How to light the Big Green Egg w/Rubbing Alcohol, Part 1

[markus412]

Pretty sweet, fast method, but be advised....using any liquids in your egg will void your lifetime warranty on the ceramics. Then again, how would they ever know?

[jimsmith59]

whats wrong with a charcoal starter chimney?

[wileetundra]

@jimsmith59

The starter chimneys take longer and leave paper ash residue which can clog air holes and drift up with the heat to settle on your food. They work just fine, as do many other methods, but this alcohol method is the cheapest and fastest IMHO, and I have tried them all. To each his own.

[thesadsack]

After putting in the charcoal I rip a sheet of paper towl in half, bunch each half up lightly, and tuck them into the charcoal on opposite sides,Then I pour a little olive oil onto each half and light 'em up.

[wileetundra]

Yeah, I tried the oil before. It usually works ok but the paper towels leave flakey ash residue which can float upwards and stick to your food, and the oil gives off some unhealthy byproducts when burnt that can impart a slight odor or taste to the food. But the main reason I use rubbing alcohol is because it is faster and cheaper, and burns hotter and cleaner. Olive oil is a good backup option if you are out of rubbing alcohol but try the alcohol once and you won't go back.

[wileetundra]

I use a Tel-Tru thermometer which goes up to 1000-1200 F for keeping track of those very hot cooks when searing steaks or cooking pizza on a stone. I use small round wooden wheels or white ceramic dresser knobs to insulate the back of the temperature gauge from the heat of the dome. This also prevents moisture, smoke, and steam from seeping into the back of the dial which could damage it over time.

[ugavet]

What kind of thermometer do you have and what do you have between it and the egg?

[RICHARDTOMLEY10WHARF]

never seen this big green egg thing is it just like a bbq

[Kuats251]

Great technique for getting the BGE up to cooking temp quickly. No fuss, no mess.

[Brandonsanity]

did anyone else notice the thermometer move at about 7:40? I like the idea of these Green Eggs. Just heard of them today. Great video, very informative.

[wileetundra]

The BGE warranty only states that you cannot pour flammable liquids on a grill that was already lit, and that you cannot use "starter lighter fluid". The rubbing alcohol is poured when the grill is not lit, and it is quite different from lighter fluid which would be dangerous and unsafe to use in the egg. This is why the video cautions you never to try this method with other fluids.

[schellter]

Thanks for pointing that out to me, I will give it a try.

[bm5447]

Its a golden egg, very cool. I like the idea but would rather use my chimney with a piece of newspaper. The ash from the newspaper burns away completely by the time the chimney is completely lit.

[wileetundra]

Using a chimney may be ok if you like it, although it is more of a hassle to prepare and use and the newspaper definitely leaves ash even if you can't see it. The inks and chemicals in the newspaper also give off a slight odor which is absorbed by the charcoal and can affect the taste of your food if you are not careful. The rubbing alcohol costs less than $0.10 per use and it is faster, cleaner, and more convenient. But to each his own.

[skot5150]

This is the cheapest and most effective way to light your grill. Thanks for the tip and Great job!!!

[gretscher]

Thanks so much for posting your video and thanks for the reply. I tried it in my offset BBQ today and it worked like a charm. There was a problem tho but not with your method but with my equipment. I have the 90% alcohol. That was good. Off Ebay I got the 60CC irrigation syringe. That was good. No matter what store I go to I can not find a stopper like yours. I tried a cork from a wine bottle. Drilled a hole. Placed the tip thru it when in the bottle and the cork split.

[wileetundra]

Try looking at gourmet food stores, wine stores, or chef supply stores. I think the rubber stoppers are made for glass bottles of oil, wine, and vinegar. Or you could go to a hardware store and buy a solid rubber stopper which is made for a drain plug and then drill a hole in it. Bottom line is that the stopper is not required - just nice to have. I used the syringe without any stopper for several weeks with no problem. Just tilt the bottle so the syringe can pick it up.

[wileetundra]

Just buy a solid rubber stopper and drill a hole in it. You can get rubber stoppers at any hardware store. And the stopper is not required, you can easily stick the syringe down in to the mouth of the bottle enough to fill it with the bottle tilted on the side, or just dump some into a small cup and fill from there.

[gretscher]

Love your idea here. Will alcohol work to start a chimney? I don't have a Big Green Egg but have an offset BBQ that I smoke ribs and such on and I start my charcoal in the chimney. Does it work with the chimney or does it have to be lit and then in a closed environment like the Egg? I could start it in the offset chamber I suppose but wondering if the chimney would work. also an Egg is more insulated than my offset, is the offset not insulated enough to get it hot fast like your egg? Thanks.

[wileetundra]

This technique should work on almost any charcoal grill. The key is to spread the isopropyl alcohol evenly in about an 8" diameter circle, using the syringe to get it at least 1" down inside the charcoal. Then let it sit for 15-20 seconds or so and light it. The flames and heat from the burning alcohol will rise up and light the charcoal which is above. If you spread it out too far, don't use enough, lay it only on the top, or light it too soon or too late then it may not work.

[gretscher]

The alcohol got all over the place and only about 35CCs of it was filled in the syringe. I put as much as I had in the syringe on the coals. Lit it and it poofed up in flames. Even tho not a lot of alcohol was on the coals it was burning slowly but surely. Went away for about 45 minutes and it was burning fine. Then about 20 mins more it was fully burning and ash was forming.  If I had got all the alcohol that I needed in the syringe I think it would have burned better. But this was great.

[wileetundra]

Not sure how you managed to spill the alcohol. Just use the rubber stopper or pour it into a bowl and suck it up with the syring from there. If you use less than 60 CCs then it may take a lot longer to light. My egg is generally up to cooking temp in less than 15-20 minutes depending on what temp I want to cook at. Good luck.

[bucr8zy]

Great idea, thanks for the tip.

[demonlink10]

hey!!!, its the big GREEN egg not the big gold egg lol

[wileetundra]

Yes, I did paint my egg gold to match my new table. Detailed photos and info about the paint job can be found via the link in the video description.