British BBQ Society Forums

I've been struggling for a while with my old Weber Chimney Starter. I used to light it with three pieces of paper and a short match in a drizzle. Now it seems I need to throw paper in two or three times with some lighter blocks to get it going. The only thing I can see different is some build up on the internal grate which I guess could be stopping transfer of heat maybe?

My charcoal and paper are dry, I've tried briquettes, lump of multiple sizes even preburnt to ensure it's dry. My technique hasn't changed and neither has my paper of choice. My grill is the same as well as the new ones where I still have the problems.

Anyone else have any issue or idea what I can change?

Do you rest it inside the bbq, on a stand, or on the ground to light? Each one has it's own problems, inside the bbq restricts the access to the breeze. As a suggestion try it in a different part of the garden.

For belt and braces starting, I use the taint free Webber fire lighter blocks.

I discovered a new toy at the weekend - the texas match AKA a weed wand.. basically a big blowtorch/flamethrower! Coals ready to go in < 5 minutes

For science I tested my three year old weber chimney starter against my brand spanking new weber chimney starter.


Same paper, same weather, same charcoal (hand selected to grade size) and same matches. New chimney...WHOOSH! up and running in 20 minutes. Second one? Lit 3 times, second and third with paraffin block and about 40 mins to pouring.

I just don't get it.

I'd like to announce I'm officially baffled

very simple chaps,
We all know the weber chimney starter works by witchcraft, each starter only has a finite amount of witchcraft baked into it and your old one has used up all the witchcraft it has.

Beyond this I have no other solution to offer

Cheers
Tiny

Can we get some decent pics of the insides of old one?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Bizarre!

Just trying to think, I wonder if there's any sort of build up inside the chimney, maybe that which you describe at the bottom, which releases something which negates the heat. If the build up on the bottom is carbon and heating it makes it react with the oxygen in the air to give off CO2 ?

I'm really just guessing here.

Have you tried cleaning the deposit off with a wire brush to see if that helps?

Steve W

That is very odd, but I have to say I'm noticing something similar, my weber chimney starter when new was much more effective than it is now... weird. It must be running out of witchcraft!