Random thoughts on charcoal

HoosierKettle · September 14, 2017, 07:41:45 AM

Ive been experimenting with different charcoals lately after being primarily being a kbb user. What I have come to realize is that I haven't met a briquette that I didn't like. All have their pros and cons.

Kbb: great sustained high heat. Produces more ash.

Royal oak: great all around. Imparts the best flavor imo.

Stubbs and weber. Very similar. Great for low and slow but slow to start comparatively.

Kingsford comp: great all around but seems to not last as long comparatively.

Royal oak lump: my favorite lump that I have tried so far. Usually lots of shake but it burns nice and I don't usually find contaminants. Starts fast and low ash as I assume most lump does.

Right now I'm liking the royal oak and the kingsford comp the best out of what I tried but I haven't done anything over a 4 hour cook with either so need to try that.

Just some random thoughts based upon nothing scientific. Mileage may vary. At the end of the day, it makes very little difference to me which one I'm using for cooks 4-5 hours or less.

What's your go to coal?

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bigredmf · September 14, 2017, 07:44:41 AM

I recently moved away from briquettes and back to lump

It is amazing the difference in the amount of ash

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HoosierKettle · September 14, 2017, 07:51:41 AM

Quote from: bigredmf on September 14, 2017, 07:44:41 AM
I recently moved away from briquettes and back to lump

It is amazing the difference in the amount of ash

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Lump is really my favorite fuel to do all grilling and smoking with. Fast start and low ash is awesome. I just get tired of having the occasional contaminants and inconsistent size and the amount of waste.

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MDurso · September 14, 2017, 07:52:48 AM

I am primarily a Kingsford basic user with Royal Oak as a back up. Even Walgreens "Arrow" brand in a pinch (is that still around?). I use it on a smokey joe up to a 22 kettle then the 14/18 WSM.

ALL testing at Weber (at least previous to 2009) was done with Kingsford for 2 reasons. Consistency and that is what most people would end up using. Yep.. not even the Weber Heat Beads.

I haven't tried any of the newer Weber offerings, but if it's like the old days, it's a repackaging of someone else's something I would assume.

Cowboy and various others would send free pallets to Weber to use, but it was tossed, given away, or put on the shelf. The problem with Cowboy and a lot of those is that they're all just random cut-offs from lumber yards and furniture builders. You never know what you're getting and way too inconsistent for the family cooking a weekend steak.

kettlebb · September 14, 2017, 07:56:47 AM

My go to is Stubbs and I like to keep the Royal Oak Ridge briquettes around also. I like RO for grilling because it's really cheap with the sales and I think it starts fast and burns super hot. Stubbs is the tits when it comes to clean low ash fuel.

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Schaefd2 · September 14, 2017, 08:07:41 AM

kettlebb has literally spent hours researching this while we worked at the same job awhile ago. Probably why he got nothing done

Anyway, he did enough research for us both, so I follow his guidance as a time saver to me. Stubbs is my briqs of choice. My everyday go-to is GFS Lump (Royal Oak rebranded). However, I have recently acquired evidence that lump charcoal is known to bend the ash sweeps in the bottom of the kettle. For this reason, I just started considering going back to briqs primarily.

wessonjb · September 14, 2017, 08:46:47 AM

Was kbb until I stocked up on the Weber charcoal at target. Never liked RO or lump that much. I would rate Weber , Stubbs , KBb

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Big Dawg · September 14, 2017, 12:59:59 PM

I'm a steady KBB user. First because I'm cheap and you can't those sales at Lowes/Home Depot.

From there, I see no downside. No one in my family, even extended family, has ever mentioned any "bad taste" associated with anything that I've grilled or smoked. I tried some Royal Oak briquettes and, in a very unscientific manner, noticed nothing different. The amount of ash is not a problem, my trash can is only about a dozen steps from my Weber. If it fills up more quickly, that's okay because, frankly, I need the exercise ! ! ! I've even got a big bag of Royal Oak lump, but frankly have not found a reason to open it. I will at some point, I guess . . .

BD

HoosierKettle · September 14, 2017, 01:15:55 PM

Quote from: Big Dawg on September 14, 2017, 12:59:59 PM
I'm a steady KBB user. First because I'm cheap and you can't those sales at Lowes/Home Depot.

From there, I see no downside. No one in my family, even extended family, has ever mentioned any "bad taste" associated with anything that I've grilled or smoked. I tried some Royal Oak briquettes and, in a very unscientific manner, noticed nothing different. The amount of ash is not a problem, my trash can is only about a dozen steps from my Weber. If it fills up more quickly, that's okay because, frankly, I need the exercise ! ! ! I've even got a big bag of Royal Oak lump, but frankly have not found a reason to open it. I will at some point, I guess . . .

BD

Yep. I'll still use more kbb than anything because of finding it on sale. I'll use any briquette as long as it's on sale. That's my first requirement. All else is figured after that. I am looking forward to trying out the weber charcoal in the wsm. I don't know if it's the size or the content but it takes forever to light but Burns long. Seems like it stretches much further pound for pound.

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steveOH · September 14, 2017, 01:24:35 PM

My go to is kbb but I also use royal oak. I think royal oak doesn't start as easy. I use newspaper and a chimney. Recently I tried true living from dollar general and I think it is identical to royal oak.

Foster Dahlet · September 14, 2017, 02:44:00 PM

I use RO...it is usually the best price per pound....but I'll use KBB if that is what is lying around. I just picked up a bag of B&B Oak Charcoal briquettes & will try it out this weekend. I love Stubbs, but it sells at about 50% more per pound than RO, so I stopped buying it.

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Campwhatnot · September 14, 2017, 02:52:02 PM

Up here in Canada I seem to like the R.O. briquettes. I like Weber briquettes but they are $25 for 20# bag. I like dragons breath lump as well. 20# bag for $5 and that's a steal of deal up here. I'm not a fan of kingsford blue. I find the smoke from the binding agent foul while it heats up to ash over.

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Schaefd2 · September 14, 2017, 05:28:01 PM

Quote from: Campwhatnot on September 14, 2017, 02:52:02 PM
I'm not a fan of kingsford blue. I find the smoke from the binding agent foul while it heats up to ash over.

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This.
I can always pick out KBB when someone in the neighborhood fires it up.

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mdb240 · September 14, 2017, 05:49:04 PM

Someone came to the back of my house to make sure my house wasn't on fire the first (and only) time I have used it. I was lighting 2 chimneys and the smoke was unreal.

Schaefd2 · September 14, 2017, 06:19:03 PM

Quote from: mdb240 on September 14, 2017, 05:49:04 PM
Someone came to the back of my house to make sure my house wasn't on fire the first (and only) time I have used it. I was lighting 2 chimneys and the smoke was unreal.

KBB?

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Random thoughts on charcoal