Lump Charcoal


 
Check out the website the Naked Whiz. It is a comprehensive compilation of almost any brand you will see, with reviews from the guys also from consumers. Plan to spend some computer time on that website...
I personally love Roayal Oak. I tried Cowboy when I first started to grill and hated it, toooooo many sparks flying, burned too fast as the other guys have said, no great taste. When I want to cook something long I lay down some Stubbs (maybe about 10 briquettes), then I put my lit Royal Oak on top,...smells reeeaall nice and tastes great too.
 
Hey Thom E, you from Lawrenceville NJ, hey I am from Ewing NJ, originally....Glad to see someone from back home on the board
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Not sure if there are any Walmart "back home" but Walmart here in Michigan sells Royal Oak lump made in USA (red bag). Try it it is a great price and smells/taste great also.
 
Best I've tried: B&B Oak, but Royal Oak's cheaper and good, too

Worst: Cowboy, of course

Best buy for grilling: Best of the West Mesquite from Sam's
 
Best I've tried: B&B Oak, but Royal Oak's cheaper and good, too

Worst: Cowboy, of course
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Yeah. What is it about that Cowboy stuff. Sparky and dusty. Half of it is little bits, the other half big and weird.
Anyway, I like Royal Oak, but be sure its American made. They have some of their stuff made in S. America. The bags look the same, except of place of origin/manufacture. The non-USA stuff is not good. RO is generally easy to find too -- Restaurant Depot, Walmart, etc.
 
Sweet! I knew it was possible to leave NJ - the *beep beep* taxes are killing. Really eating in to my BBQ/Drinking funds.

Originally posted by Regina Simone:
Hey Thom E, you from Lawrenceville NJ, hey I am from Ewing NJ, originally....Glad to see someone from back home on the board
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Not sure if there are any Walmart "back home" but Walmart here in Michigan sells Royal Oak lump made in USA (red bag). Try it it is a great price and smells/taste great also.
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I don't have a lot of BBQ experience - only started a month ago. But I've been using Wicked Good Lump on my WSM the whole time, after the owner of the local "best BBQ store" recommended it (Ruff's in Golden, CO). I love that it burned great all night - just sat at 225 - when I cooked my first brisket and pork butts. Not too much ash and smells great. No weird aftertaste. The only thing is that some of the lump pieces are HUGE and it's hard to get them past the door.

For my next big cook, I'm going to be using Ozark Oak, and will report back on any differences from a newb perspective.

I mix in a few briquettes when I fire up the chimney starter, for WSM cooks - use Royal Oak and like it.

For the Performer I've started using Stubbs briquettes and LOVE them. They're a bit bigger than RO and it seems easy to stabilize them at the right temperature.

I have a bag of RO lump but didn't like it for the WSM as almost all the pieces were really tiny - a lot fell straight through the grate when I tried to use it. I'm thinking I might just use it up in my chimney starter as it catches fast.
 
Originally posted by Jennifer K:
I don't have a lot of BBQ experience - only started a month ago. But I've been using Wicked Good Lump on my WSM the whole time, after the owner of the local "best BBQ store" recommended it (Ruff's in Golden, CO). I love that it burned great all night - just sat at 225 - when I cooked my first brisket and pork butts. Not too much ash and smells great. No weird aftertaste. The only thing is that some of the lump pieces are HUGE and it's hard to get them past the door.

For my next big cook, I'm going to be using Ozark Oak, and will report back on any differences from a newb perspective.

I mix in a few briquettes when I fire up the chimney starter, for WSM cooks - use Royal Oak and like it.

For the Performer I've started using Stubbs briquettes and LOVE them. They're a bit bigger than RO and it seems easy to stabilize them at the right temperature.

I have a bag of RO lump but didn't like it for the WSM as almost all the pieces were really tiny - a lot fell straight through the grate when I tried to use it. I'm thinking I might just use it up in my chimney starter as it catches fast.
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A lightweight folding camp shovel or similiar tool works great for easily and quickly breaking any huge pieces of lump to size.

As to small pieces falling through the grate, there's a few options, the most commonly mentioned being a second charcoal grate turned 90*.

Regarding the STUBBS briquettes, by all means, try 'em in the WSM. I WAS a big fan of LUMP back when I first got my WSM. However, this is typical for a wsm cook using STUBBS: water in the (ECB) pan, no refueling or stirring coals needed, TWO BUTTS and a BRISKET done and then rested at the SIXTEEN HOUR mark. As to any flavor difference from lump, I don't notice any. I supposed that most of the smoke flavor is from the WOOD.
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Lately I'm on a Frontier (the made in The USA stuff) run, you can read my experience with it HERE. I've used Royal Oak with good success. Tried BGE and wasn't real happy with it.
 
I use Royal Oak in my WSM all the time and love it. I did a big cook, 10 butts and 80 leg quarters, this past weekend with my son in law for my daughters wedding reception. We cooked on a big oil drum smoker that he borrowed and used Royal Oak. It was a bit tricky to keep it going because the coals had to be spread thin due to the cooker design but we were able to keep it a 250 for hours with a fair amount of attention.
 
The closest I've been able to find Humphrey's Lump is:

Smith & Boyd
1901 E Lehigh Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 739-6700

A bit of a hike from NJ, but not bad if you're near Philly on business or something. Call in advance to check stock.
 
Just tried and liked Basque's Nature's Own Sugar Maple Lump from Canada. Cost me $23.00 a bag (17 lbs)!
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but I liked it! Have used B&B in the past but there's no longer an east coast distributor. Going to try Wicked Good next.

Wicked Good's distributor is up in Holyoke Mass. They sell it direct there by the pallet. Would love to go in on a pallet full with someone in the area!
 
Bill where do you get your Basque's, I get mine at Wade's farmstand in Bloomfield, 18 bucks, unless of course the price went up, I haven't been there in a few weeks, stocked up on lump for a while.
 
Just finished a long cook with butts using Wicked Good Weekend Warrior I've stored for more than a few years now in the garage...best pulled pork yet...

I started like most everyone with the true original Kingsford...but lump is better...just a step down in terms of simply setting it and leaving it...

Not sure I understand using lump for just high heat cooks...I go long and slow with Wicked Good Weekend Warrior...

I do want to try Wicked Good Briqs given what I'm reading...ok...that being said...

Best thus far:

1) Wicked Good Competition Lump: about 5 or 6 years ago this stuff was truly amazing...and I still have two large containers left of it...it's like gold 'cause I swear I bought the last two large bags of it...it's long discontinued...burns 'for-freakin'-ever'...maybe the best of all time...

2) Wicked Good Weekend Warrior: it's great for everything...pricey but you get what you pay for...little ash.

3) Royal Oak: nice all 'round lump...and available.

Worst I've tried:

1) Cowboy: Avoid at all costs and be careful 'cause stores will re-brand it as their own

2) Kingsford: It was like a fireworks show the entire cook

That's it so far...
 
NE Ohio Sucks, I don't think there is a single place to buy quality lump. I've shipped in Wicked Good, but its so expensive to do so. If any fellow NE Ohio folks (I don't think there are any on here) know of a source for decent lump (aside from the standard Royal Oak) I would be much obliged.
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I have never tried Cowboy Lump and I am not endorsing it but I have noticed a lot of folk giving it a thumbs down so I though I would throw this out there. I read on another forum that Cowboy now has a New and Improved Lump that has bigger and more consistant pieces so take that with a grain of salt but who knows maybe its better now.
 
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