Welp, sping is here again, about time. Used the grill for the first time in several months last night, it was quite nice. But that brings me to this: charcoal starter fluid sucks these days. A few years ago (well, probably 7 - 10 years ago) I remember being able to give the grill a good soaking in starter fluid, and then toss a lit match on it from a semi-safe distance, and get a good flare.
Today's charcoal starter fluid doesn't flare. What a rip. I can soak the charcoal in the stuff, no good. I wind up having to go up and light it real close. It'll burn pretty decent once it gets going, and I suppose that having it burn slowly is probably better, but I really miss the explosive force and whoosh that a well soaked grill full of charcoal would make.
Just another part of the wussification of this land.
One word: Kerosene.
Matt
Kerosene doesn't flare! It has a pretty high ignition temperature, and it doesn't vaporize, so it doesn't really flare.
I watched my uncle toss a lit cigarette into an open container of kerosene (in a space heater) -- no ill effects whatsoever, aside from the pucker factor my dad and I experienced.