Regarding CO Method - Website for local store had 3 options for getting charcoal on fire. Advice please :)

[danilion]

Hi there :)

I was searching on a website for a store in Canada. I was online ordering things for the CO method. There was a video on the page for Charcoal Barbeques showing how to use them. I watched the video 3 times and they used 1) a chimney starter 2) Zip Organic fire starters and 3) an Electric Charcoal fire starter.
Here is the link to the video:

1) While watching the video, I noticed that the chimney starter seemed the most complicated and when dumping from the chimney starter there were a lot of sparks of fire bursting out of the chimney starter when pouring into the grill. It would only light a smaller portion of the charcoal needed to pour into grill.

2)The Organic fire starters are just small blocks of what looks like wood (? - not sure) that you disperse in the charcoal and light the cubes on fire. To me, this seemed like a good way to get the charcoal lit more evenly in the grill.

3) The electric fire starter you just place in the grill amongst the charcoal and it lights it quickly. I was thinking you could then move it around and light everything pretty much at the same time - therefore more evenly.

I didn't order the chimney starter and I ordered the organic cube fire starters and an electric firestarter. However, I have never started a charcoal grill in my life, so I don't actually know which is best in real life.

*Can anyone offer any insight into their own experiences with lighting charcoal for the grill? Also, it would be a bonus if people could chime in on using the 3 different fire-starting methods.

**PS - I have read the Co megathread from start to finish but it is a lot of conflicting information and hard to read through to get a clear picture. I have also read other threads on here. I just wanted to let you guys/gals know I am not just popping on here with a question that I could have easily found the answer to. I am the type that needs a plan from start to finish before I am going to go ahead with the method. I don't expect someone to hand me the perfect list of how to do this method (but if one exists, then show me the way lol).

If anyone can help with any experience they have had with these 3 fire-starting methods, I would really appreciate it! Of course, when they come in the mail, I will try them. I just don't have a really private area to be lighting a bunch of grill fires in the winter (which might look suspicious).

ALSO - one more question..... If I light the charcoal in the grill (if I use the cube fire-starters or the electric firestarters), why do I need to dump it into another metal container after the smoke is gone? If I put cement bricks in my car to put the grill on, and tin foil to protect the interior, then can't I just take the grills in the car with me after they stop smoking? Why the need to dump them into something else? I am fine doing it either way, but this confused me.

Thanks a bunch! I am waiting for my order now and looking forward to getting this over with soon as possible. Just working out the final details.

 

[GoodPersonEffed]

I suggest posting this in the CO megathread as well as people may be watching that thread and may respond more quickly.

The point of putting it in a metal container after using a chimney starter is to disburse the CO.

I haven't seen any advice to burn in a barbecue and then put it into another metal container, but I may have overlooked it, however I've seen on this forum plenty of scene photos with a barbecue full of ashes.

When grilling, one makes a pyramid of the charcoals for more even burning. The chimney starter does this better. As far as seeing the sparks from dumping the chimney starter those folks actually want to grill. For ctb, one would wait until the coals were cooler before dumping into a metal container. Some folks put a container of water under that. The point is to cool off the coals so you don't choke from smoke, and get only the CO fumes the coals would still be emitting.

 

[danilion]

I suggest posting this in the CO megathread as well as people may be watching that thread and may respond more quickly.

The point of putting it in a metal container after using a chimney starter is to disburse the CO.

I haven't seen any advice to burn in a barbecue and then put it into another metal container, but I may have overlooked it, however I've seen on this forum plenty of scene photos with a barbecue full of ashes.

When grilling, one makes a pyramid of the charcoals for more even burning. The chimney starter does this better. As far as seeing the sparks from dumping the chimney starter those folks actually want to grill. For ctb, one would wait until the coals were cooler before dumping into a metal container. Some folks put a container of water under that. The point is to cool off the coals so you don't choke from smoke, and get only the CO fumes the coals would still be emitting.

So, the grill itself might be unnecessary? Just burn charcoal in chimney burner and then transfer once smoke has stopped to a metal container to place in the car?

 

[GoodPersonEffed]

So, the grill itself might be unnecessary? Just burn charcoal in chimney burner and then transfer once smoke has stopped to a metal container to place in the car?

Yes.

 

[danilion]

Yes.

I haven't seen this on the mega thread (I have read the whole thing a couple times) -

What do you think of using either the cube firestarters OR electric firestarter in those aluminum pans you can buy at the grocery store to cook turkeys on and then throw out after? The charcoal would be more spread out (thus burn more evenly IMO) and then once the smoke is gone just transfer the pans to the car on top of cement blocks? Does this sound feasible?

Thank you by the way.

 

[GoodPersonEffed]

I haven't seen this on the mega thread (I have read the whole thing a couple times) -

What do you think of using either the cube firestarters OR electric firestarter in those aluminum pans you can buy at the grocery store to cook turkeys on and then throw out after? The charcoal would be more spread out (thus burn more evenly IMO) and then once the smoke is gone just transfer the pans to the car on top of cement blocks? Does this sound feasible?

Thank you by the way.

I think those pans are way too thin.

 

[danilion]

I think those pans are way too thin.

Ok, thank you. I am not trying to annoy you by asking questions. Just trying to work this out in my head based upon what I have read. Do you think a pan where you can spread out the charcoal would be better than a pail?

 

[JustLosingMyself]

I'd leave it in a pail. Drill a few 1cm in it about 5cm from the bottom rim to allow some air.
Make sure it's off the car upholstery.