BBQ fire lighter fluid
Discussion
Can you still get this stuff? It seems everywhere I go has only those crappy lighter blocks or lighter gel which is equally crap. I'm guessing there's some kind of health and saftey issue with it these days, probably because too many numpties blew their heads off Homer Simpson style!
Proper charcoal for me 
ing on a camp fire? 
fid said:
Homebase and B&Q do it...just been on a last minute hunt for gel for our fondue burner, that's all you can use in it apparently. Ended up with BBQ lighting gel...not sure if it's what they meant though!
My wife caught a bottle of that stuff alight last year when I let her start the barbie. She dropped the bottle and stamped on it (apparently to put out the flame). She wasn't impressed when a 10 foot stream of highly flammable green goo shot across the lawn and caught fire. My mate & I were in bits laughing
Greenhouse heater paraffin fuel, looks and smells the same, not sure if it is or not but less likely to go BOOM than petrol.
However if you want a really good way of lighting the charcoal get yourself one of those webber starter thingies. Its a metal cylinder with mesh in the bottom and holes up the side and looks like its worth a lot less than they are charging for it. But they really are the dogs danglies in charcoal ignition and with no chemicals.
Just stuff a couple of sheets of newspaper up its butt, fill with charcoal (even those little bits left over from last time that never light again, put match to paper, crack open your favorite beverage, about 20 minutes later you have a little furnace on you hands ready to incinerate your steak over.
However if you want a really good way of lighting the charcoal get yourself one of those webber starter thingies. Its a metal cylinder with mesh in the bottom and holes up the side and looks like its worth a lot less than they are charging for it. But they really are the dogs danglies in charcoal ignition and with no chemicals.
Just stuff a couple of sheets of newspaper up its butt, fill with charcoal (even those little bits left over from last time that never light again, put match to paper, crack open your favorite beverage, about 20 minutes later you have a little furnace on you hands ready to incinerate your steak over.
Don't use petrol, that's just stupid. Has anyone tried Thermit? My only concern is that it may burn a hole through the charcoal.
And the BBQ itself.
And the patio.
On second thoughts, thermit probably isn't the way to go.
If you're that much of a woman you can't get a fire going with matches, wood and charcoal, meths is the way to go. Just remember it has near invisible flames.
And the BBQ itself.
And the patio.
On second thoughts, thermit probably isn't the way to go.
If you're that much of a woman you can't get a fire going with matches, wood and charcoal, meths is the way to go. Just remember it has near invisible flames.
chief-0369 said:
by which time you've drunk all the beer and are far too wasted to play with fire.
You can never be too wasted to play with fire
I would have to disagree on that one. Having had a BBQ yesterday where we attempted (at another's suggestion) to make a homemade projectile from an old wine bottle and its cork. After the unsuccessful operation of said weaponry one of the group took the bottle from the fire (hot) and put it on the ground (cold) where it subsequently exploded into a several hundred shards of glass all over the group. This was amusing given that the person who picked the bottle from the fire had just said "that'll never explode".
After much deliberation we came to the conclusion that the fake cork (i.e. plastic) had melted inside the neck of the bottle preventing its egress.
Needless to say this was a stupid idea and won't be attempted again. Particularly as I am still suffering from having the end of my nail blown off.
Before this though, the BBQ was a mighty success and that instant lighting charcoal stuff is a godsend.
viperdave said:
However if you want a really good way of lighting the charcoal get yourself one of those webber starter thingies. Its a metal cylinder with mesh in the bottom and holes up the side and looks like its worth a lot less than they are charging for it. But they really are the dogs danglies in charcoal ignition and with no chemicals.
Just stuff a couple of sheets of newspaper up its butt, fill with charcoal (even those little bits left over from last time that never light again, put match to paper, crack open your favorite beverage, about 20 minutes later you have a little furnace on you hands ready to incinerate your steak over.
That's what I use - this kind of thing:
www.thegrillstoreandmore.com/image/products/big-pics/chimney-starter.jpg
but mine's not as posh - it came from Homebase for £5. Would be easy to make of you had the inclination. I stand mine on a couple of bricks and blow air from an old hair-dryer through it (via some tubing) and it works a treat.
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