random thoughts on switching to lump

[Chris Smith]

I recently decided to give lump charcoal a try for the first time on my Performer, so I picked up a bag of Tru 'Cue from HD. I poured a full chimney and first of all was amazed at the size disparity in the bag. The first pour resulted in two very large chunks which of course didn't fire up fully like the much smaller pieces. I did my best to shake things around to get more in the chimney and turned on the starter.

After the fuel was ready to go I spread it out on the grate...and wow, that didn't go very far. One chimney of the stuff covered under half the grate, which could be expected but the amount and size of small chunks meant I had very little heat to work with. Outside temp was in the low 40s which may have contributed, but I felt like I was working with very uneven heat and I think the highest I ever saw on the lid therm was 400F. I kept the lid on as much as possible and had the vents wide open.

Perhaps I need more practice or better scrutiny of the lump I'm using but after two cooks I'm wondering if I should be using two chimneys in the winter. I cooked four boneless chicken breasts on one chimney load and they took a good bit longer than I was expecting.

I'd like to stick with lump for the lower ash and acrid smoke at startup but it definitely is testing me in the early going. I don't know how I'd sear a pair of steaks like I prefer on one chimney.

 

[Jim H.]

Chris -
I have tried two bags of the True 'Cue lump, and I was disappointed in both bags in the way they performed. As you said, the size was very inconsistent, it sparked frequently while heating up in the chimney, and it didn't seem to last as long as other lump charcoal I have used, namely Royal Oak. I find that Royal Oak seems to be more consistent size wise, as well as burning longer and hotter compared to True 'Cue. Some here have taken a grate and put it directly on top of the chimney to sear steaks, using a smaller grate from a Smokey Joe or even the 22" grate from a regular kettle.

I think I would try and find some Royal Oak lump, usually in a red bag labelled as Royal Oak Natural Wood charcoal. I find it at a locally owned grocery store, usually around $5 for a 10lb. bag. Give it a try.

 

[Chris Smith]

Thanks Jim. I too was surprised at the amount of sparking and popping while the chimney was firing up. It seems like a lot of the chunks are so small they're nearly worthless as a grilling fuel.

I have a bag of Publix branded hardwood lump next in the hopper to try. I've seen Royal Oak get good reviews in the past so I'm going to find some locally to give it a shot next in line.

**Makes mental note to talk to merchant about replacing Tru'Cue

 

[Paul K]

Chris,

The variation in size is an obvious factor when dealing with this natural product. I'm not sure if different brands 'sort' there product to yield more consistent sizes.

Check out The Naked Whiz for a good database on lump reviews.

Paul

 

[Lew]

+1 for Royal Oak

 

[Lew Newby]

I've used the Publix lump and it did well.

 

[Steve McKibben]

I have used mostly Royal Oak, but on occasion have had to use other brands - I'm just glad that I didn't use some of them (such as Cowboy) first.

There is a learning curve, especially if you were, like I was, a long time briquette user.

But on the other side of that curve I am a very strong proponent of lump, and use it almost exclusively, and can't think of a grilling/BBQ scenario where, if given the choice, I wouldn't use lump over briquettes.

 

[Dave/G]

You can't get away from sparking on light up. They all do it to some degree. Put those large pieces on the charcoal grate and pour lit over them. They'll burn quickly and provide heat if you are looking for more.

 

[Larry Corall]

I use Royal Oak lump and the Minion method in my WSM for barbecue.
I use Rancher briquettes - from Trader Joe's under the Trader Joe's label - in my kettles for grilling. I like the even consistency and long burn time of the briquettes while grilling.

 

[Jim H.]

**Makes mental note to talk to merchant about replacing Tru'Cue

I didn't want to mention this since that lump came from your employer, but that was the thought I had too.

 

[Mike Purnell]

Another vote for Royal Oak if you have it locally. I use it for all of my cooks regardless if I'm grilling or smoking.

I also have 2 charcoal grates in all of my grills to prevent the little pieces from falling through the grate. This helps a ton or else you'll be wasting lots of lump when you initially dump it on your grill.

Here's the link to the picture from this site showing both grates: http://virtualweberbullet.com/...os/crossedgrates.jpg

 

[Bob H.]

I have settled on Royal Oak Steakhouse Lump, comes in a green bag from Menards.Sometimes I mix some Royal Oak bricquets in with the lump. That makes an interesting heat source.

 

[ryanburns]

The quality of lump can vary greatly depending on the manufacturer. I use Royal Oak (Walmart and Menards) or Full Circle. They have the most consistent size. Lump does take a little practice but I could never imagine going back to using briquettes.

 

[r benash]

I've used Humphrey's for years now. Smells great, adds it's on very light smokey flavor IMHO. Minimal sparking and popping. Rated well in Naked Whiz. I can get it readily at wholesale and love it.

I've used Royal Oak (lump and briquettes) and like it as well. If you don't want to use hardwood lump you can also try hardwood briquettes (I use that for doing minion starts).

If the lump is not made of scrap lumber it's easy to break up the big hunks. I use gloves just to stay a little cleaner If I want to move right to food handling.

Usually breaks up easily with a little pressure. I imagine you can put it on a block of some sort and just give it a whack, but I've always been able to break it up with my hands.

Usually just one or two pieces will need it.

I also use the double grates to minimize the pass through of smaller pieces.

Don't forget to close all vents to shut the fire off after your cook. The chunks that don't get completely burned are re-usable for future cooks. Mix them in with the next chimney you light.

 

[Jon Des.]

Chris - I'm also a fan of Royal Oak lump, although I buy it as Wegmans (grocery) store brand. They seem to private label it for a lot of stores.

I'd also suggest Stubbs hardwood briquettes, but you might need to have someone else run to Lowes and get it for you. Stubbs seems to have a lot of the benefits of lump (quick lighting, low ash, good heat, nice smell) in a briquette.

 

[Matt Sanders]

For the last few years, I've used lump about 90% of the time (though I've actually used briquettes a bit more often lately, just for something different, I guess). I've tried several different brands; Royal Oak, Kingsford, Cowboy, Frontier, and a few store or generic brands I don't recall.

I found there to be a HUGE difference from brand to brand, in consistency of size, sparking, burn time, and even smell. I only use Royal Oak now. It's the most consistent, burns well, and smells good. There are a few brands highly rated on the Naked Whiz site linked above that I'd like to try, but I can't find them in my area.

 

[Shaun R]

I'd also suggest Stubbs hardwood briquettes, but you might need to have someone else run to Lowes and get it for you. Stubbs seems to have a lot of the benefits of lump (quick lighting, low ash, good heat, nice smell) in a briquette.

I agree, with Jon. I have also found if theres a lot of sparking it's because it has mesquite in it. I like mesquite, but could do without the sparking. lazzari in my area sells an oak lump that pretty much never sparks. If I'm using lump it's my choice and it's also cheap if you get it at the factory.