Kingsford must send bad charcoal to ca


 
B

Bryon Piequet

TVWBB Fan
So I have I been struggling for temps with KBB. Like many I purchase a lot at the sales, but at my
Last cook I had to keep the door off to maintain 235. My smokers are well used and sealed up. I don't run water. I use a full basket of charcoal and a full chimney lit coals to start it. I thought moisture may be causing issues so I bought a new bag same thing. I store it in the back of my SUV which sits outside in the sun, very hot here in so ca. I can't for the life of me figure this out, must be bad charcoal. I hate to throw out 8-10 bags but I am sick of this. The KF comp tends to run hotter.
 
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is it possible the store you're buying from has damp storage conditions?
have you tried contacting Kingsford (Clorox) about your problems you're having?
 
Before you throw anything out, go buy a new bag from a different store and see if you have the same problem. Better yet, buy a different brand from a different store. If that works, then you'll be more confident it's the charcoal and not something else. If it is the charcoal, I would see if it works better in a grill. If you don't grill with charcoal, maybe you can sell it to a friend for a good price (or just give it to someone for some goodwill) and then it won't hurt as much as just throwing it away.
 
The stuff I have been buying has been good in Escondido.
It's all been bought on Memorial Day, 4th of July & Labor Day at sale pricing from Lowes or Home Depot.
Got 280 lbs stashed for the winter & stored in the garage.
I would say I don't pick the stuff on the pallets outside the store due to worries about the morning fogs/overcast etc.
It's been so bloody hot for the last month or so, i can't imagine getting soggy charcoal around here.
 
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[h=2]"Kingsford must send bad charcoal to ca "[/h]Doesn't surprise me because it is cheap charcoal, and your post goes along with other similar posts. I agree with Jerry, try something different and imo save that bad stuff for the fire-pit or burning out tree stumps.
And I'm not a total hater. I have a few packs in the garage that my Son's use on the OTG and I'm fine with that, but it never goes in my WSM,s

Tim
 
timothy said:
[h=2]"Kingsford must send bad charcoal to ca "[/h]Doesn't surprise me because it is cheap charcoal, and your post goes along with other similar posts. I agree with Jerry, try something different and imo save that bad stuff for the fire-pit or burning out tree stumps.
And I'm not a total hater. I have a few packs in the garage that my Son's use on the OTG and I'm fine with that, but it never goes in my WSM,s

Tim
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I disagree it being cheap charcoal, its just the other charcoals are way overpriced.
 
Jim Lampe said:
is it possible the store you're buying from has damp storage conditions?
have you tried contacting Kingsford (Clorox) about your problems you're having?
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Here is my theory. When Home Depot has those sales every holiday during the summer they get pallets of Kingsford and they are stored outside. The morning dew gets the bags wet. Once it gets wet it smokes really bad, even if it dries out it seems. I quit buying it during those sales.
 
I can maintain 275 if I am using my guru, but without it, very hard to reach 225 with the door on. I will use comp for shorter non guru cooks
 
Funny this came up, here in Arizona moisture is rare except during the monsoon season. I store my Kingsford in the garage on wood off the concrete.
I noticed a problem in a thread I did a while ago with the second cook on my new to me wsm I couldn't get my temps much over 200 no matter what I did.
Wrote it off to wet charcoal ( monsoons going strong).
Well the last two cooks one with the wsm and one with the performer the coals got hot but the dreaded white smoke was unbelievable! I had a complete white out in the back yard both times. thought the neighbors were going to call the fire department.
Both cooks were from the same bag, but if it happens with the next bag! I'm done with Kingsford BB.
Seems like quality control no longer exists.
 
I still don't know why people by charcoal from a company that specializes in bleech and plastic products. With lump so readily available, it's the only way to go.
 
Todd Phillips said:
I still don't know why people by charcoal from a company that specializes in bleech and plastic products. With lump so readily available, it's the only way to go.
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It depends where you live, I don't have very many options for lump charcoal and I have to go out of my way to get it.
 
Todd Phillips said:
I still don't know why people by charcoal from a company that specializes in bleech and plastic products. With lump so readily available, it's the only way to go.
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I happen to LOVE Kingsford
haven't had any problems with it over the 35 years I've been grilling.
Yes, over 35 years.
so bad mouth it all you want.
 
This is really interesting. All I buy is Kingsford, BB. I bought quite a bit in July at Wal Mart. I've pretty much used it up and had absolutely no issues. I bought 800 lbs. at Lowe's over Labor Day Weekend and have used a few bags of that and had no issues either. Baked a pie in my 14 1/2 WSM recently and easily got it up to 400. I think John might be on to something about Big Boxes storing outside, morning dew, etc. I buy mine at Big Box but we don't have morning dew in Redding and it hasn't rained in about 12 years (seems like) so dampness is not an issue here!!! Don't know. Interesting.
 
Jim Lampe said:
I happen to LOVE Kingsford
haven't had any problems with it over the 35 years I've been grilling.
Yes, over 35 years.
so bad mouth it all you want.
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Im not trying to bad mouth them.They are a super successful company. I've been in the industry for over ten yrs now. If people really knew what that stuff was made out of. It would make you puke.
 
Personally, I am a FAN of Kingsford Original charcoal. I have a couple of bags of "other stuff" but have several hundred pounds of Kingsford - that tells you where I stand...

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a bag of Kroger brand lump charcoal just to try. I found a fist sized ROCK inside (the rock didn't burn worth a S***:rolleyes:). I have used hundreds of pounds of Kingsford and all I find in Kingsford bags is CHARCOAL...

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
Jim Lampe said:
I happen to LOVE Kingsford
haven't had any problems with it over the 35 years I've been grilling.
Yes, over 35 years.
so bad mouth it all you want.
Click to expand...

I agree Jim I've been using Kingsford at least 35 years or longer with zero problems until this last batch I got at Home Depot around Labor Day. Don't know if something changed in their manufacturing process (doubt that) or the way it was stored before being sold.
I really don't want to change brands because you can't beat it for the price, but I can't be smoking my neighbors out every time I fire a chimney up.
Tonight I'm going to open another bag from a different twin pack and see if I still have the same issues.
 
I prefer Stubbs or other natural charcoal but can't resist the price of K at the sales. A lot more ash, but it's consistent and does the job. I buy 200 lbs or more Labor Day and Memorial Day at Walmart, Lowe's, or Home Depot, depending on who has the lowest price, and have never had a problem.
 
Todd Phillips said:
If people really knew what that stuff was made out of. It would make you puke.
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I'm not too concerned with what it's made of, i'm not eeting the stuff. :rolleyes:
I've heard others say they can "taste" the difference... I cannot.
I've tried Stubb's (and like it a lot, but the price of it keeps me from stock-piling it)...
I've tried various brands of lump...
and I use Kingsford almost 97% of my cooks.
I cannot tell the difference IF it "tastes" differently...

but now we're getting off subject here about how the stuff is not working the way it should...
again, if I ever had a problem with the Kingsford performance, I do not remember.
 
I've been a KBB fan for a long time..... decades and several of them. I've not had any QC issues with it and typically buy 400 lbs at a time. I do store it in a shed on wood flooring so the only moisture would be the relative humidity and that hasn't been an issue. Also, I've used lump and other brands, but for the price I'm just fine with Kingsford. Like others, it doesn't have a taste difference to me. Good writeup here on charcoal http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/zen_of_charcoal.html
 
That's not good...

Where you at? Maybe I can help.

I will buy those bags of you or trade with my inventory....

You can also mix with lump charcoal if you have some.
 
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