"Marc" > wrote in message
ps.com...
> It sounds like it's not getting enough air. I crumble 1-2 newspaper
> sheets just enough to fit into the bottom of the chimney and don't jam
> it in.
>
>

Sounds right...if the paper is packed too tight, it will smolder but not
really burn. Is your charcoal dry?

Also there are a lot of different designs on the market for chimneys. I used
one for years that was fairly narrow and had just 2 holes at the bottom for
air intake and it would take 25-30 minutes to get the coals just perfect.
Recently, I bought a mongo-sized Weber chimney at Home Depot and with it,
you will wind up with nothing but ash and a few small chunks after 30
minutes :-) Takes about 12-15 minutes for perfect coals.

KW