That time a pitmaster in Kansas City told me to stop using lighter fluid

I was at Arthur Bryant's last summer watching this guy work the pit and he asked what I use to start my fire. When I said lighter fluid, he just shook his head and said 'you're paying for smoke, not gasoline flavor.' Has anyone else made the switch to a chimney starter and actually noticed a difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordan_anderson901mo ago

Bryant's is legendary no doubt. But I've been using lighter fluid for 15 years on my offset smoker and my ribs got 2nd place at a local comp last fall. The key is letting it burn off completely before you add your wood chunks - I wait at least 15-20 minutes till the coals are ashed over. Chimney starters work fine but I can't taste any difference in the final meat.

daniel8571mo ago

Drove past that old school pit in Kansas City a few years back and saw a guy pulling pork with his bare hands through the smoke like it was nothing. Reminded me of my uncle who swears by starting his fire with a half can of beer tossed in the coals before any fluid or chimney. He got a call from a buddy who runs a food truck saying his brisket tasted like cheap light beer that one time, but uncle just laughed it off and said the alcohol burns clean anyway. I guess people get real attached to their weird rituals whether it's fluid or beer or whatever they grew up using.

the_lucas17d ago

Funny you mention the beer trick, @daniel857 - my brother in law does the same thing but with cheap lager, and I swear his chicken tastes like someone spilled a PBR on it mid smoke. Is that just part of the ritual though, like a weird charm you can't break? I accidentally used charcoal starter fluid on my chimney last summer and my wife made me eat the whole batch of ribs myself as punishment. Tasted fine to me but I'm also the guy who eats gas station jerky so maybe I'm not the best judge.