Don't use lump

[EricD]

Hey Guys,  I got to use the WSM again this weekend for a rack of St. Louis ribs for the games.   I had an opened bag of RO lump so I dumped a chimney worth in the WSM, then lit another chimney and dumped on top and 4 chunks of Hickory.  It came up to temp and settled at 236.  Threw the ribs on and went in to watch the game wit hmy trusty Maverick beside me.   Everything was going great...UNTIl...about 2.5-3 hrs in and my temp is dropping...run outside and open the bottom vents a little more.  Thinking to myself "well this is strange".   Go back in to watch the games and temp is still dropping.  WTF?!?!
I go back outside and decide to open the door....Gone!  The lump and chunks had vanished!!  There was a small ember left and I was able to get it going again with Briqs and saved the ribs!!
BUT.....  only 3 hours for two full chimneys??   
I won't be using lump again in the WSM!

[LightningBoldtz]

Right, WSM's work better with briquettes than lump.

[kettlebb]

I actually am no longer using lump with any of my cooks. The last straw was when I tried to do peaches on the kettle. There must have been some uncarbonized pieces because the peaches tastes like they came right out of a camp fire. Stubbs burns so clean. Did steaks last night over Stubbs and it was awesome.


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[EricD]

Ya, I'm not a fan of lump anymore, either.  It burns way to fast.  I liked it at first for hot and fast cooks.  I did wings a while ago with lump and it burnt out before the wings were done!  It was hot enough, but I had to add a little bit more to keep the temp up to finish the wings.  I find I have much better control with briqs anyway.

[TheDude]

I mostly use briquettes. Lump for steaks. That's about it.

[pbe gummi bear]

I mostly use briquettes. Lump for steaks. That's about it.

I agree here esp given the cost difference between then two. Lump doesn't have as much impact on the flavor for smoking as much as the smoke wood does. You need to pack the lump together real tight to get long burns on a wsm. You're gonna have a bad time if you measure briquettes to lump by loose volume.

[swamprb]

the sky is falling!

the sky is falling!

[swamprb]

WTF???  Are you guys serious?? @pbe gummi bear @TheDude @EricD @kettlebb

I'm assuming you are using a 22" WSM?  Allow me to RANT on this......

Lump DOES impart another flavor profile you won't get with briqs, it burns FASTER so that means you need to use MORE than a measly 2 chimneys worth for this cook, if $$$ is a factor then you need to get an electric smoker, and fuel is fuel and you need to learn to properly use a WSM. I can't believe this shit!

[TheDude]

@swamprb I don't notice a lot of flavor difference, from lump to briquettes. Although I usually let my coals ash over, before I start cooking. It's the heat you can get from lump, that I like for searing steaks. $ isn't a huge factor, but there isn't a huge lump selection in my area. RO is about the best I can get, and that's about a $1/lb. KBB is cheap on the holiday sales. I keep a couple hundred lbs in the garage. If it doesn't impart flavor... no use in using it. I also don't like refueling. I have an 18.5 and 14.5. Haven't used the 14.5, as it's still being restored.

[pbe gummi bear]

WTF???  Are you guys serious?? @pbe gummi bear @TheDude @EricD @kettlebb

I'm assuming you are using a 22" WSM?  Allow me to RANT on this......

Lump DOES impart another flavor profile you won't get with briqs, it burns FASTER so that means you need to use MORE than a measly 2 chimneys worth for this cook, if $$$ is a factor then you need to get an electric smoker, and fuel is fuel and you need to learn to properly use a WSM. I can't believe this shit!

Lump vs. Stubbs vs. KBB does affect the flavor of the food but imo not as much as the additional smoke wood and spices I use. My recipes and tastebuds are not that nuanced. I can't tell what charcoal I used by the time I dip the meat in Sweet Baby Rays!

[bear]

WTF???  Are you guys serious?? @pbe gummi bear @TheDude @EricD @kettlebb

I'm assuming you are using a 22" WSM?  Allow me to RANT on this......

Lump DOES impart another flavor profile you won't get with briqs, it burns FASTER so that means you need to use MORE than a measly 2 chimneys worth for this cook, if $$$ is a factor then you need to get an electric smoker, and fuel is fuel and you need to learn to properly use a WSM. I can't believe this shit!

I'm with @swamprb on this. I ONLY use lump. I can easily get 18 hours from a fully loaded 18" WSM (minion method), and the flavor is much better than briquettes.

Now I accept that briquettes down under are likely inferior to that found in the U.S. but I am surprised at the number of respondents who don't like lump.

[kettlebb]

@swamprb there are two things to consider here. Heat intensity and flavor. Sure we can all agree that lump burns hotter and you need more fuel for most cooks when compared to briquettes. However, flavor is entirely subjective. For example when I've used lump for burgers and steaks I do enjoy the nice oak wood tones in the meat. The last few cooks however there have been some bad flavors due to pieces that weren't fully "cooked" to pure carbon. Stubbs always burns clean. Last steaks over Stubbs were better than the others according to my wife. I don't own a WSM so I can't speak to the setup but when I've smoked on my kettle, it's been a bigger pain in the ass with lump. I'm usually out every 1-1.5 hours messing with fuel and vents. When I do a minion with Stubbs I can get 5 hours of play time with the kid, take a nap, plop my ass on the couch and watch some football. For me, I'll take the ladder.


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[HoosierKettle]

I'm a lump hater as well. Only used it a couple times so probably user error.


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[EricD]

@swamprb, I agree Lump does have a different flavor profile.   But for low and slow cooking ,I'm going to use some kind of chunk wood for flavoring anyway.  I don't need the flavor from the lump when briqs will burn better and longer, IMO.
I do have a 22" WSM and cost isn't a factor.   I had an open bag of lump and thought I'd try it.  I was just shocked that it burned out so fast.  This was also only my 3rd cook in the monster.  I won't be using lump in the WSM anymore.
I will continue to use lump for hot and fast cooks though.  I've re-thought my second post! Lump may actually be better for burgers, dogs, steaks, etc....things that cook in a relatively short time.

[Travis]

I don't own a wsm, but built a uds. I made my own charcoal basket (which is a basket) that holds about 10 lbs of lump. I've had that go minion style for about 17 hrs. I was under the impression that using lump which creates way less ash was best for a uds so as to not clog air flow. I've used lump once on a low and slow kettle cook and it sucked. Temp swings etc.. Personally, I like the briquettes for the uniformity for the snake method or even just indirect for my kettle. I'll continue with lump for the uds.

One thing to consider though is that if lump charcoal is processed correctly at the plant, it will not impart any wood flavor whatsoever. Just like every charcoal, it's being carbonized. You can run into a bag where it was improperly processed and find a uncarbonized piece. That will impart wood smoke. Other than that, you have to add wood to your fuel source for wood smoke when cooking with charcoal. Lump or briqs.

I personally cook with whatever's on sale. I'll get some Stubbs when it hits cause it does have less ash and less smoke when low and slow. I kill kbb when goes on sale for every day cook and pick up a bag or two of or lump when it's on sale cause for my area, that's about the best brand. The rest have too many small pieces and foreign material. I stopped wasting my money.


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