Lump characteristics vs briquettes when starting


 
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Dan A

TVWBB Member
Going to do some experimenting with lump over the next few cooks. Always used briquettes until now. I always fill the ring full of briquettes and add hot coals from my chimney over the top. Throw everything together and everything cooks great. I just always have the thought of fillers and other additions going into my food. So should I change anything with my startup process. Use less coals in my chimney vs briquettes? Both on my 22.5 and 14.5. Last, do you lump cookers get more ash blowing around in your wsm. My performer sure does.
 
Dan,
Might want to also consider Royal Oak Chef's Select briquets. You can get them over at The Woodshed in Orange.
 
I suggest sticking with the briquettes for the chimney since they are burning off most if not all the impurities by the time you add them to the unlit. I've been using Wicked Good weekend warrior lately and I just fill the ring as normal but due to the non uniform pieces I try to move them around and fit them in to all the gaps. I have seen more ash than normal flying around so before I take off the top to spritz or whatever I close the bottom vents and take the top off slower than normal.
 
yeah you will want to let it settle down a bit before putting in the food. briquettes don't have that problem. personally I don't like using lump. I've tried it and yes you get more flavor, but I want my flavor from my wood chunks, not the charcoal. but each their own of course. (not trying to derail the thread :eek:) as for the filler issue, if you are really worried about it there are briquettes made that are essentially lump charcoal made into briquettes. kingsford competition has very little filler apparently. I've never tried red oak. can people comment as to the flavor of red oak compared to kingsford?
 
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Ok tried royal oak lump on my last smoke. I really liked it. I started my 22.5 with a full ring of lump and then added a full chimney of kbb briquettes. Like I normally do, I immediately put the smoker together and the butt on. The temp went straight to 230 degrees at 8:30pm and with the help of my party q (and extra batteries) it held the 230 until 3pm the following day. The butt took forever. I was pretty impressed with the long life of the lump, normally my kbb starts having trouble holding temps around 10 hours into the cook. This was a water in the pan cook and my wsm has the gasket kit Cajun door. I'm going to switch all my cooks to lump from now on.
 
I wouldn't change anything in your start up process. Once you learn lump you will probably never go back. It starts up super quick and you can choke it out super quick for the next cook.
 
>>> Once you learn lump you will probably never go back <<<

Not me... I don't miss the trash and rocks in the charcoal one dern bit!

Me? I'm a Kingsford Original kind of guy. When I open the bag, I get what I paid for and nothing else.

I also don't miss paying twice as much either (if you buy in quantity during the sales).

I'm not trying to be argumentative here, anyone should use what they prefer, I'm just stating why I am a fan of the consistency of briguettes. I really don't need the rocks, the fiberglass, and other trash as well as the large difference in size of charcoal pieces along with the higher prices.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
Personally I don't like lump in my wsm's. Too inconsistent in sizes and the bottom of the bag is always a bunch of small pieces and dust. That said, I don't mind using it to grill with.
 
Actually Lump leave alot less ash than briquettes, and btw I know most of you know this.. charcoal is made of charred wood, lump is 100% charred hardwood while the KBB is packaged condense sawdust... anywho to each his own, I run lump in my Kamados and KBB in my WSM..
 
if you're worried about fillers in KBB what about all the stuff that's in beef and chicken unless you're getting extremely expensive organic meats I have no problem with KBB
 
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