Question on lump piece size


 
P

Pat McCreight

TVWBB Pro
I have mostly used briquettes when I smoke, but I did run solely on lump for 3-4 months. I don't feel like I could achieve even close to the same burn time as briquettes, so I think I'm missing something. I use Royal Oak briquettes and Royal Oak lump, for reference. I have tried stoker-assisted and non-assisted cooks both way.

So my question is - When i read reviews of lump on the nakedwhiz, a fair amount of attention is paid to the size distribution of lump in the bag. Are bigger pieces good, or is there just a certain way to pack the charcoal ring. If so, can someone share what they do? I like the smell and "natural" side of lump, but right now I need more consistency with my cooks. And I am getting much more consistency with briquettes.

Any advice is appreciated.

Pat
 
Careful packing of the ring in the trick. Pour in some lump then arrange to minimize spaces; repeat till full.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
Careful packing of the ring in the trick. Pour in some lump then arrange to minimize spaces; repeat till full. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Kevin - Is there a certain preference for where the larger pieces should go? Top, bottom, or does it not really matter as long as the ring is packed tightly?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pat McCreight:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
Careful packing of the ring in the trick. Pour in some lump then arrange to minimize spaces; repeat till full. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Kevin - Is there a certain preference for where the larger pieces should go? Top, bottom, or does it not really matter as long as the ring is packed tightly? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I let what falls out of the bag first dictate what goes where. If I dump out some lump and it's big pieces first, then they go on the bottom. If it's small to medium then that's what goes on the bottom. Fill your ring up to 1/3rd full and arrange it some, so there's no big gaps and just rock the bowl back and forth. Repeat with another 1/3rd and arrange then rock and if some really big pieces fall out on the 2nd 1/3rd save them for the top. Fill to top or mounded and rock back and forth. Then add the really big pieces to the top. HTH
 
What Bryan says. If there are pieces that are just too big for how I am trying to stack, I just break them up. They snap pretty easily, I wear a pair of those heavy leather gloves if I'm breaking up more than a couple pieces - but not necessary.
 
as for the big size question, burning longer, etc. I have used pretty darn huge chunks of misquite quite often because of whats available to me in my area, and thought it would burn longer. After a time I realized they probably dont burn much longer then Royal Oak, etc., if not even about the same. I don't know if the denser wood, being charred, would necessarily mean burn longer at that point to me, although there was a while where I thought it would. I pry didn't pack my char. ring good enough, prev. times I suppose. I was just partial to the misquite lump is all. you'll pry be happier next time around with the advice above.
 
Usually I put a layer of briquettes on the bottom then pour some lump on top. I kinda push down on the lump and move it around a little so it packs down. I'll do this a couple of times.

Ive heard of people dumping out their lump at home and sort by size. Then they break the bigger pieces down to the "average" size of the smaller lump. I don't. Thats too much like work.

Pat, we're going to De Forest this weekend. Will you be anywhere near there? If so stop by, hit me over the head, and remind me. I'll show you what I do.
 
I've used lump but honestly for me it didn't seem worth the work in terms of packing it. I use Rancher, dump it in and I'm ready to go. Now if I didn't have 20 bags of Rancher sitting in my garage this may be a different story.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Abrams:
Pat, we're going to De Forest this weekend. Will you be anywhere near there? If so stop by, hit me over the head, and remind me. I'll show you what I do. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I can't make it to DeForest, but I hope to visit with some teams at Elk Grove the following weekend. Are you doing that comp as well?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LarryR:
I've used lump but honestly for me it didn't seem worth the work in terms of packing it. I use Rancher, dump it in and I'm ready to go. Now if I didn't have 20 bags of Rancher sitting in my garage this may be a different story. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Most of the time that's actually what I do with lump, smoking or grilling. I usually just dump it into the ring on the WSM and throw some lit on top. The times I've stacked was only on long cooks where I was trying to get as much in as possible.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pat McCreight:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Abrams:
Pat, we're going to De Forest this weekend. Will you be anywhere near there? If so stop by, hit me over the head, and remind me. I'll show you what I do. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I can't make it to DeForest, but I hope to visit with some teams at Elk Grove the following weekend. Are you doing that comp as well? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Unless we win big in DeForest this weekend, we will be judging at Elk Grove. If we win big then we may try to get in as a last minute entry.
 
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