Any reason this stuff wouldn't be a good fire starter for a grill? I managed to end up with about a year's supply of it.

You can't find charcoal anymore here, let alone starter fluid.

For an occasional use it should be alright, but I wouldn't use it on a regular basis. One of it's combustion by-products is formaldehyde.

As a "fire starter" I would say "use it" . For ANYTHING other than that I would shy away with the exception of survival gear or quick heating water. Hell you could even use C4 if you had the balls .
Back to the stove
Turtle

I used it last week. I put a stick under one bag of charcoal. It seemed to work great. The part of the fire over heated up quicker, and burned better.

I use two small bags of Venezuelan charcoal for a cookout. I may use a stick under each bag next time.

RE: Venezulan charcoal. Is this "real wood" charcoal, or briquettes like we make in the US? -Fred

quote:

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Originally posted by Kensco:
I used it last week. I put a stick under one bag of charcoal. It seemed to work great. The part of the fire over heated up quicker, and burned better.

I use two small bags of Venezuelan charcoal for a cookout. I may use a stick under each bag next time.

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BBTURTLE

What do you mean if you are brave enough?

In the old days we cooked C rations and heated water with a chunk of C-4 in a C-Ration can stove and it worked GREAT. Does not take much or long to boil a canteen cup full of water with that kind of energy content!

I still worry about the long term results of cooking "pork" and "beef" slices with it on a
C-Rat can lid, but it is too late now to go back!

LouisB

The charcoal here is real wood. I much prefer it to the briquettes. One store imports a popular U.S. brand. The cost is $9.00 a bag. It takes two bags of Venezuelan charcoal to equal the size of the U.S. bag, but the Venezuelan costs $.50 a bag.

TCLouis -
Don't worry about the "pork" or "beef" . If you have cooked with C4 then you have already had the worst of it . I cooked stuff on sterno ( spelling ) and think it was probably worse that C4 ever was .
Back to the stove
Turtle