how to light a A-Maze-N-Pellet-Smoker without a blow torch?

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bubba96

Fire Starter
Original poster
Dec 2, 2013
39
10
saginaw,michigan
hey there i just bought a A-Maze-N-Pellet-Smoker and i dont have a blow torch but i do have a lighter but the thing is how long will it take to light? i heard soaking a little piece of paper towel in olive oil then put it at the one end and then lighting it. unless there is a different/easier way of doing it. answers would be great!
 
I light mine with a torch, keeping the torch on it for two minutes.  Then I blow on it for about two minutes, to get the coals underneath piping hot.  I let it flame for ten minutes; by this time half of the first row has been used.  I pull the pellet tray and pellet loader out of the MES 40 unit. 

<BeginWhine>

And then moan like a child whose balloon has popped, when it goes out 15 minutes later.  ;)

I believe firemen need to carry a GIANT MES 40 around at all times.  When a fire call occurs, Plop it over the burning house.  Nothing kills all fire and smoke like a Gen II windowless MES 40.  It is so odd, it may actually involve the fusion of special relativity and fluid chaos math. 

<EndWhine>

I just bought all the parts for the mailbox mod 30 minutes ago, slapped it all together.  Doing a dry run right now, while my ribs are in the "foil two hours" stage. If it will keep burning for an hour straight in the mailbox, there may be hope for me.  If I can't get good smoke, I might as well bake them in the oven. 
 
If you have a compressor, and a blow gun/nozzle, here's what I do, no hyper ventilating and getting dizzy

lower the pressure down to 1/2 to 1-2 psi until almost no air comes out of the nozzle.  You can use almost anything to light a few pellets.  Once they have a flame, just barely blow on them and after a minute or so, they begin to glow and a little longer, they will ignite(with flame).  It's all about getting a good red hot cherry.

The reason I like doing it this way is that you can get a good cherry glowing underneath and still not create a huge flame that will ignite too many pellets. 

 To prevent burning too much of a row of pellets, I cover the row with a block of wood and leave just the first 1-1 1/2" exposed.  Once lit, throw the block of wood in water.

comprende?

-Brian
 
Easiest way to light it,

Mix the first half inch or inch with gelled alcohol (like purell) light with standard bbq lighter, allow to burn for 10 minutes, blow out, and you are golden.
 
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