longer burn time? briquettes vs lump


 
S

StanSulli

TVWBB Fan
Kind of a hypothetical question here. I have never timed bricks vs lump charcoal.

On average, using equal amounts, call it a chimney full unlit with a second lit chimney full dumped on top of the unlit and spread around, which will burn longer at a temp. of 250-275?
 
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I believe that briquettes will burn longer. They pack much more tightly in the chimney so you will have more weight of material in the chimney. Plus, the denser briquettes normally will burn longer.

NOTE: I have NOT done a scientific test...

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
Equal weight -- I would bet on lump. Equal volume -- I would bet on briquettes. I use lump most of the time, but I have a couple of things I do on my Kettle where I use briquettes. I always find myself surprised at how quickly they burn up.
 
I don't think you can say. Sure, Kingsford is going to burn longer than some cheap lump that is not packed in the charcoal ring well, but a good lump packed well in the charcoal ring could burn longer than KBB. There is just too much variation in the equation to say for sure. However, if I wanted the longest possible burn time, I would get the best, most dense lump and pack the charcoal ring very tight and very full. There may be a briquette out there that could be in the same ball park (Stubbs?) but I'd go with lump.

As a practical matter, I can get 15 hours with either so I don't really think it matters.

The best charcoal I have ever used is an extruded coconut shell product called Kamado. I don't think you can get it any longer but when it was available, I split a pallet with a few people. Filling the ring with that stuff could get you 24 hours - no kidding. While it was fun to buy and use, as a practical matter, as I mentioned above, it wasn't worth the trouble since I can get what I need out of just about any fuel.
 
I use both at the same time.

I put a layer of KBB on the bottom of the ring . Then I add some lump. Then I fill in all the spaces with more KBB packing it tightly. Best of both worlds!
 
I've never tried a super long cook with just lump. I know I can keep a ring of KBB in my wsm going a LONG time if I'm cooking a brisket or butt. This works because the WSM is so efficient and has plenty of room to fall through the charcoal grate. In my offset, which is not at all efficient the ash from the KBB will eventually smother my fire. I think a previous post answered your question. I think in general by weight, the lump probably does better and by volume the KBB or briquets would probably do better. I've just gotten some really nasty bags of lump in the past. The one brand that I did really like, Full Circle, is no longer carried by our supermarkets in this area. I'll probably switch to Royal Oak for my lump needs as I hear good things.
 
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