Lump Question


 
Phil Perrin

Phil Perrin

TVWBB Hall of Fame
Ok, I love the lump,but I have a question or two. Is lump harder to light? Today was pretty windy,but last week when I first tried it I had to light the chimney twice. Also,I'm not getting as long a cook as I was with K. Am I doing something wrong? As usual,any advice is very welcome.
 
Phil, Yes lump is a little harder to light than briqs. Some of your denser lump is very hard and can some extra effort to get it going. Have you tried the Weber starter cubes yet for lump? they work quite well. I use the side burner of the gasser or turkey burner so no problems lighting it here. As far as burn time, it varries once again depending on the density of the lump and how well you pack it in the charcoal ring. The tighter you can pack it in there the longer burn time you'll get and less likely you will get temp spikes from big air gaps. Also remember that you only get about 1/2 - 2/3 rd's the weight of lump in the ring verses using briqs briqs. HTH
 
I keep a bag of Kingsford for strictly chimney lighting. I.E. pack the ring with lump, but just use Kingsford to start it.

Speaking of the side gas burner, I wish I had listen to your advice Bryan long ago. I'm now using the side burner to light the chimney starter and oh how easy it is now to start the cooker!
 
I minion almost every cook, and I too start with briquettes burning and dump on top of lump. I do this partly for my safety, as lighting the lump I have sends sparks flying everywhere.

I prefer the smell / flavor of lump over the briquettes, but I don't think adding 20 or so fully lit briquettes to 10# of lump makes any difference. Plus, I enjoy the uniform size for fire starting purposes.
 
Has anyone ever tried those electric starters for either lump or briqs? This one is at Lowe's
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pat McCreight:
I minion almost every cook, and I too start with briquettes burning and dump on top of lump. I do this partly for my safety, as lighting the lump I have sends sparks flying everywhere.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I use the leftover lump from the previous cook for lighting in the chimney, and have almost no sparking. New lump looks like the fourth of July, though.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Larry D.:
I use the leftover lump from the previous cook for lighting in the chimney, and have almost no sparking. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Same here and it lights a lot faster.
 
What is the true difference between lump and K? Is there a pronounced difference in taste, level of smoke, heat output? You'll have to forgive me but I've never used lump and this is the end of my first season with my beloved WSM and need the experience of those that use it
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Hey John,I've only used lump a couple of times.but the difference in taste is amazing! It's a lot cleaner and the smoke taste is more pronounced. Use lump and enjoy.
 
Using the side burner on my gasser is VERY easy and quick. I just remove the metal grate (the one a pot would sit on) so my chimney sits flush on the area slightly above the burner.

After about 5-10 min I can shut off the gas and just let the charcoal do it's thing until i have an even burn!
 
I don't have a problem using lump for starter, either the leftover or fresh lump, I've used both with similar results. I have burned the leftover up as it goes quickly if you don't watch it.

Fresh lump only takes about 10 minutes in my chimney. I guess all of our mileage varies...
 
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