How to Light Briquettes

Co-authored by Julian Beer Company

Last Updated: July 13, 2023 References

Grill lovers often favor charcoal over gas, but if you are new to grilling, you may not know how to get charcoal briquettes burning. Many grillers like to use a charcoal chimney, which turns briquettes into coal before they are loaded into the grill. Other people prefer to mound the charcoal in the grill and light it with the help of lighter fluid.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Lighting Briquettes in a Chimney

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1
Buy a charcoal chimney. Visit the outdoor section of your local home improvement store or big-box store, like Walmart or Target. A charcoal chimney is essentially a metal cylinder with a handle on it. Look for a chimney with a sturdy cylinder, a comfortable handle, and slots around the bottom for easy lighting.
- You may find a variety of sizes, so consider the size of your grill.
2
Wad up paper under the bottom of the chimney. Grab a few pieces of newspaper or paper towels and crush them up into wads. Place them on the lower grate of your grill and set the chimney on top of them. Make sure you’ll be able to reach the slots on the bottom of the chimney.^{[1]
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- Lighter cubes are another option. They are more expensive than paper, but also tend to light more effectively. Find them at the store with the chimney and briquettes.
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Pour the bag of briquettes into the chimney, or load them by hand. Many chimneys will hold about 100 briquettes. If your grill is small, you may only need to fill the chimney half or three quarters full. Use your best judgment.^{[2]
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Use a long reach lighter so your fingers aren’t too close to the flame. Stick the end of the lighter through one of the slots in the bottom of the chimney. Hold the flame against the paper and keep the lighter lit until you are sure the paper has caught fire.^{[3]
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The chimney burns the charcoal from the bottom up. Wait about 10-15 minutes for the fire to work its way to the top layer of charcoal. When you see ash on the top charcoal, pour it into your grill. Chimney starters are not meant to be left on or in the grill while you cook.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Lighter Fluid

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1
Pile the briquettes in a mound on the lower grate. Make a layer that covers the majority of the grill’s lower grate. Make another smaller layer on top of the foundation. Pile the briquettes until they reach about two inches from the bottom of the upper grate. The main thing is that the briquettes are touching so they keep each other hot.^{[5]
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- There’s not an exact amount of charcoal that is perfect. Experiment with different sized piles of charcoal to find what you like the most.
2
Squirt the mound with lighter fluid. Hold the bottle of lighter fluid about 6-12 inches (15-30.5 cm) from the pile of charcoal. Squeeze the bottle to squirt the fluid. Move the bottle in a back and forth motion to distribute it. Cover all sides of the mound until they are wet.^{[6]
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- Don't empty the whole bottle onto the pile. Only use enough to cover the mound.
For the most effective lighting, let the lighter fluid penetrate into the briquettes. If you light the fluid too soon, it will simply burn off of the outside of the briquettes. Be careful not to get the fluid on anything but the charcoal.
When the lighter fluid has soaked in for a while, grab the bottle again and squirt more fluid onto the charcoal. Cover all sides of the mound just as you did before. Set the bottle of lighter fluid away from the grill. Wipe your hands off to make sure no fluid got on them.
5
Light the mound in 2-3 places around the outer edge. Grab a long lighter or a box of matches. Light the mound of charcoal in two or three places around the outer edges of the mound. Lighter fluid catches fire quickly, so be careful to keep your hands away from the fire.
- If the entire mound catches fire quickly, there’s no need to light it in more than one spot. Only light extra spots if the fire is spreading across the mound slowly.

Expert Q&A

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How do you put briquettes in a charcoal grill?

Julian Beer Company
BBQ Experts
Julian Beer Company is based in Julian, California. Established in 2011 by BBQ Expert and Business Operator, Jeremy Marsaglia, the Julian Beer Company specializes in handcrafted beers and barbecue. Restaurant Guru named it #1 Barbecue in Julian in 2020.

Julian Beer Company

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Expert Answer

There are self-light briquettes, which will ignite with the simple ignition of a lighter, and there are regular charcoal briquettes, which are the preferred method of using a charcoal grill. With these briquettes, you use a charcoal starter cylinder where you start flaming the bottom and heating the charcoal from the bottom up. Once those become hot, you transfer them to the grill by taking tongs and spreading the briquettes evenly onto the bottom of the grill. If you want cold spots in the grill, spread the briquettes out to the areas where you want hotter zones, which will be directly beneath the coals.

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