Kingsford crazy smoke


 

Richard S

TVWBB Pro
I’ve been using mostly B&B the last couple years but had a one year old bag of Kingsford to get through. The initial burn on the Performer with gas assist was pretty brutal.

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Once it settled down it was fine but I just don’t remember this level of smoke with Kingsford…anyone experiencing this! My cook turned out fine…

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Yes, completely normal and has been this way for many years.

You can take a look at my Kingsford/Franklin/B&B Burn Test photos from January 2022 at see how they compare in terms of smokiness at lighting. Here's just one pic of Kingsford on the left and Franklin BBQ Charcoal on the right.

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When lighting all three charcoal samples simultaneously, they smoked out my patio bigtime!

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I've found Kingsford ignites much faster than B&B. Makes me think there's an additive in Kingsford that speeds ignitition along ?
 
Starting with Full disclosure, I am a Cowboy Briquets fan and it is one of my two go to charcoals at the moment. I like it better then B&B and it is half the price, but I also like B&B. I don't use Kingford blue, and just don't buy the stuff. So with that disclosure.....

ALL THREE OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE OWNED BY THE SAME COMPANY, Duraflame® Inc!!! I know B&B was just recently bought, but still... what are we suppose to make of this? We get into these deep debates (please don't take that as an attack, I am responding to a charcoal post right now..... and I love to talk charcoal brands and choices) about charcoal brand and quality, but the product I love and would recommend to my friend who uses Kingford Blue is made by the same company. Am I suppose to believe that they really are different formulas and ingredients?
 
Wow
Starting with Full disclosure, I am a Cowboy Briquets fan and it is one of my two go to charcoals at the moment. I like it better then B&B and it is half the price, but I also like B&B. I don't use Kingford blue, and just don't buy the stuff. So with that disclosure.....

ALL THREE OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE OWNED BY THE SAME COMPANY, Duraflame® Inc!!! I know B&B was just recently bought, but still... what are we suppose to make of this? We get into these deep debates (please don't take that as an attack, I am responding to a charcoal post right now..... and I love to talk charcoal brands and choices) about charcoal brand and quality, but the product I love and would recommend to my friend who uses Kingford Blue is made by the same company. Am I suppose to believe that they really are different formulas and ingredients?
Wow...didn’t know Duraflame had bought out B&B. That’s too bad. Usually the product goes downhill after something like this happens.
 
Starting with Full disclosure, I am a Cowboy Briquets fan and it is one of my two go to charcoals at the moment. I like it better then B&B and it is half the price, but I also like B&B. I don't use Kingford blue, and just don't buy the stuff. So with that disclosure.....

ALL THREE OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE OWNED BY THE SAME COMPANY, Duraflame® Inc!!! I know B&B was just recently bought, but still... what are we suppose to make of this? We get into these deep debates (please don't take that as an attack, I am responding to a charcoal post right now..... and I love to talk charcoal brands and choices) about charcoal brand and quality, but the product I love and would recommend to my friend who uses Kingford Blue is made by the same company. Am I suppose to believe that they really are different formulas and ingredients?
Yes, different manufacturing plants and recipes. But the core product, wood, will give them a market efficiency due to scale and ability to source ingredients at lower prices. But that doesn’t mean we’ll see lower prices 😆😆😆
 
You are correct...

In 1978, the marketing rights to Duraflame Inc. was purchased by the Oakland-based Clorox Co.

So I guess I should have said all three of these are owned by the Clorox Co...
Duraflame is an independent company. Clorox does not own them from what I researched.
 
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I've found Kingsford ignites much faster than B&B.
Yes, this is apparent in the photos in my Burn Test comparing Kingsford Original, Franklin, and B&B.

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There's a lot that goes into Kingsford lighting faster. It's the edges, the grooves on the back, the specific density of the briquet, and the use of sawdust as an ignition aid. Prior to 2006, sodium nitrate was used as an ignition aid but was discontinued. There is no lighter fluid in Kingsford Original blue bag briquets.
 
Their is a lot of talk about smoke, which is a off and on thing for me while using KBB , But do you find a taste difference? I have never found a foul taste in anything cooked, so I do use it. I also use others when on sale ,cowboy, B&B. I see pros and cons about all of them but really smoke is not one of them.
 
Yes, this is apparent in the photos in my Burn Test comparing Kingsford Original, Franklin, and B&B.

View attachment 48479

There's a lot that goes into Kingsford lighting faster. It's the edges, the grooves on the back, the specific density of the briquet, and the use of sawdust as an ignition aid. Prior to 2006, sodium nitrate was used as an ignition aid but was discontinued. There is no lighter fluid in Kingsford Original blue bag briquets.
Chris you did a great comparison. I wonder how Kingsford pro would stack up?
 
Starting with Full disclosure, I am a Cowboy Briquets fan and it is one of my two go to charcoals at the moment. I like it better then B&B and it is half the price, but I also like B&B. I don't use Kingford blue, and just don't buy the stuff. So with that disclosure.....

ALL THREE OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE OWNED BY THE SAME COMPANY, Duraflame® Inc!!! I know B&B was just recently bought, but still... what are we suppose to make of this? We get into these deep debates (please don't take that as an attack, I am responding to a charcoal post right now..... and I love to talk charcoal brands and choices) about charcoal brand and quality, but the product I love and would recommend to my friend who uses Kingford Blue is made by the same company. Am I suppose to believe that they really are different formulas and ingredients?
I see some Cowboy briquettes available not far from me for $8.99 for 14 pounds…not bad. I’m going to give it a try!
 
I wonder how Kingsford pro would stack up?
I did that burn test in 2017. Kingsford Original, Kingsford Professional, Kingsford Long Burning, and Weber Charcoal.

 
I did that burn test in 2017. Kingsford Original, Kingsford Professional, Kingsford Long Burning, and Weber Charcoal.

Wow Chris, you are a regular 1 man BBQ consumer reports. Out of curiosity have you made any observations about smoke level when starting on the KP? I like the KP but I think it starts off like the regular with a lot of smoke. I would like to keep the amount down in the future as I will have me grills on a screened in porch with cement floor. I would hate to have to frequently wash the ceiling.
 
Wow Chris, you are a regular 1 man BBQ consumer reports. Out of curiosity have you made any observations about smoke level when starting on the KP? I like the KP but I think it starts off like the regular with a lot of smoke. I would like to keep the amount down in the future as I will have me grills on a screened in porch with cement floor. I would hate to have to frequently wash the ceiling.
IMO, KPro offs a substantial black acrid smoke on fresh lighting. Deep black sooty smoke. I have observed less sooty smoke when using natural lump. My goto is JDXL and find it to be a clean burning smoke. Smoke is smoke and will adhere to any ceiling. I don't think that's avoidable. However, natural lump produces less soot and less stinky smoke, from my own light-up sessions. Install a box fan so at least you'll vent your smoke through the screens and less to the ceiling.
 
I'm curious to know why KF Original produces so much smoke when you light it in a chimney, but when you pour lit coals over a bed of unlit coals (aka minion method) the unlit coals ignite, the unlit coals don't produce the same level of smoke??? :unsure:
 

 

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