Never used Lump - thinking about trying it


 
B

Brian H.

TVWBB Member
I have been using Kingsford, but am thinking about using some lump this weekend with a brisket. I woud love to try Kamodo or wicked good, but I do not think there is a local source.

It seems like I can find Royal Oak everywhere. My co-worker swears by it for direct grilling, but does not use a smoker. I have been going through posts on lump - especially Royal Oak and have visited the naked whiz site. It gets a pretty good rating. My questions:

I have seen posts that say it burns hotter and you will get more spikes, but I have read posts that say it is easy to control the temp? Any opinions?

I have seen posts that say it is for shorter burns and post that says they can get 22+ hours of a single load - please let me know your experiences.

I have read some people recommend cooking it in the 210-220 range for the first 10 hours and then raise it to 225 to finish? Any comments, also will it be harder to keep the lump at such a low temp?

Thanks
 
Hi,
I use lump exclusivly. It will only burn hotter only if you let it. So, keep your eye on the temps on the way up. You can get a spike from peaking or mopping etc. and it might be a little harder to bring down. Keep the peaking to a minimum !!

I always cook at 235° and have not found a problem using lump. Less ash for sure and very long cooks with "Wicked Good" lump.

Al
 
I use lump w/ my brisket cooks, Royal Oak. Nice long burns are managable with it just fine. I've had very bad luck w/ Cowboy brand and won't use it for low/slow anymore. Try to get the larger size piece in ring. They behave better, and each bag of lump has a wide array of sizes.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Brian H.:
I have read some people recommend cooking it in the 210-220 range for the first 10 hours and then raise it to 225 to finish? Any comments, also will it be harder to keep the lump at such a low temp? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I do not think the lower temps benefit you, the cook, or the meat. Should you wish to go that route however, plan on a longer cook. Maintaining a lower temp should not be a problem; as Al points out you can get higher temps with lump over Kingsford if you wish, it's not automatic--the temps you get are under your control. Many here start MM lump cooks with Kingsford, something you may wish to do.

If you ever get to Atlanta you can pick up Wicked Good at Spitfire's DC in Lawrenceville. It's a Mon-Fri deal and you have to pay first and give them 2 hours notice. I have not done this--yet--but I recognize their address. It's NE of Atlanta just off 85 N in an industrial park at exit 107.
 
Kevin - thanks for the input. Do you cook your briskets around 225-235 range?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Many here start MM lump cooks with Kingsford, something you may wish to do.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Please explain. Are your first 15-20 coals Kingsford and the rest in the WSM lump, or do you put a layer of kingsford over the lump.


I used to live in Atlanta, and still have a brother over there. Next time I go over there I will make sure to pick some up.
 
Brian--

Yes, 225-235 and yes, fill the ring with lump and then spread the 15-20 Kingsford on top. I am not familiar with Royal Oak but I find this method helpful with WG. It's faster to get the Kingsford lit and, because WG has so many large pieces, I find it easier to spread the Kingsford on top since it's smaller.
 
Lump is a natural product that varies in density and hence heat output. This can be more difficult to deal with than kingsfords uniformity. The bbq guru levels this playing field, and allows the other benefits of lump to shine thru (taste,temp,waste ash)
 
Just because it works well for my setup, I will use lit briquettes to start a Minion Method cook having lump as the primary, unlit fuel. Lump in my non-weber chimney falls through the grate and concerns me because it is near to the wooden deck.

I think there can be a bit of adjustment period when switching between brands or between briqs and lump. Just like Al pointed out, his lump will burn hotter if he lets it.
 
Brian, RO Lump is a very good lump i use it alot. I also use Kingsford to light the lump as others have mentioned. My first cook was with Maple Leaf Lump and i never looked back. And yes it will burn hotter if you let it as stated. Lump has a bad sterotype with burning hotter. That's why there's vents on the WSM use them.
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Ok i feel better now that i got that off my chest.
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" Lump it's what i'm cooking over"
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
Brian, RO Lump is a very good lump i use it alot. I also use Kingsford to light the lump as others have mentioned. My first cook was with Maple Leaf Lump and i never looked back. And yes it will burn hotter if you let it as stated. Lump has a bad sterotype with burning hotter. That's why there's vents on the WSM use them.
icon_wink.gif
Ok i feel better now that i got that off my chest.
icon_biggrin.gif

" Lump it's what i'm cooking over" </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
- If it can burn hotter, then maybe it can burn at the same temp as briquettes for longer.

- A 17lb bag of my lump has signifcantly greater volume than a 20 lb bag of briquettes, with less ash production. So it's not necessarily as expensive as it may seem when compared to briquettes.

- The stuff I use smells fantastic when it lights up and I use a bit less smoke wood than I would with briquettes. (Though some might not like this for everything due to smoke of the lump being used, Maple, Birch, Beech in the case of my lump).

A few of the virtues of lump, courtesy of Bryan S.
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I use Royal Oak lump exclusively and I've never had any problems. It's a good product and I have a good/steady supplier close by.
 
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