The babble of a middle-aged lunatic.
Published on September 18, 2006 By Xythe In Home & Family
I prepared to light my barbque today, and like every other time my mind drifted back to my childhood.

What the hell has lighter fluid turned into? When I was a kid, my dad put a very sparing amount of Gulf (yes, Gulf like the petrolium company) lighter fluid onto the coals, had all of us move away, Stepped about 3 feet back and tossed a lit match onto the unlit coals. The fluid litterally flared up like a small infurno and continued to burn that way for a couple of minutes or so.

Today as I was lighting the coals, I had to put about 3 times the fluid my old man used to use, and hold my Bic lighter on a soaking wet coal a few seconds to get my fire lit. WTF? After its lit, that black oily smoke rolls off it with the stench of karosene. You know, even after my fire burns for 30 minutes or so I can still smell that stench. In fact, while I'm cooking my food I feel I can STILL smell it. I swear I can tast this crap on my food. Again, WTF?!

They say things get better with age. Not so in the case of charcoal fluid, at least not in my opinion.

Is there anything better I can use than the crappy shit they sell for lighter fluid these days?


Comments
on Sep 18, 2006
It has been made "safer" by the various Nanny States"! hehehehe

Buy the little barbie brick lights fuel thingies 'white stuff looks like poystyrene.

Sheesh, I am sorry, I know the stuff I mean! If only you could too! heheheheh

on Sep 18, 2006
Seriously, I know exactly what you are talking about. You have to use a whole bottle now and it makes the food taste horid. That match light stuff is no better, just pre soaked.

Here is the trick, skip the fluid and get the coals lit with cedar chips on the bottom. It is kinda tough to do but worth it if you have a really nice piece of meat, like a tenderloin or let of lamb or something that takes a while on the grill. Then you get good cedar and charcoal taste not gas.

Or take the easy way out and buy a gas weber.
on Sep 18, 2006
Or take the easy way out and buy a gas weber.


Yeah. I have a nice Charmglo. It's just sometimes I like a good old fashion char-broiled steak.....you know?
I'm going to give the wood chips a whirl. It might be a bit faster if I light the wood underneath the brickettes in one of those coffee can apparatuses. Thanks for the tip!
on Sep 18, 2006
I think the matchlight works good. With a gas grill, you just don't get that same flavor.

I remember the whoosh of flames when I was a kid too. I wonder if anyone ever burned off their eyebrows that way. Probably there was an epidemic of men with no eyebrows that lobbied congress to make lighter fluid less potent.
on Sep 18, 2006
I don't know if it is available where you are but I have used what is locally known as a chimney. It is a piece of stovepipe about 15 inches tall with a grate about 3 inches from the bottom. Charcoal goes in the top and wadded newspaper, paper sacks, etc. go in the bottom. By the time the paper is burnt the charcoal is lit. Leave it until the coals are white and pour into your grill. No aftertaste.
on Sep 18, 2006
I think the matchlight works good. With a gas grill, you just don't get that same flavor.


The matchlight smells more like the old stuff, and I've used it. The problem with that stuff is 1) its expensive and 2) if you don't seal the baf up well, the pre-soaked fluis evaporates off. Then your back to the crappy modern stuff again.
on Sep 18, 2006
Yeah. I have a nice Charmglo. It's just sometimes I like a good old fashion char-broiled steak.....you know? I'm going to give the wood chips a whirl. It might be a bit faster if I light the wood underneath the brickettes in one of those coffee can apparatuses. Thanks for the tip!


Yep, those things, but instead of paper underneath, use the wood chips, it adds a little smokey flavor.
on Sep 18, 2006
I don't know if it is available where you are but I have used what is locally known as a chimney.


Kinda like my "coffee can apparatus"?
on Sep 18, 2006
Kinda like my "coffee can apparatus"?


Sounds like the both work on the same principle.

on Sep 18, 2006
Oh but that looks MUCH fancier!

Thanx Pictoratus
on Sep 18, 2006
I wonder if anyone ever burned off their eyebrows that way. Probably there was an epidemic of men with no eyebrows that lobbied congress to make lighter fluid less potent


  
on Sep 18, 2006
The easy way to do it, is to start your grill with some good ol' thermite. Molten iron can light up a grill in no time.

Oh, that might be illegal, by the way.

~Zoo