Which Fuel Are You Using?

[Vette10R]

I've always used kingsford in my old 18" but just picked up a performer and a bag of cheap lump charcoal. I like how the lump doesn't smell as strong and the taste is good but I'm seeing the weber briquettes and wondering how those compare? Also is the more expensive lump charcoal better?

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[charred]

I've been a >95% lump guy for the last 3 years or so. I don't do rings of fire much at all and see little advantage to using briqs. All briqs smoke and stink more than lump, imo. It's the nature of the beast.

I'll take any lump over any briq any day of the week.

That said, I grabbed 11 bags of the discounted Weber briqs.

[RedWeberWanabe]

I've been a >95% lump guy for the last 3 years or so. I don't do rings of fire much at all and see little advantage to using briqs. All briqs smoke and stink more than lump, imo. It's the nature of the beast.

I'll take any lump over any briq any day of the week.

That said, I grabbed 11 bags of the discounted Weber briqs.

Been dabbling in the lump charcoals this summer.  I don't like the way it just throws out the red Sparks and ash when I have the chimney full and burning before they get all ashy.  Kinda of crazy sometimes.  Forget the name, cowboy maybe?

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[Merkong]

Still learning how to work with lump. I like it but it's a work in progress.


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[Hell Fire Grill]

  I don't like the way it just throws out the red Sparks and ash when I have the chimney full and burning before they get all ashy.

Your over heating it, notice how the sparks stop just after the lid goes down.

Fill your chimney with the amount of charcoal needed to do the job. Full will work but not usually necessary for grilled foods unless your cooking grate is clear full.

then....before you light it...dump 2/3 of it on the fire grate...light the rest. When its good & hot spread it over the unlit or bank it to one end of a pile (alot like a snake). When you spread it over the unlit give it a few minutes with the lid off to get to just under your desired temp and allow the fire to run to the unlit a little.

If lump charcoal is allowed to ash over in the chimney about 30% of it is wasted.

All that will take longer to make happen but the quality of the food will be better than what youll get from any briquette.

[Joetee]

  I don't like the way it just throws out the red Sparks and ash when I have the chimney full and burning before they get all ashy.

Your over heating it, notice how the sparks stop just after the lid goes down.

Fill your chimney with the amount of charcoal needed to do the job. Full will work but not usually necessary for grilled foods unless your cooking grate is clear full.

then....before you light it...dump 2/3 of it on the fire grate...light the rest. When its good & hot spread it over the unlit or bank it to one end of a pile (alot like a snake). When you spread it over the unlit give it a few minutes with the lid off to get to just under your desired temp and allow the fire to run to the unlit a little.

If lump charcoal is allowed to ash over in the chimney about 30% of it is wasted.

All that will take longer to make happen but the quality of the food will be better than what youll get from any briquette.

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[Vette10R]

Thanks for the info, I think I'll grab some of the weber briquettes and give them a shot.

I also used the cowboy lump and not sure if I like that brand much? The pieces are very small and most fall through into the ash pan. Is there a brand worth spending the extra cash on to get bigger chunks?

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[Mkrause]

I've used royal oak lump but I'm not a fan of the inconsistency of the size. Some are obviously a 2x4 end maybe 4 inches long while some is small enough to fall through the grates. As far as the smell, i think the weber briquettes smell more similar to the lump than kbb does.

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[HoosierKettle]

I prefer lump for winter time cooking strictly because I like the sparks and watching the chimney glow. It's dark early so something to entertain myself in the winter.

I prefer lump for everything but have switched back to briqs for consistent size. Just seems to be a more efficient and cheaper fuel than lump.


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[Hell Fire Grill]

The nature of lump is 100% random. To get the most out of it youll have to break it down to somewhat consistently size pieces. Burn everything but the dust, that dont burn well because of the lack of air flow it creates. Double crossing your fire grates will help keep the bits up where they'll burn and reduce waste, a piece of expanded metal will work too.

Hang out here for a while and pay attention to the pics of how some of the grillfellas manage their fires.

[charred]

I've been a >95% lump guy for the last 3 years or so. I don't do rings of fire much at all and see little advantage to using briqs. All briqs smoke and stink more than lump, imo. It's the nature of the beast.

I'll take any lump over any briq any day of the week.

That said, I grabbed 11 bags of the discounted Weber briqs.

Been dabbling in the lump charcoals this summer.  I don't like the way it just throws out the red Sparks and ash when I have the chimney full and burning before they get all ashy.  Kinda of crazy sometimes.  Forget the name, cowboy maybe?

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Yeah, that's sounds like Cowboy! As HK said, Cowboy is fun in the dark- cool sparks display. Feels patriotic. 

HFG's post pretty much nails it. There are a few things that can be done to make lump "better".

In terms of economics- briqs leave so much more ash than lump that I wonder how much cheaper it really is, especially if lump can be had on sale. When I first saw how much less ash lump leaves, I was sold because I want to pay for fuel, not ash, and I don't like to clean. 

For me, lump is easier. I usually have leftover usable coal after a cook. For the next cook I pour a partial lit chimney on it and it's good to go.

In the WSM, be sure to pack lump tightly. I lightly stomp on it to minimize air pockets.

Hardwood briqs I guess try to find a happy medium and that's why I bought the Weber. I still prefer lump. I grabbed some CharBroil center cut lump but haven't used it yet.

[bbqbill]

Ive used lump for about 18 years. I like Cowboy or Royal Oak. I teach bbq classes. Briquettes have what they call binders in them. Its the shiny specks that you see. Thats also adhesive. Thats part of the distinct smell that they have. Cheap lump charcoal like the stuff from Sams does spark and pop alot. The lump from out of the United States like from Argentina stinks and sparks alot kinda smells like a tire burning. There is no need to buy Big Green Egg or Primo charcoal for $27  a bag because its Royal Oak or Cowboy charcoal just depends on who gets the bid.

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[kettlebb]

Primary is Stubbs and I have some Weber briquettes I haven't used yet. I didn't like Lump for the inconsistent size pieces and all the popping and sparking. I usually also had uncarbonized pieces that would impart bad flavor. I don't have any of those problems with briquettes.


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[HoosierKettle]

Ive used lump for about 18 years. I like Cowboy or Royal Oak. I teach bbq classes. Briquettes have what they call binders in them. Its the shiny specks that you see. Thats also adhesive. Thats part of the distinct smell that they have. Cheap lump charcoal like the stuff from Sams does spark and pop alot. The lump from out of the United States like from Argentina stinks and sparks alot kinda smells like a tire burning. There is no need to buy Big Green Egg or Primo charcoal for $27  a bag because its Royal Oak or Cowboy charcoal just depends on who gets the bid.

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I've tried royal oak and the junk sams club sells. Royal oak is much better. It will snap and crackle a little but the sams club stuff is ridiculous. I also found pieces of red brick in the sams club stuff. I will gladly stock up on royal oak lump when it's on sale. It's my favorite in the wsm.


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[davekkk]

I really like lump, no particular brand. It starts easily and is ready for grilling quickly. I light about half a chimney and dump on unlit as mentioned above, works fine. I am trying out the Weber stuff now, takes a little longer starting up but I am guessing will last longer.

Funny, I like the smell of lump in the winter months as it reminds me of the wood stove growing up.