Can you use whiskey as lighter fluid?

When lighting a charcoal grill, lighter fluid is not the best thing to use. One is that kerosene is essentially a mild form of lighter fluid. And I think we can all agree that we wouldn’t want our food to be exposed to kerosene before we ate it. The problematic chemicals in the lighter don’t burn off with the fire, though. This implies that it can spread to our food during the cooking process and seriously harm our general health.

Are there any alternatives to lighter fluid, and if so, what are they?

And the answer is, of course, “yes,” there are plenty of light fluid substitutes you can try out that won’t harm your health or detract from the flavor of the food you cook.

6 Substitutes for Charcoal Lighter Fluid

A charcoal chimney starter is a great tool that doesn’t require any additional chemicals or materials, making it perhaps the most obvious option.

This will leave you with a much more authentic grilling flavor.

Additionally, it is a wise decision if you want to save money because you can get them for as little as $11.

See this quick how-to if you’ve never used a charcoal chimney before:

A grate separates the upper and lower portions of the chimney. Use paper or some of the best types of charcoal briquettes that are easy to light and fill the lower part of the chimney.

Pile the top part with charcoal.

Light the material and the bottom portion of the chimney.

Fan them to light the upper charcoals. Carry on fanning until the papers or charcoal briquettes are completely burnt.

After about 15 minutes, you’ll have the perfect lit coals. Once they’re burning happily, you can drop the coals onto your grill and get on with your cooking. [1]

IMPORTANT: Don’t forget to use heatproof gloves!

These charcoal chimneys can be found in a variety of forms, sizes, and designs. Pick one that meets your needs the best.

An oval or U-shaped horseshoe is set into the handle of electric starters. When the device is plugged into an electrical outlet, heat is transferred through a metal element.

How I use it:

Place the lighter under briquettes or a pyramid of charcoal and plug it in.

Once the charcoal has begun to show gray ash, you can unplug it and remove the starter.

As unbelievable as it may seem, vegetable oil can be used in place of lighter fluid.

But you will need assistance, and that assistance is newspaper.

How to use oil or lard:

Set up the grill in a draft-free zone, completely free of residual dirt and ash.

Open up the vents as far as possible before adding the newspaper – this will help oxygen flow in the right direction.

This technique requires only that you roll up 5 or 6 sheets of newspaper and soak them in lard, bacon grease, or vegetable oil.

After that, you can arrange them in a pile in the chamber’s bottom center and light them.

Newspapers can light almost anything on fire and make excellent fire starters. When lighting the newspaper, use caution because it easily catches on fire.

If you have any bacon fat on hand, try using it to give your food a little more flavor.

Avoid drinking alcohol and standing near a fire because it is a known highly flammable liquid.

This makes it an ideal alternative to charcoal lighter fluid. Whiskey or vodka work well for lighting a grill.

But, any high-proof alcohol will ignite.

Here’s how to use it:

Drench a few newspapers or paper towels in your chosen liquid.

Add them to your coals to start your flame.

Remember that while this method works well, it is also quite expensive due to how quickly alcohol evaporates.

Alcohol is only suggested as a replacement if you really have no other choice. But if you ever find yourself without fluid, keep that in mind.

When you add the whiskey-soaked newspaper to the coals, it burns quickly. To prevent flare-up flames, we advise using a match rather than a lighter when using paper towels.

Sugar’s abundance of glucose makes it a fantastic fire starter trick. Hydrogen and carbon are the primary components of glucose, which are all you need for a successful light. When the carbon you’ve sprinkled on your coals is lit, it emits heat and fire energy.

If you want to use sugar as a lighter fluid substitute, just follow these straightforward instructions:

Spread the sugar where you wish the fire to start.

Light your sugar-soaked charcoal.

Add some paper sheets if you need an extra burn.

Be careful though, as your BBQ might ignite quickly.

Recycling the cardboard that your egg came in is another practical lighter fluid substitute.

Here’s how I use it:

Get the carton as kindling to start your next BBQ. You’ll want to remove the carton’s lid and place paper or briquettes where the eggs would go.

Place the carton in the cooking chamber and burn all 4 corners of the cardboard egg carton. Your charcoal will start to burn as the cardboard does. It may take a few minutes to get going.

Once it starts burning, feel free to add a small amount of cooking oil to your grill. You can also use the discarded lid next time!

Why People Avoid Using Lighter Fluid

For sure, lighter fluid is excellent for lighting your grill. However, there are a number of reasons why people choose not to use it all at once.

Here are a few justifications why people have sworn off this fluid permanently:

If you use a lot of charcoal, soaking it in fuel can actually impart an unpleasant flavor and odor to your grilled food. Nobody likes that.

In reality, lighter fluid contains petroleum, a chemical that can be dangerous to your health, especially if it comes into contact with the food you’re cooking.

While it is quite unlikely, there is a small chance of developing cancer by overusing lighter fluid. [2]

Related Article:

Vegetable oil as lighter fluid

Unbelievably many people are not aware that vegetable oil can be used in place of lighter fluid.

Vegetable oil can be ingested as a liquid or applied topically. But it will require assistance, which is where the newspaper comes in. Simple steps include rolling newspaper into balls and dipping them in vegetable oil until they are soft. Put them where they belong and turn on the lights.

Since sugar is non-flammable, it is a great substitute for homemade lighter fluid. Sugar contains a significant amount of glucose, which is primarily composed of the hydrocarbons carbon and hydrogen.

Sprinkle sugar where you want the fire to start using a sugar sprayer. The sugar releases a chemical agent that ignites the flame when it comes into contact with it. Particularly if you’re trying to light a charcoal grill, this will be very helpful.

The most obvious substitute for the charcoal lighter appears to be the chimney lighter. The creation of these exquisite instruments does not necessitate the use of certain chemicals and additives.

Lighter Fluid That Smells Like Whiskey?