First time charcoal grilling


 
A

Andy V

TVWBB Member
So on the WSM I am all lump charcoal and its been working great for me. That being said, I never have cooked on charcoal. I read where KB is perferred due to the nice bed of even coals you can get and it's more predictable. Should I try the KB first? Or is lump pretty easy to grill with too?
 
Do both and see which one you prefer....I do mostly charcoal because I buy them on sale.
 
My only problem with grilling with lump is the small pieces that fall through the grate. I prefer using Kingsford competition or the hickory briquettes because of this.
 
I like the consistency of Kingsford Original Briquettes for both my grills and my WSM. It is entirely predictable and that's major when doing a variety of cooks...

Further, when on sale I buy several hundred pounds at once. The savings over a grilling season (at least eight months for me, sometimes ten months) is considerable.

FWIW
Dale53
 
If you are used to lump in your WSM you will do fine with it grilling. To prevent the smaller pieces falling through the grate get yourself another charcoal grate and turn it get a crosshatch. No more issues with small pieces of charcoal!
 
I use Kingsford to cook with the Dutch oven because I count briquettes. I use lump for the WSM and grills.

Another solution is charcoal baskets to keep the lump from falling thru.
 
I use the lump, usually Royal Oak for any faster type higher heat cooks and prefer Stubbs for low and slow. I keep a bunch of used coals in a bucket and put several in the bottom of the starter chimney when using lump to keep them from falling through. I have used KB all my life but switched completely to Stubbs once I tried it. More expensive than KB though.
 
I think I'll try the KB and see how I like it for grilling and then transition to the lump. I should have pics posted tonight of the first cook on the new weber so stay tuned!
 
So I have determined I am a lump charcoal kind of guy. KB is cheaper but smokes to much on the start up for me and I enjoy
The smell of lump
 
Andy V said:
So I have determined I am a lump charcoal kind of guy. KB is cheaper but smokes to much on the start up for me and I enjoy
The smell of lump
Click to expand...

Like others have said you should give Stubbs a try, its all natural and smells great at startup, its predictable and it burns forever.
 
I use Kingsford and I also use a local brand here called Diablo. Generally I'll buy the double bags of Kingsford at Costco or Lowes/Home Depot, and Diablo at the supermarkets here.
Diablo is mesquite lumps/logs. It's very characteristic because it pops when you start it up, but it's also the typical lump charcoal where it's hot and fast and sometimes temperamental. Great smell, good heat. It's a great 'show' for company when you start it up because of it's loud popping. It's also something like $12 for 40 lbs. It's my grill charcoal if I have it, and if not I use Kingsford. I have used lump with my WSM, but I prefer using Kingsford briquettes for smoking because it is more uniform and the heat and length of burn is significantly more consistent.
 
John Solak said:
To prevent the smaller pieces falling through the grate get yourself another charcoal grate and turn it get a crosshatch. No more issues with small pieces of charcoal!
Click to expand...
That's genius!

I've grilled with both, they both cook just fine. Use what you've got, what's on sale, what you like, whatever. :)
 
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