Darryl have you ever used B&B lump? Just wondering how you think it compares. I am very fortunate to have academy nearby and use B&B pretty much exclusively as JD is about twice the price. But seems like I get a lot of smaller pieces. Seems like it might be worth a go. I'm not afraid of paying a little more for good stuff.
I have not used B&B at all.......I would say I am fairly unlucky but lucky also in a way.
My choice are very limited, probably because of where I live..... ( Not USA ). This is unlucky.
However I can get my order shipped form the city.....2 hours away and the have JD and others like green egg stuff, basically everything I need the stock. I can also ship 8 bags of charcoal plus spices n stuff for around $15....which is lucky.
Like Brett was sayin, there is always leftovers and they go on the bottom of the chimney, they light up real good and its topped off with fresh.
Smells good, tastes good, lasts a long time and the heat controls well, I can maintain any cook as if it were bricks and can burn insanely hot.
The bags are generally all the same, I would say more than 80% of the bag is a perfect medium size, a couple large ones that you can use either in an SNS or if smoking and waste...or sized small enough to fall through the chimney is minimal pretty much every bag.
For me to buy somethin that is " almost as good " it literally is about $8 - $10 less and the smell, taste ect doesn't compare.
this is why I use it, I just wanted to show people what the bag looks like as soon as you open it.
Hopefully more people would give it a go.