Lighting a stoker

I've used just about every method known to light my stoker over the last few years. Without a doubt, the best and easiest method is cowboy or lump charcoal. Make a nice pile on the grate, hit with a propane or maap gas torch for about 20 seconds, then close the door and turn on the blower. Works great every time.

Like you said chunks at a time and hit it with a torch!!!!(ROADFLARES)

The other day at the hardware store, I saw a few beat-up bags of match-lite charcoal piled on a pallet. Made an offer at the register and got all 5 big bags for less than the price of one, so for that price I'll pick through the good stuff to light up with, and throw a handful of the crushed fines on the fire every day or so. Looks like enough decent bricks for this year, next, and maybe a New Year's steak cookout!

Daytime temps in the Lehigh Valley still mid 60's, but the Mag is all ready to go!

coalkirk wrote:Without a doubt, the best and easiest method is cowboy or lump charcoal.

Lump charcoal rocks! That's how I got the Keystoker going yesterday for its test drive.

I won't grill with anything else on the Weber, either....

Chris

Lump charcoal rocks! That's how I got the Keystoker going yesterday for its test drive.

I won't grill with anything else on the Weber, either....

Chris[/quote]

I'm with you on that too. That's why I had it around. I tried a propane grill for a couple of years but it doesn't compare to the taste from charcoal. The only draw back to charcoal for cooking is the lighter fluid. i've eliminated that too. I've got a Weber that has a small propane burner to light the charcoal. I use it year round.
Sorry, serious thread drift.

coalkirk wrote:I've got a Weber that has a small propane burner to light the charcoal. I use it year round.
Sorry, serious thread drift.

Weber Performer - there is no substitute!! I have one too! Mine uses the 1 pound disposable cylinders, vs. the older model that had the 5# refilable tank.

Also, look into the BBQ Baffle (Google it). I have one and it turns the kettle into a dang fine BBQ unit for low and slow (brisket, pork butt, ribs, etc.) rather than having to have a dedicated BBQ cooker. OK, I'm getting hungry now!

Chris

Hi,

i've tried matchlite with mixed results. This is only my second season so I have a few things to learn. I usually make a pile of crushed charcoal (pain in the butt) and then onceit gets going I dump a cup of coal on the fire. I also use a horshoe made out of band iron to keep the coal pieces on the grate. Can anyone give me tips to get my succcess rate to 100%?

Hey Trader, Ive lit my stove with lump charcoal too and I dont like it, Yeah it works and only takes 5 minutes....maybe 10 but In that 10 minutes I can mow 1/5th of my lawn, start cooking dinner, let the dogs out,start and finish an argument with my wife about why Im the one cooking dinner...;you get my point. I buy these little coal mice thingsthey are actually on wikipedia too. Ive paid 1 dollaratone place and 2 dollars at my local place( I might use 5 or 6 a year) you place those on the grate,pour a little coal over the top, turn the stove on, light the wick and go on with business. Its all over in maybe 1 minute...so simple that last season I told my mother how to do it over the telephone while she was babysitting for me and she had no problem. I dont know how much money all the charcoal and stuff adds up to over a heating season but I doubt its much less that 10 or 12 bucks I spend on the mice.Jim

Cheapheat: I cook all the dinners in my house but the wife does the dishes. I guess it's not a bad deal since she also does my laundry. I agree that the "mice" are the easiest method. Where are you getting them for 1.00? I thought wikipedia was a dictionary?? I was just thinking how thankfull I am that there is an alternative to oil. I had to buy 300 gallons this week for hot water and I paid 2.60 a gallon. 2-3 years ago I paid 65 cents. It cost about 2600 to fill up my oil tank. Now if I could only find a way to get my own coal froma breaker I would really be saving.

I have some of those portable grills I got at a flea market, the ones that are about as big as a hubcap. They contain charcoal wrapped in an egg-carton type casing that burns. I break off a couple pieces, shove it under the coal, light it and turn on the combustion air and that's it. The metal grill goes in the scrap metal pile. I'm glad they are good for something because they are no good for cooking. In our house we share the cooking. Marie is a much better cook than me but she's in college so I cook 1/2 the time.

Mice? Is that what those are called? I use the mouse? (A small cardboard box filled with magnesium with a wick coming out of it) I pay $1.50/ea locally. These work flawless. It is pretty cool watching the wick go, I am almost waiting for an explosion to occur
but it just starts the coal immeadiately.

I have tried charcoal before but it takes time and it smells.

Mark

I wonder if it's possible to make our own "Mice." I would actually turn off my stove and relight it more often. Does anyone have a recipe?? The mice are 2 bucks a piece so that gets expensive and the chorcoal for me is a hassle because of the mess and smell.

Hey trader, Ive thought about breaking one open to see if I could copy it but as my screen name implies I dont want to waste the money on ruining a good one but Im all for trying it. The dealer I bought my stove from was selling them for 1 dollar but he is 60 miles away. My local guy gets 2 bucks for them. Jim

I bought about a dozen of these last year and went through them because I only burned coal on the weekends in the basement for the kids. It does make it alot easier to turn the stove off on a regular basis knowing it is so easy to relight.
Last year I would drive about 45 minutes for coal and the mouse starters. The starters were $1. The guy there said they had magnesium in them (burns fast and hot)

I just found them this year at a local farm supply store for $1.50 where I can also get coal. For an additional .50 each I wont be making that drive anymore

I looked online but could not find them anywhere. Shipping issues maybe?

Mark

Hey all,

I soak wood chips in kerosene and use them to light coal stoker.