Sad Charcoal Day

[Bob Correll]

I opened my last bag of Ozark Oak lump.
They were bought out last year, I think by Royal Oak, not sure.
Some of the very best you could buy, and I was getting it for $16 per 20 lbs. at a local produce place.
The owner would make runs to Arkansas and bring back a trailer load.

Loved the plain bags too, I could name it anything I wanted.

 

[Chris Allingham]

Oh, that is sad. But the pic makes me smile.

 

[Cliff Bartlett]

I actually misted up.

 

[JBooker]

Wal Mart had the big bags of Royal Oak for $9 and I think they were 17lb bags.

 

[Bob H.]

Bob, if you are very careful and turn the Royal Oak bag inside out, you can still write on it with a magic marker after a little cleaning.
Big bag at Menards is $5.96.

 

[Bob Correll]

Bob, if you are very careful and turn the Royal Oak bag inside out, you can still write on it with a magic marker after a little cleaning.
Big bag at Menards is $5.96.

My problem is I dislike RO simply because they keep buying out the mom and pop charcoal producers in Missouri and elsewhere.
I loved Fire King lump before RO bought them out.
My saving grace is the produce guy now gets Timber lump to re-sell, and Timber bags for Rockwood, it's some darn good stuff, and locally owned, for now.

 

[Rich Dahl]

This made me think, I've only used KBB and a little bit of no name lump that came with one of my CL purchases. I did pick up some Stubs at Dumpo when it was on sale but haven't tried it yet, to windy.
I think I'll snoop around a little and see what's out there and give some different lump charcoal a try.

 

[MikeBarger]

I wasn't there at the time, but I've heard some really interesting stories about making lump in kiln's at Highgate, Missouri

 

[Bob Correll]

Fire King was made by Struemph and the plant was in an episode of Dirty Jobs.
Our local PBS station did a piece a few years back on them too.

 

[Jim Lampe]

I do not like Royal Oak either... seems EVERY bag I've had consisted of dust, stones and small pieces.
Not to mention the small rag of piece of clothing i found in one bag.

Grove Lump Charcoal is pretty good stuff. Not sure it's available nationwide...

From Cedar Grove Wisconsin, about 50 north of Milwaukee, between Port Washington and Sheboygan, on the Big Lake.
However, on the bag, it states: A Product Of Canada.

you can read a review on it here→ http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag49.htm
i like this line, "​As for burntime, this charcoal set a new Whiz world record, burning longer than any charcoal we have ever tested. Longer than Brassiero, longer than Kamado extruded coconut. The ash produced in our test burn was very low." coconut. The ash produced in our test burn was very low."

 

[Bob Correll]

If Grove is a product of Canada maybe it's re-bagged Maple Leaf.
Maple Leaf is on my charcoal bucket list.

 

[Jim Lampe]

thought of that too... but i also thought maple leaf went out of business (or bought)

edit: after googling them, i guess they're still alive and burning

 

[JBooker]

Big bag at Menards is $5.96.

Lump or Briquettes.

 

[George Curtis]

Can't you still get lazzari oak lump in calif at yer local bevmo ?

 

[Bob Correll]

Can't you still get lazzari oak lump in calif at yer local bevmo ?

I live in Missouri.
No problem getting quality hardwood lump, but like I said, I prefer buying local from smaller outfits, not large corporations.

 

[Rich Dahl]

I live in Missouri.
No problem getting quality hardwood lump, but like I said, I prefer buying local from smaller outfits, not large corporations.

Bob, have you ever tried this?

http://rockwoodcharcoal.com/

I can get it at my local Ace Hardware, thinking of trying it. Comes from you part of the world.

Ace also has this... kind of interesting I thought

http://bdcharwood.com/

 

[Bob H.]

Lump or Briquettes.

Both lump or briquettes

 

[Bob Correll]

Bob, have you ever tried this?

http://rockwoodcharcoal.com/

I can get it at my local Ace Hardware, thinking of trying it.

Yep.
Very good local stuff, but about 4 bucks more a bag than I like to pay.
Timber charcoal, mentioned above, bags it for Rockwood, so I started buying that instead.
I did a little review here.