lid on. I lose heat so fast and can't seem to maintain a high sear temperature. I am filling the chimney all the way up too
If it burns out too quickly, try dumping the charcoal sooner. For longer cooks, I'll add some unlit charcoal to the grill and out the lit stuff on top.
How to change a lightbulb 💡?
I cook on the top of mine. I just put a grate on it and start grilling. Just had steaks tonight on it.
I just bought one of there things and filled it with heat beads and lit some firelighters at the bottom, Only the bottom layer of heat beads would get hot. so i had to do it in 3 batches, 1/3 full each time. What am i doing wrong?
I would let it go a bit longer. The bottom charcoal will get hotter first and then light the rest.
May I use a part of this video to highlight charcoal safely in a Facebook group for Scouts BSA?
Sure. Whatever it takes to keep the scouts safe. The troop I was with always had one kid who put the stick in the fire and waved it around while it was on fire.
I roll newspaper in a circle leaving a hole for air in the middle to light the tower
2:02 the disadvantage of this is that the charcoals could need a few more extra minutes until they are ready as the chimney is restricted in air flow
What can we use to protect us against the sparks like gloves?
Get a pair of welding gloves.
I'm bot a Weber fan. But buy the Weber starter. Best on market.
My Chimney got rusted inside n out but still very sturdy should I replace it or is it still ok to use?
Some say if it's rusty you should trusty. One you gets holes in the sides of it you should pick up a new one.
@@GrillTopExperience Thank you!
Just a few pages of newspaper was enough to light up the whole thing? How is that possible if it took 20 minutes? I'd appreciate the help!!
You only need enough to light the charcoal on the bottom. Once they light up, they'll light the ones above them, and the ones above that . . . Weber says to us two lighter cubes, but that only saves a few minutes.
@@GrillTopExperience thank you so much! I didn't think that was going to be enough but now I'm excited to try it
Does the entire chimney need to be lite before you empty into your grill?
Yes. If you light it the way it is done in this video the bottom coals will get lit first. You will have to shake the coals a bit to toss them around in the chimney to mix it up and get heat on everything. Be mindful of the sparks. If you don't use a chimney, you can make a 6 x 6 pyramid and blast it with an 800k BTU torch and it will be ash white in under 2 minutes. That is the trick with using coals. Have to get them all cooking hot simultaneously. You will get a stable temp that will hold for 2 hours before needing to reload. If you want to smoke, buy the wood chunks, not the chips. That wood is going to add heat so you will need to compensate for that.
Clear smoke? New one on me. Is it only available in America. Asking for a friend.
The charcoal burns with white smoke at first, but as time goes on it'll turn mostly clear with just a little bit of haze. I reckon it does that in other countries too :)
I caught my neighbor doing this under the wooden overhang of our apartment building. I had to look this up to see if this was a real thing... I'm shocked.
Chimneys are probably safer than using lighter fluid, but you'll notice I do it on a cement pad away from the house. Your apartment building might have rules against using grills on porches. I'm not for telling on people, but if it is outside the rules you might encourage them to find a better place to grill.
Now you tell me, I started it on the cement and made a hole 100 ft deep, discovered oil thought I was rich. Spent all the money now in prison for tapping Chevron Oil Pipeline.
Can you use mesquite with a charcoal chimney?
I've put wood in my chimney, but it's usually with charcoal. It'll work, but might take a bit more to get it lit.
I have a little Smokey Joe. How much charcoal should I put in the chimney as I am cooking two steaks
Thanks
A lot less since you don't have much room to work with a 14" grill. I'd start with about a 1/3 chimney and go up from there.
I have the small Smokey too, but I also bought the smaller chimney they sell. I fill it up and then some for steaks. I’d guess that’s somewhere btwn 1/3 to 1/2 of a full sized chimney
Ryan question on your setup here. What’s in the kettle with that slow and sear? It looks like the opposite side has a base or metal plate. Can you tell us what that is and why you use it as opposed to just a normal charcoal grate?
@@srperry01 I often use the SNS Drip N Griddle or cover the other side with foil. It catches the drips and makes clean up easy, but it also directs the air through the SNS so anything entering the kettle is heated air.
Can U just cook on top of the chimney without spoiling it?? I spoil my cheap chimney but haven't tried on a newer 1 that looks exactly like urs
I've seen people sear steaks on their chimneys and that works well. The chimneys get pretty hot and will eventually rust out. That one has lasted me longer than the cheap one I had and I leave it outside.
Alton Brown of Good Eats had a video in which he seared tuna steaks on top of a chimney full of charcoal. That gave them a hard sear on the outside while leaving the inside raw. If you choose to try it, be extremely careful, the exhaust from the top of a lit chimney is rocketship hot.
Wouldn't hurt to have two just for the transfer
So, ignition smoke can make your food taste bad even if you don't use lighter fluid? Most videos blame the fluid, but even without it you can still screw up if you try to hurry it along.
I'm using a chimney I made from a #10 can. I used starter fluid my first summer without any problems. It's just so much cheaper to use old newspaper.
Right, ignition smoke will make it taste bad, but it is a different kind of bad from unburned lighter fluid.
@@GrillTopExperience I found out the hard way just last week. After I dumped the chimney into the grill it wasn't as much as I thought I'd need so I added some to the burning pile. I guess I didn't wait long enough and those burgers were nasty. My dog didn't even want them.
Newspaper (and ink) has a ton of chemicals in it, plus clay, which makes a mess. Use a paper grocery bag instead.
Tin cans (actually steel) have coatings etc that need to be thoroughly removed before using with food. Burn them of using whatever, I suggest a propane torch.
Damn he pulled out the registered god particle at the end
What kind of oil? Does it matter?
Any cooking oil works great, but I use the cheap stuff.
Yup, never sandals while grilling.
Rest to Sure man
I bought a whole bag of weber charcoal but most of the pieces fall right through the bottom of the chimney before I can even light it.
I haven't run into that, most charcoal is big enough, but I may drop a briquette or two. Lump charcoal can have some really small pieces though.
He forgot to mention. It's a huge pain in the ass when the wind is blowing to keep the charcoal burning too.
Two cotton balls, soaked in denatured alcohol, serves as the best chimney starter.
Why does the charcoal chimney smoke so much. I live in a townhouse complex and get complaints from neighbors.
Not all charcoal is created equal and some smoke more than others when being lit. You should checkout my charcoal briquette comparison video and one of the tests shows the difference in smoke from the brands. It might be worth switching to keep the neighbors happy. ruclips.net/video/tPib7lzsVKU/видео.html
Is the brand of charcoal all that important?
Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. They have a combination of price, heat, ash output, and flavor. There is a cheap one I really like because the flavor is fantastic, but it produces a ton of ash and sparks and that makes it a pain to use. It's the one I used in the shots where I dumped the coals at the beginning of the video. You can make good BBQ with any of them except for Match Light, but some are easier to use than others.
@@GrillTopExperience Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! I think I might buy my first little grill soon! ☺️
Nice! Charcoal grills have a steep learning curve at first, but you'll learn quickly and make some rockin' food.
@@Blockhead140 I only use lump charcoal from hardwood (Royal Oak is good). It burns hotter than briquettes, less smoke, less ash, better flavor. Self starting briquettes are disgusting, I would NEVER use them. They are for idiots.
Ok but why does my charcoal last like 10 mins before completely turning to ash after using a chimney. Am I doing something wrong?!
Try dumping the chimney a little sooner. Things heat up quickly once it gets going and it is easy to over do it.
I accidentally got hot charcoal caught between my toes as a kid...
The kettle fell over in the backyard, and not knowing, I've come running out the back door because we had been playing....ouch