Fuel ramblings


 
S

Steve Petrone

TVWBB Platinum Member
Tell your story. What did you start with and why? What do you prefer now and why?

I started with the original Kingsford. Benefits: available, cheap, predictable. No real problems.
Sometimes used Royal Oak, it is fine too.

After a while, I tried lump. That is a very broad statement because lump, as you know, varies widely in size, uniformity and other attributes. I did not have an easy time with the lump I used. So, I improvised. I used a layer of charcoal on the bottom then filled with lump and stated with charcoal. Well that sort of defeats the whole reason to use lump.

Recently, I used lump on the grill. Wow! That is clean burning stuff-what odor? I like how it cooks. It is Milazzo out of PA. Seems to be a good lump.

That experience has me questioning my reliance on Kingsford (Oh yes, I did burn thru 30 or 40 bags of Rancher and now use the new King).

The natural Competition Briquets from Kingsford are a welcome option I look forward to trying. Rancher caused many of us to reconsider our fuel choices and now a more natural briquet will do that again.

Cost is an issue for most of us...this will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Please, tell your story about what you use...and will use...and why.
 
I'm pretty pleased with the Stubb's Natural Briqs from Cowboy Charcoal. Only problem is finding it anywhere but my local QFC (Krogers).

I know, I know, most folks think Cowboy Lump is Craptastic, but these are briqs and they burn long, no funny smell, get up to temp quickly and produce little ash. I've done a couple side x side unscientific short cooks with them against Wicked Good briqs and felt the Stubb's were right up there and just under half the price as WG, which can be just as frustrating to find around here.

As far as Rancher goes, it was a flash in the pan and I probably have 6 or 8 bags left out of 60 from 2007 and don't expect to see it here anytime soon. I used it mostly in the WSM's because of all the swirling ash it produced in the Drums or Kettles, which leaves me in the same dilemma. I've got BGE's, a Kamado, Drum Smokers and the Performer I like to play with too, so I have a supply of Kingsford, Lazarri Mesquite lump, Royal Oak lump (never seen RO briqs) BGE lump, Wicked Good Weekend Warrior and the Stubb's. Gotten in the habit of grabbing a few bags of whatever is available because there is definately a BBQ season here with Washington retailers, Memorial Day to Labor Day!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Petrone:
Tell your story. What did you start with and why? What do you prefer now and why?
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I started with K because it was cheap and readily available. Over time I got tired of the smell of it lighting and the amount of ash it left. Decided to give lump a try and liked it right off the bat. It doesn't have an objectionable odor, leaves less ash and gives me the heat I am looking for. I am currently using Wicked Good, which I get on line, and Basques Hardwood which I get at a store in Rhode Island. I'll give the Kingsford lump briquets a try when and if it shows up around here in the spring.
 
started with blue bag Kingsford, I did because the honest truth is the smell to me reminds me of camping, family bbq, 4th of July, etc. Its hard to describe but I kind of enjoy the smell in that sense, but anyway mostly it was:
1. available ANYwhere
2. like it or not its steady as a rock, more then anything i've tried/found so far
3. uniformity is convenient
4. the added wood options (hickory or misquite) is a great idea but cant say it has a huge impact, but maybe enough to consider, esp. if you can catch those on sale, ...i like that.
5. really really helped me start out and learn, to this day i'de recommend using K for starting out, grilling or smoking, no doubt.
Now adays I use mostly #1 Royal Oak cause its second easiest to find and price is more then fair for what you get in the bag #2 Best of the West lump because I can find it (just recently added that to the garage. and #3 Lazzari Lump although I pay a bit more I can find it sometimes, only misquite so far. And lastly I still use K sometimes, I like it much better then RO natural briqs and dont have access to "rancher" etc. or any of those, just my opinion that its a better more stable product (I know, but I don't think it smells that bad at all)
Lump is a good thing, I love the heat for grillin' I do like the smell, I really like the amount of ashes left behind, I dont really mind the instability for the smoker, because its really not that unstable if your well practiced at using the wsm. I dont like how "Best of the West has an inch of dust in the bottom of the bags, but love how it burns and the amount of time it burns, same w/ Lazzari minus the crap in the bottom, it doesn't contain any that i've ever had.
Taste... well, there MAY be just enough taste difference TO ME in the K VS. LUMP thing... but only enough that my first cook where i switched was the only cook I remember saying that. ...funny how things change but now that i've used it a lot I don't think i'de try to convince anyone the taste is different, just the smell
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....So ya lump for me ussually and ONLY main reason is its cheaper for me!!!!!
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have a good one Steve.

* oh and I definetly am looking forward to new Kingsford for sure, glad there still trying to stay with the program.
 
I use a lump from Quebec Canada called Natures Own by Basques. It is all maple hardwood, and the smell that comes off of it when you light is is unbelievable good. Earlier this fall, I lit my chimney on a Sunday morning. I live on a pig farm, and from my house to my barn is a good 400 feet. I was working on chores, lit the chimney, and went back to chores. A few minutes later, I walked into my feed room, and could smell smoke.
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Instantly my mind started racing as to the source of the smell, on second whiff though, I realized it was drifting over from my chimney,
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what a great smell first thing in the morning. I can pick this up (have to buy a whole skid though) for $10.90 a bag for 8 kgs. It is the best price around.
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I started with K, because Chris uses it of course! I didnt even know there was any other kind of charcoal besides briquetes. Then I read all these lump heads posts bragging about how it smells so good and burns hotter. Been using lump ever since. Although all I can find is RO lump. Its ok, but I wish I could try some different kinds of lump. I'm looking forword to trying the new comp K, I hope its as good as they say.

