Lump charcoal


 

D Badger

New member
I got the low and slow book and he recommends lump versus KB. I found cowboy and green egg lump at the store. Has anyone used the egg lump? Should I keep looking?
 
The cowboy stuff is bad. The green egg lump is I believe repacked Royal Oak and is fine but overpriced. You might want to pop by a Walmart - in most areas they seem to have Royal Oak for around $6.40 for 10 pounds. (Double check that it says Made in the USA - Royal Oak has a couple of imported varieties that aren't as good.)
 
I work for Sysco, and Royal Oak makes a lump charcoal under the Sysco label that is the best I've found. I have used Stubbs lump, and while it is all natural, it uses plant fillers that let off a different smell. Doug's advice is right on, if you can find the Royal Oak from the US, buy it
 
Yeah,stay away from cowboy. Bad stuff. WM carries more K than RO,but you can find it. There is a grocery store down the road that carries Wicked Good lump. Not RO,but not bad either. HTH
 
I have never used briquettes.

I find that when grilling, the lump gives my food a nice smoke flavor without using smoke wood.

When smoking in the WSM, I use smoke wood, obviously, to give the food different smoke flavors.

For guys that have used both, how do the briquettes vs lump, without using smoke wood, flavor the food differently?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

For guys that have used both, how does the briquettes vs lump, without using smoke wood, flavor the food differently? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

99% of the time I use RO lump, but couldnt find any local for a couple weeks after x-mas. Used Kingsford Comp briquettes. Worked well, no difference in temp, or taste. But a heck of alot more ash at the end of the smoke. THat I didnt like.
 
Robert - great question.

When I first got my WSM I used briquettes exclusively because it was supposed to be more consistent, easier to start, easier to pack in the charcoal ring, etc. It seemed like a no-brainer.

However, I found that regardless of what kind of rub I used on my ribs, butts, etc - they all ended up with similar flavor due to the briquettes. I got anxious one afternoon and picked up a bag of Royal Oak lump from Walmart, and haven't been back to briquettes since.

The lump seems to have a much more pure flavor that briquettes, and doesn't impart the flavor the briquettes were doing, probably because there weren't any additional additives in lump like their are in briquettes.

Despite what I had read about lump being harder to control, burn hotter, etc - I actually found it easier to use than briquettes because the lump really reacts much quicker to vent changes, which I loved. It doesn't have the funny smell at startup either (a huge plus to me). Once I used lump you can really differentiate the rubs used on different ribs, instead of having to mark them or remember where you placed them, etc.

Oh yeah, and its cheaper too!

Give it a try if you haven't. Granted I still keep a couple bags of briquettes around that I'll use to start my minion method for doing smokes, I.E. will pack the ring with lump, light 15 briquettes, and scatter them across the top. Briquettes still have their use in my opinion, just not as primary source of fuel for smoking or grilling.
 
Some lumps have a stronger flavor effect than others, especially if there's some chunks that didn't get carbonized enough. Some lumps are extremely neutral. To my mind part of the fun is to try some different brands and see how they all affect the food - much like buying one of each kind of smoke wood until you find one or two you like best.

Definitely while grilling I won't bother with smoke wood - I'll just pick a lump that agrees with whatever meat/rub I'm using.
 
@Mitch

I use Humphrey's lump 99.9% of the time.

The only time I deviate is when I am trying a new kind of lump.

I have a bag of Wicked Good I am going to try next.

No matter what I have tried, I always like Humphrey's the best.

I think it gives my food a great hardwood grilled taste and think it mixes well with the smoke wood I use.

BTW - I use the minion method also and use lump only.
 

 

Back
Top