lump charcoal vs. briquettes?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date

 
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Guest

Guest
Hi! I'm new to the bulletin board, and I don't even have my bullet yet. Just ordered it from Amazon today, and boy am I psyched.

Question for you pros out there. I've been using a cheaper Texas style smoker for some time and had a lot of trouble maintaining heat levels of 250 or around there. I always used lump charcoal, usually mesquite charcoal.

From the things I read, most people suggested using lump charcoal. That's why I always did. However, all of the methods here use briquettes. I've read that briquettes have impurities, and that the best way is lump. Judging from what I've seen, you can get excellent results from briquettes. I'm just confused, should I throw away my mesquite charcoal?

Also, I've bought Kingsford briquettes with mesquite for grilling and had wonderful results. Anyone use this in their bullet?

Thanks a lot, and you're going to be seeing a lot more from me. I love barbecue and this is my second endeavor. From all I've read, I have a feeling it'll be my last smoker purchase. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
I think Lump coal burns hotter than briquettes and cleaner, but doesn't last nearly as long. I guess this is why most people prefer briquettes with their WSM's.

I use Lump coal to start my fire in my Klose pit. 2 chimneys of lump and then a couple logs get it started. After that, I add 1 log (or piece of split firewood) about every hour to hour and a half (depending on the size. (sometimes every 2 hours).

I haven't tried Lump coal in my WSM's, don't think I will bother because I don't want to have to keep adding more through the cook.
 
Carl
I use lump charcoal for all my grilling, and like the results a lot.
There is no problem using lump in a WSM, it won't burn as long and does run a little hotter neither of those problems would stop you from producing great Q.
For long cooks Kingsford is a great and has stood the test of competition very well.
Let us know if we can help.
Jim
 
Welcome to the forum, Carl.

As you’ll find with most things related to barbeque, it all comes down to personal taste and convenience.

As a rule, lump will burn somewhat hotter and faster than briquettes. I’d say most of the regulars here use briqs because of their ready availability and consistent quality from batch to batch and year to year.

I prefer to use lump in my WSM. With a fully loaded charcoal ring started by the Minion Method, six to seven hours of hands-off burning is the norm. I’ve also got a great source of lump direct from the manufacturer and at a good price, so I pick up a Blazer load each time I’m in the area. However, if I had to pay Barbs Galore prices for lump, I'd probably consider going the Kingsford route.

Once again, welcome to the neighborhood. Feel free to ask questions anytime. One thing we’ll never run out of is opinions. And most of them conflicting!

Ken
 
Hi Carl,

Welcome to the discussion! Always glad to see another Californian join the ranks around here. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

There's been lots of discussion in the past about this topic. I'd suggest clicking "search" at the top of this page. A quick search on "Kingsford charcoal" or "lump charcoal" will garner lots of messages you can review.

Have fun,
Chris
 
I have a question about charcoal cost. About how much are you paying for lump or for Kingsford? I was going to pick up some Kingsford at the store but it was around 45 cents a lb and I get lump for around 30. I don't watch for sales, so I'd assume I could get Kingsford cheaper I just don't know how cheap.

Thanks
 
Around here...at Wal-Mart anyway, the Lump costs about $5.27 per 10 lb bag. (10 lb bags of Lump look the same size as 20 lb bags of briquettes).

20 lb bags of Kingsford briquettes can be anywhere from $3.99 - $5.99 depending if they are on sale or in 2-packs etc.
 
I can get 40 pounds of lump for $10.00 or
48 pounds of Kingsford for $10 to $12 but the Kingsford will give me longer burn times.
It ends up being much cheaper in the long run.
Jim
 
Wow!! The amount of answers amazed me. Thank you so much for your help. I just bought a 10 lb bag of Kingsford with mesquite and I'm going to give that a whirl. I really like the hint of mesquite it gives during grilling. I'll let you all know the results soon. It looks like my WSM was shipped today. Great deal right now with the free shipping!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top