Brandon
 
I use "Barbeque Wood Flavors" charcoal
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag48.htm

because I can get it all year long. I like it a lot better than the K charwood and Cowboy. Back in the day I used Kingsford before I found out about lump. Here is what made me switch to lump. When I was in a hurry I used to start a bowl of charcoal using my heat gun. I loaded up a bowl with charcoal and stuck the gun right down in there. Hold the bowl with channel locks. Once it starts you can get it going like a forge. Very fast. When I did this(sometimes still do) the fumes were VERY hard on my eyes. When I tried lump there were no fumes at all. I figured those fumes had to be permeating into my food.
Now that I have been using the WSM for a while I have given the Kingsford another shot. The fumes are still there but really I know that I cannot TASTE the difference. I still like the lump better but I am no longer a hater.
For the last few days I have tried the Sams briquettes from WalMart. I have been getting about 2 less hours out of a full load as compared to Kingsford. I think that the new Kingsford product will be perfect for the WSM. I cant wait to try it. Does anyone have info to share about their use of SAMS charcoal?
If you are ever in a hurry to get a chimney of charcoal going try the heat gun method. I can have a full chimney going in about 5 min or less. It is not a method for the faint of heart though.
 
Started with K because as a former gasser guy that's all I knew. Started using RO lump, then the big Rancher $2.99 a bag sale hit and I bought many bags (still have quite a few left). Then I found the perfect fuel, Extruded Coconut Charcoal (ECC), love the stuff!

I use Rancher for my high heat cooks and ECC for my smokes.
 
Started with Lazzari Mesquite lump in my Brinkman back in 83-84. I had read about that lump in a Bon Appetit magazine article about BBQ/Grilling. They had listed the phone number and address in the article. I called and had 2-50lb bags shipped to me here in Lanc. After that was gone, switched to Ro lump, and the occasional K here and there when I couldn't find any lump. All told, prob never used more than 5-6 bags of K in the Brinkman and WSM over the years. I use Humphrey's lump about 95% of the times these days. Some times a bag or 2 of RO lump or briqs. I have used the Milazzo as well, pretty good stuff. I can get Humphrey's for such a good price, so that's what I use most of these days. Not to mention the fantastic burn times I get from it.
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started with/used K, like most. i've tried all sorts of brands of lump that i can't remember through the years. recent lump i have tried is the stuff from BBQ galore, kingsford lump(was really cheap at my local grocery store) and i just bought a bag of cowboy to try. haven't tried rancher or lazzari yet. always looking to try the stuff i haven't used yet.

looking foward to smoking with the new K, and seeing if that strikes a happy medium.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LarryR:
Then I found the perfect fuel, Extruded Coconut Charcoal (ECC), love the stuff!
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

larry,

i did some searching for ECC with lame results. where do you buy this from? i would like to try it!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Greg:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LarryR:
Then I found the perfect fuel, Extruded Coconut Charcoal (ECC), love the stuff!
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

larry,

i did some searching for ECC with lame results. where do you buy this from? i would like to try it! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Greg, Click here.
 
I am not as learned in charcoal like the folks on this board, but I have used alot of wood! In the end, I find that for both, it really doesn't make much difference as far as flavor goes! I have been through the whole "learning curve facination" thing, and will say, that most lump charcoals I have tried are good (except Cowboy!) I would probably rather cook with apple wood on a stick burner than anything! Good heat, good mild flavor, which is almost impossible to overdue because of it's subtlety! You can even use it green to a degree. Hell, I've got three bags of regular Kingsford in the garage! What do I know!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
Greg, Click here. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

i found that bryan, and then i also found a bunch of complaints about that company(komodo/kamodo) i don't think they are in business any longer, unless someone here can tell us they just ordered something from them.
 
Greg, two different companies. I believe there's a warehouse in Los Angeles where you can pick-up the ECC I use. Send me an email (my address is in my profile) and I'll send you the scoop on the two companies and who I get my ECC from as there is a HUGE difference between the ECCs and the two companies.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LarryR:
Greg, two different companies. I believe there's a warehouse in Los Angeles where you can pick-up the ECC I use. Send me an email (my address is in my profile) and I'll send you the scoop on the two companies and who I get my ECC from as there is a HUGE difference between the ECCs and the two companies. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

thanks larry, i'll send you an email now. if there is a warehouse in los angeles, no problem!
 
I started with K, and used Cowboy as the first lump experiment.

That failed badly, even though I was just grilling.

I prefer South American lump for smoking as it's burn time is the longest by a consistent margin. Picnic, Wicked Good are great.

For grilling or shorter smokes, I like B & B, Humphrey, Royal Oak.
 
I use lump.

Started w/Cowboy Lump. Local & cheap. Found too much "stuff" in it. Too much ash. Burnt too quick.

Then I discovered the Lump database. Found Wicked Good Charcoal Weekend Warrior. Real good stuff but, expensive w/shipping.

Then I was in a local Restaraunt Supply store and saw they had Royal Oak (Paraguay) for $9.00 for 20#'s. So I tried it. Its pretty good. (Not quite the quality of WGCWW). Then I went back later on in the season and found they now had the American Royal Oak Lump for the same price. Its a little "sparkier" and has a bit more ash than WGCWW, but still very good, local and cheap.
 
Did anybody see a mushroom cloud rise up over the southeast about five years back? POOOFFFF!!! That was my first attempt with live fire, and I was cutting my teeth with cowboy lump. Tried that a few more times, charred a few more meals, and in my frustration I started looking around... I found this site and turned to the learning section, and used K because it was used here. After I learning to control my cookers a few cooking techniques, I play with what I can get my hands on..... except cowboy.

Gary
 
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