Charcoal vs. Lump Hardwood


 
Tim McCann

Tim McCann

TVWBB Honor Circle
Wife got me a bag of Wicked Good Weekend Lump. Since it's wood do I add more/less or the same amount of my flavored smoking wood(i.e. Pecan,apple,oak)? And does the lump itself have a flavor? And does the 2 woods compete with each other when smoking? And also it does burn hotter and longer than charcoal or not?
 
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Tim, you got some good lump, there. Don't be surprised if you've got some logs in the bag though, so be sure to give yourself enough time to break it down with a hatchet or something before a cook. (Some folks are more picky than others when it comes to that and loading the cooker.) As to flavor from the lump, it's VERY subtle and you MUST use wood as well if you're "smoking". Sometimes though you'll get pieces of lump in the bag that are only partially carbonized (look brown like wood in spots). If so, yes, that smokes just like wood so be advised. Otherwise, "if you don't use wood, it ain't no good", and actually, you'll get more smoke flavor, although not my preference, from doing a Minion burn with Kingsford than lump.
 
I start my lump with a propane torch in the chimney and it works pretty good. I`ll just do a few circles around the base to get it started an let it do its thing.I use paper crumpled up with briquettes though to start it as it seems to ignite faster. Let me know how you like the Wicked good as I can get some at a local place here. Almost bought a bunch on the Tru-Value deal awhile back but didn't want a 100lbs to start if I didn't like it

I actually have mixed lump and briquette on a few cooks to use some stuff up and it gave me a nice hot fire with not much ash in the end. There is much less smoke emitted from the lump over briquettes in my opinion but a tad more sparking with lump also. I have not had a more intense wood smoke flavor with lump over briquette using the same amount of wood for smoke flavor so far....

This is the torch I use and bought a few on sale for 15.00. Auto light and easy HOT fire.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_315346-13877-2880514_0__?productId=3512409&Ntt=torch&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dtorch&facetInfo=
 
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WW is the best lump. Big heavy pieces, and it's lights amazingly fast, and no sparking. Great flavor. So good I just got some of the WW briquettes as I'm not really a lump guy. Just use as normal.
 
I'm a lump guy. I assume that you are smoking on the WSM near the pool -- right? If so, I add two chimneys of unlit to the charcoal ring and add a chimney of lit for my fire. I use a weber lighter cube to start the chimney because I don't like the newspaper ashes floating around. I have a second charcoal grate set at a right angle to the first chacoal grate to make smaller opening so the lump doesn't fall thru. I usually use one or two chunks of smoke wood.

I like lump it in the kettle as well. Except for over night cooks (hardly ever) that's all I use.
 
Well, I have done an 8 hour burn for a cook but kept track of temps to 10.5 hours. I'm sure it went longer at temp but not 100% sure what it did after 10.5 'cause the Maker's Mark became more important than an empty cooker temp. LOL
 
Tim McCann said:
So Dave how do you start your lump then? From what I read this lump is the poo!
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Tim, my weedburning torch is probably my favorite way to start lump, but a chimney works great, too. I find that lump quickly starts to burn very clean after dumping lit on unlit, unlike when using briquettes, especially Kbb. As for getting a long burn with the WGL, my buddy that has bought the stuff by the pallet says there's NOTHING that he's used that lasted longer. Come to think of it, he gave me a bag and I'd have to agree. Just pack it in like a puzzle and pile it up high if cooking for a long time. You shouldn't need to with WG, but with lump I suggest adding a few pieces of unlit through the door if the fire starts going down. Don't wait til it's going down to nothing, though. I'd rather play it safe and not end up with temps bottoming out, and I save what doesn't get burnt up at the end of a lump cook by shutting the vents down, anyway.

Lump burns a little faster so I especially recommend water in the pan for overnighters if you don't have an ATC. Other than that, the safety concern with lump is for the guys that cook on wood decks, but as Alan pointed out, WGL isn't one of the ones that's so prone to sparking in a chimney or when hitting with a torch. If someone's concerned it though, a lot of us use fully engaged briquettes from a chimney to light the lump in the cooker.
 
