Wicked Good Warriors Blend Cook


 
B

Brad H.

TVWBB Fan
Well, I finally got around to trying Wicked Good's Warriors Blend lump charcoal which nobody seems to have tried on a long cook on these forums.

For those living in a cave these past 6 months, the much loved, super long cooking, Competition Blend lump can no longer be bought so some folks have been wondering how the Warriors Blend lump performs on long cooks...well...

Here it goes:

Cook: Pork Butt
Wood: Hickory
Firing Method: Minion
Weather: Warm and dead calm (no weatherscreen to start)

Experience cooking with lump in the WSM: zero

The start: Layered the lump 1/3 of a ring at a time making sure it was packed in well...filled the ring...started 20 pieces of lump using newspaper and weber wax starters which worked like a charm...the lump was up and running in no time...gave off a "fireworks show" but it died down and I scattered them in the ring...I then added four pieces of hickory...I then assembled the WSM and added the meat...

9:30PM: Beginning
10:00: 229 (Degrees) 25% (vent openings)
10:15: 232
10:30: 231
11:00: 223
11:15: 225
11:30: 233
12:00AM: 251 5% (all vents)
12:15: 238
12:30: 230
(napped)
1:15: 223
(napped)
3:45: 235
(bed)
6:00: 231
(bed)
7:30: 231 AM sun beginning to hit WSM
8:30: 240 Added weatherscreen
9:00: 230
9:30: 225
10:00 225 Stirred coals 25% (all vents)

10:30 until 2PM Temps remained between 230&240

Pulled pork at 2PM and let sit for an hour...

It is now 5PM and the WSM is still running at 240 and looks like it will go for some time longer...
icon_smile.gif
...

The good:

It lasts...it is still going strong after 20 hours...easy and stable...VERY responsive to vent adjustments...didn't use a great deal of the bag...I've cooked with the new K-product more than a few times and this lasts longer and can fire up quickly at the drop of a hat at the end of a long cook...even now...

Also, with the K-product...usually after 9 or 10 hours I have to get out of bed early because, like clockwork, I get a temp drop and have to stir or bump the WSM due to the combination of K ash & the wood's ash...didn't have that at all with the WG...minimal ash from what I saw during my first stir (which I really didn't need to do...I was just curious)...

The only reason I stayed up last night was because a) I was inexperienced with lump and b) I thought with all that I read on this site about the so-called "advantages" of the K-product over lump when I started using the WSM that there would be difficulties...well, I put that myth to rest...the lump was great!

The So-So:

It does fire hotter than the old K-product...the new K-product fires hot as well but is still somewhat easier (but not by much) to bring down to temp...while the meat drew rave reviews...I felt the smoke didn't quite flavor the meat as much...but that could have been because of what I was using or maybe I need to load the wood differently...next time I go back to using pecan...

Any suggestions from lump users out there?...

That's it! I'm a convert...hope this helps answer any questions about the WG Warriors Blend...
 
nearly 24 hours...

Stirred the coals at the 22 hour mark when it dipped unattended to 220...Let the vents go and it ended up at 306 at the 23 hour mark...knocked back the vents just a little...still at 260...the Wicked Good Warrior Blend just keeps on chugging along...makes me wonder what the two bags of Competition Blend I have in my garage will give me!

Enjoy Memorial Day everyone!
 
Brad,

This is very helpful. I am planning to pick up a pallet of the Warrior as soon as their depot in CT reopens. Any concerns I had about length of burn seem to be answered.

Thanks,
Dudley
 
One thing that you've already noticed is about the flavoring that happens with lump.

Charcoal tends to give a less distinct but thicker smoke flavor.

Lump acts as more of an accessory in developing the flavor you desire. And is especially the case with the South American lump.

Choices of wood to use as flavoring agents become much more profound, as the lump does not overpower the meat.

It's good to hear about WG WW, as I am a fan of the Competition brand (went 22 hours before shutting vents down yesterday).

You may look into finding some fruitwoods, the sweet taste is amazing on meat cooked with a great lump.

Keep us posted.
 
Thanks for your thoughts concerning the smokewood and lump given this is my first experience with lump...I had anticipated more of a smoky flavor given the more neutral fuel...I attribute this more to my inexperience than with the lump...

I was wondering whether the slightly higher temps within the first few hours of the cook (I typically like to go lower) and quicker cook (only 16.5 hours) compared with past cooks with the old K-product (sometimes 18 hours at slightly lower temps) may have also contributed...

By the way...the WGWW began to truly give out at the 24.5 hour mark...I strongly believe that if I was cooking with it the entire time (I stopped at 16.5 hours) and tending to the air flow to keep it from running at much higher temps I may have had many more hours out of it...it was an incredibly responsive fuel as well...I luv the ability, and flexibility, to quickly crank up the temp. (or quickly lower it) at any point in the cook without worrying whether I'm severely shortening the fuel's lasting power (see new K-product)...with the lump it feels more like having the control of an oven...I can raise and lower the temps at will...

I'd like to add that I hope folks will try quality lump out there (avoid poor lump - I will not mention brand names)...after using this site to get started with the WSM I took to heart that the K product (old and new) somehow performed more consistently and was easier to manage...nothing could be further from the truth...it wasn't much of an adjustment from the K for me...especially the new K which burns hotter...yeah, I took a little more time loading it (maybe a minute longer)...that's about it as far as the difference...

I REALLY liked the lump...the WGWW was the best of all worlds...it gives you that old K margin of error/tank quality, it's long lasting, with more responsive temp control...

That being said, I'll use both products (new K now) depending upon the situation...but I now prefer quality lump all things being equal...and this comes from actual experience with all products...

Again, any more tried and true tips out there from people who use lump with the WSM?
 
Don't for get the low ash factor with lump! One of my favorite lump attributes, especally a high quality lump like WG. When I'm doing alot of smoking and too lazy to really clean up I can go 3 or 4 cooks before I need to clean out the charcoal chamber. No way you can do that with Kingsford.
 
Craig,

I want to make sure I understand your point. Are you saying that you get a less smokey taste with the same amount of smoke wood when you use lump (especially South American) than you do when you use briquettes? I have tended to use fruit woods (apple and pear) and am wondering what adjustments to the amount of wood to get roughly the same smokiness that I get with Kingsford.

Thanks,
Dudley

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by craig castille:
One thing that you've already noticed is about the flavoring that happens with lump.

Charcoal tends to give a less distinct but thicker smoke flavor.

Lump acts as more of an accessory in developing the flavor you desire. And is especially the case with the South American lump.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
What I mean is that I can "taste" the flavor of the wood more distinctly, as the wood chunks are not being overpowered by charcoal.

This isn't meant to be a cut on kingsford either.

I still use pretty much the same amount of wood as before.....and I prefer a balance of smoke to rub (not heavy smoke, and not barely there either), for both the smoke and the rub to be condiments to the meat.

Good lump allows this to happen. Charcoal tends to blend them IMO. Just my preference.
 
I think you're absolutely right, Craig; I believe the smoke flavor is more distinct, more clean if you will, with quality lump.

I don't think adjustments to smokewood amounts are necessarily necessary (!), but one cook will pretty much tell you if you'd agree.
 
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