Lump Charcoal question...


 
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

John G.

TVWBB Member
I'm using lump charcoal, Royal Oak, for the first time on what I expect to be at least a 20 hour cook and have a couple questions.

1. Can I use the Minion Method with lump?
2. Should I be worried about getting four or five hours of sleep and not checking on the temps?

Thanks,

John
 
John,

I have used Royal Oak lump often on overnight cooks using MM, and have been able to get some zzzz's every time. Just get your temps stable, keep it out of the wind and you should be all set.
 
John, Try shutting down the up-wind vents and use the lone down-wind vent to control the temps...Also, place the dome vent in a down-wind configuration. Access door should also be in a down-wind config. This should help. Good luck!
icon_smile.gif
 
Thanks for the suggestions Bill. The wind actually died down, so it isn't really a problem now.

Things have been very going well so far. I've probably read more negative than positive post in regard to smoking with lump charcoal, but so far it has been running absolutely perfect. It took awhile getting up to temp, but it has stayed right at 240 without any real work at all.
 
Hey John, how's it going this morning? Is that a lid reading you're getting? And I assume you're not using a Guru. I'm anxious to try a lump cook.

Oh yeah, sand or water?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by John G.:


Things have been very going well so far. I've probably read more negative than positive post in regard to smoking with lump charcoal, but so far it has been running absolutely perfect <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's because people assume because lump burns hotter therefore it'll burn hotter in the WSM and make temp controll dificult. So not true. I use lump 99% of the time with the Guru and long before i had the Guru. Never had temp problems.
icon_biggrin.gif
Bryan
 
Hi,

Lump will burn hotter...only if you let it burn hotter !!!

Temp control works the same for briquets as it does for lump.

Control on the way up !!

Al
 
i must say that i also was very hisitant to use lump...but when i did i was very happy...has a wondefull smell litin up.. not that kingsford smell we all know.. its really nice..it burns clean.....yes if you let it get hot like al said its gonna get really really hot....just watch it...but when i used the lump..it burned for just as long as the K did....really..
enjoy it
take care
tonight...2 racks of monster ribs...requested by the wife!!!!!

and of course ill have to try chris's food of the month later on in the week or next...until then
take care
 
Hi Jack,

Sorry for the delayed response, but here goes.

That was a lid temp I was reporting, and I wasn't using the Guru. I've seen a lot of post about the Guru lately and it sounds like it is worth checking out.

I used water for the cook. I don't have any sand right now, but I plan on picking some up.

This was easily the best cook I've ever had. The lump charcoal was AWESOME!!! If I can help it, I'm never going back to Kingsford. In my opinion it was easier to light, easier to maintain a constant temperature with little or no intervention from me and burned longer than the Kingsford I usually use. On top of that the meat was very tasty.

Using lump I maintained a constant lid temp of 220 - 240 degrees for the first 15 hours with no problems at all. I went to bed at 1:00 and the temp was 220. I woke up at 7:00 and guess what... the temp was still 220. After 15 hours, I boosted the lid temp to 260 and held it there for another 5 hours.

I'd say don't let the "Hard to control temp post" get to you. Use the lump and see for yourself. It is all about airflow... Al is right on the money with his post.

Take care,

John
 
Congratulations John, the key as you said is to control the temps on the way up and use the bottom vents to control the air. It'll hold steady for you the vast majority of the time.
 
John, Al and others..thanks for the post and info..I was thinking about changing to Lump for my brisket and pork and now based on your insights it will be easier to focus on the basics..(oxygen)...I am making ribs this week and read that lump mesquite and oak will give a bad taste (due to the low meat concentration and heavy penetration)..any thoughts?
 
Hi,
I doubt that what you read was refering to mesquite or oak lump giving a bad taste. I betcha they were refering to the use of hardwood for making smoke.

You'll get very little flavor imparted by the lump. Mesquite can be overpowering if you use too much. However there are some folks who love the stuff.

Always start with two to three chinks of whichever wood you choose. Maybe even throw on one chunk of mesquite. See if you like it. Keep records of what you use and how much. If its to strong next time add less. If its too mild add more.

I'm always trying different combos of woods. I like'm all. Black cherry is my current favorite.

Al
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top