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Dave Russell said:
Tim, my weedburning torch is probably my favorite way to start lump, but a chimney works great, too. I find that lump quickly starts to burn very clean after dumping lit on unlit, unlike when using briquettes, especially Kbb. As for getting a long burn with the WGL, my buddy that has bought the stuff by the pallet says there's NOTHING that he's used that lasted longer. Come to think of it, he gave me a bag and I'd have to agree. Just pack it in like a puzzle and pile it up high if cooking for a long time. You shouldn't need to with WG, but with lump I suggest adding a few pieces of unlit through the door if the fire starts going down. Don't wait til it's going down to nothing, though. I'd rather play it safe and not end up with temps bottoming out, and I save what doesn't get burnt up at the end of a lump cook by shutting the vents down, anyway.

Lump burns a little faster so I especially recommend water in the pan for overnighters if you don't have an ATC. Other than that, the safety concern with lump is for the guys that cook on wood decks, but as Alan pointed out, WGL isn't one of the ones that's so prone to sparking in a chimney or when hitting with a torch. If someone's concerned it though, a lot of us use fully engaged briquettes from a chimney to light the lump in the cooker.
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LOL! Careful Dave! Thanks, I'm planning my next cook now! Can't wait to try this stuff!
 
Tim, yes, I'm careful with the weedburning torch. I have had a couple of mishaps, though.

First of all, don't light the lump with the middle section on for too long if you have an ignitor on the end. Evidently I burnt mine up by doing so. Also, I recommend keeping the level of buildup down on the bowl and not lighting for too long. A while back I was going to do a HH brisket cook and wanted to get a good hot fire going really quick. Well, I ended up setting the bowl "on fire", sort of like a grease fire in a gas grill. Thankfully, nothing warped, and no harm was done.
 
So Dave if I understand right, minion method start just dump the lump all over the top of the unlit in the ring? Or is it ok to pour in the hole in the center like charcoal?
 
Tim, as I might've already said, for the sake of cleaner smoke from the start I prefer to dump lit lump or briquettes on top of unlit LUMP, (although I might use a layer or two of briquettes in the bottom of the ring.) To answer your question though, if I'm using a chimney I usually leave a shallow depression in the center of the ring to dump the lit charcoal in. This way I can lay a couple of wood chunks on the unlit around the outside of the ring. This is just my preference because I find that if the wood starts smoking slowly it will not only last longer, but it seems not to go through that nasty smelling smoke phase. I also bury wood chunks around the outside of the ring with the unlit, so if I dump the lit in the center, the wood is much less to flame up and produce nasty smoke before I get the meat and lid on. I'm not a big fan of the coffee can method though, if that's what you're asking.
 
Thanks Dave! That's what I thought you said. I haven't use a can either but like you I just make a hole in the center and pour the lit in it. I bury a few chunks of wood around the outside of the ring under the unlit. Doing it this way I would think would give you a long slow burn rather than pour lit all over unlit? I would think pouring on the top cause a faster burn? Hence the reason for the minion method.
 
I use mostly KBB here, I hoard the stuff when the big box stores put it on sale.
I was able to get some Royal Oak lump on sale last year, I really like it. I mostly use the lump for hot cooks on my kettle. Lump burns faster and hotter, so it's great for searing.

I don't break up the large lump pieces. If it fits in the charcoal ring, it goes in.
As for my WSM, whether it's briquettes or lump, I follow the same routine.

I fill my charcoal ring to the top with 4 or 5 fist sized chunks of wood mixed in the charcoal.
I light it in 3 places, in between the vents, with a high output propane torch.
I let it go for about 10 or 15 minutes then put the WSM together.
I bring the cooker slowly up to my cooking temperature, then put the meat on.
I do not use water, I use a foiled clay flower pot base in the foiled water pan.

Bob
 
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I've only used lump and the ONE issue I have with it is that I am having a hard time lighting it. I use a chimney started with three rolled pieces of paper but most times, I have to use more or relight the paper....does anyone use the starter bricks? I don't really want to use a blowtorch but rather a more safe, consistent way to get the lump started...any thoughts?
 
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