Cardboard works pretty well.
A paper towel soaked in vegetable oil works really well.
By the way, more of those annoying newspaper things I get in the mail were on actual newsprint than I thought - plenty in the recycling bin to start my chimney, although (possibly because of the smaller size, possibly because of the ink?) damn did it get going - showers of sparks and all when I emptied it, which was kind of scary. Usually I use the Wall Street Journal, which makes a very staid and respectable fire. Nothing gauche like that.
Lighter Fluid…:rolleyes:
Bogue (sp?) the neighbor’s paper…
Seriously, though…try some paper towels LIGHTLY soaked in peanut or canola oil…
Be careful, and don’t forget the newspapers next time. I normally keep a pile in the garage (in a covered metal can)…keeps 'em dry and ready for when I get that smoked tri-tip itch…
It’s been well answered already but I usually use a few sheets of paper towel sprayed with Pam. I find it makes less ash compared to newspaper.
I’ve always stacked the charcoal in a pile. One squirt of starter fluid, wait 2 minutes then light with match.
no newspaper needed. works great for me for 30 plus years
I have my smoker next to my propane grill. I’ll occasionally use it to finish something at high temperature. The side burner is perfect for starting the chimney. Set the chimney on the burner, light it up, and Bob’s your uncle.
People using a chimney starter are generally avoiding the use of starter fluid.
I’m not sure where you got that idea. I’ve been told by many people (including Texans and Missourianites*) that the unique thing about the Carolinas is that we’ll call just about any kind of meat barbecue.
Oh, I don’t know where you’ve been eating your barbecue, but that is manifestly untrue. I can’t imagine going somewhere that served “barbecue” and the main dish not being pulled pork. If I ordered “barbecue” and got ribs or brisket I would be very suprised and displeased. Now, there’s “barbecue chicken” which just means “chicken with barbecue sauce”, that sort of thing. But “barbecue” is uniformly pork all over South Carolina in my experience.
Back when we had a wood-burning fireplace (God, I miss that!), I used a combo of these ideas to make my own “fire-starters”; it was cheap and easy, and my girls were little at the time, and thought it was almost like a craft! 
I’d save all my dryer lint in a coffee can in the laundry room. I’d also save my cardboard egg cartons. When the coffee can was full of lint, I’d get out the supplies (candle wicking from crafting store, paraffin wax, dryer lint, egg cartons) and we’d begin: melt the paraffin in a double boiler, pour a tiny bit into each divot in the egg carton, place a piece of wick about an inch higher than the divot; fill in around the wick with the dryer lint, pour in the paraffin. Let set, then cut into individual divots. It would take two or three to start a good fire.
Well, you see Zsofia’s post attesting to its truth, and I had a long-time roommate from Durham, North Carolina, that drove it into my head that pulled or chopped pork is the ONLY thing you can call barbecue. It’s cute, but it’s definitely the case.
At any rate, we can at least agree that chicken is not barbecue.
Knead used to live right where I do, though - I can only assume he was poorly educated. A shame, really.