Charcoal - Lumps vs. Briquettes


 

James Harvey

TVWBB Pro
Hi All,

I'm doing my first set of ribs on the WSM tomorrow and went looking for charcoal today. My first cook was with briquettes (K). In my travels today the only briquettes I could find were no name cheapies so I went with a name brand lump instead. I know this is a contentious question but is one better than the other and why? My logistics (not flavour) questions are:

A) Does one work better for longer cooks?
B) Is it easier to knock the ash (gently) from one if required?
C) Is there actual value in spending the extra money for the "specialty, wood only brands" sold at BBQ stores?

Again, I know everyone has their opinions but I'd like to hear input regarding actual cooking experiences as I know many of you have experimented with almost every variable possible.

Thanks,

James
 
Hey James. I'm sure you'll get as many different opinions as you will replies. Either lump or briquettes can get the job done. Just choose which one you prefer.
Generally speaking, folks like to start with briquettes; you get consistent temps/results. Kingsford blue bag or Competition is fine. Briquettes are sometimes preferred when doing long Minion Method smokes.
I've been trying to use lump only for my longer smokes. I did a 5 hour smoke recently with Royal Oak lump, and was very happy with results. Easy to maintain temps, nice clean scent, etc. Many seem to prefer Royal Oak (US made; the non-US stuff seems to not be as good a quality. Check the bag when buying) as it's easy to find and well-priced. Try Naked Whiz reviews of lump brands. Good luck!
 
Gary told you right...two thumbs up!

I had always used briquettes, because that is what my dad used...The same reason I drive a Ford..
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After reading and listening to folks who like to use lump, I decided to give it a try. I liked it! It's good stuff. Then the famous Kingsford coupon came out and I switched back to due to the fact I was paying $2 for a large bag of charcoal. As Gary said, both have their following and both will get the job done.
I find myself using lump for quick hot cooks, like hamburgers or hotdogs and use briquettes for ribs and butts.
 
For over night cooks I like to use KF blue. For me it is easier to control and it burns longer in my wsm. I have been playing with RO lump and it works great however for me the wsm needs a bit more attention and it seems to burn quicker. I like to use lump when doing chicken or ribs when my cooks are shorter and I can keep an eye on it. I do not use water in my wsm and either my pan is just foiled for birds or I use the clay pot method. Vince
 
I've been a lump user for years, and find it easier to control, cleaner burning, reusable, and longer burning depending on the variety.

Stay away from Cowboy in particular (and be aware many store brands are made by Cowboy), but RO is good stuff and usually easy to find.

My preferred choices are Picnic and Wicked Good which are made in South America.
 
My preference is for Wicked Good as well but RO works fine, especially for shorter cooks (it's just a question of what weight of charcoal you can get into the ring).

To answer your questions...
A) The only trick with lump and long cooks is to make sure there aren't any big air gaps - you want to take a moment and make sure everything's settled into a big solid mass of lump. With Wicked Good and a 22" WSM I've gone 13 hours a couple of times and had a couple of chimneys of lump left for the next cook after closing the vents.
B) There's less ash from lump (no filler) but I do find it needs to be poked at eventually. Just takes a minute. I set an alarm for 6 hours which is before you'll see any temperature drop, but I'd rather do it too early than too late, you know?
C) See the Naked Whiz site as other folks mentioned, people definitely have their preferences.

Either lump or briquettes will do the job, but I wouldn't be afraid of lump. I started with it and never had any trouble. I do think it's worth keeping an eye out for the better brands (not Cowboy) but don't feel like you have to have something super exotic and expensive.
 

 

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