Lump is carcinogenic but wood isn't?

D

Dave Russell

Guest
That's what a certain cooker company's sales rep told me this morning.

We'd talked a bit about their fancy plug in pellet pooper a bit, and I'd devulged that I cook with charcoal and lump on kettles and a bullet. Well, after I told him I couldn't drop the cash if I wanted to since my daughter was getting married Saturday he started in what seemed to amount to me as scare tactics. Just sayin'...

Any truth to his claim though? He said that ALL charcoal was carcinogenic, including LUMP. Isn't is just wood that's partially burnt up? Not that I'm a carcinogenaphobe, but SAY IT ISN'T SO!!! :confused:
 
It isnt so. I am sure someone someplace will say that this is bad or that is bad, but people have been cooking on charcoal and lump for a long time and to say some thing like that is only showing his ignorance. And yes lump is wood.
 
Dave Russell said:
That's what a certain cooker company's sales rep told me this morning.

We'd talked a bit about their fancy plug in pellet pooper a bit, and I'd devulged that I cook with charcoal and lump on kettles and a bullet. Well, after I told him I couldn't drop the cash if I wanted to since my daughter was getting married Saturday he started in what seemed to amount to me as scare tactics. Just sayin'...

Any truth to his claim though? He said that ALL charcoal was carcinogenic, including LUMP. Isn't is just wood that's partially burnt up? Not that I'm a carcinogenaphobe, but SAY IT ISN'T SO!!! :confused:
Click to expand...

First notion would be the thought in reverse; since lump is already pre-burnt and the VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) mostly removed... would be less than straight wood.
 
BBQ Bandit said:
First notion would be the thought in reverse; since lump is already pre-burnt and the VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) mostly removed... would be less than straight wood.
Click to expand...

^^^^ What he said.
 
Well, I make my own Lump; And I'm pretty sure it was wood when I started.....:loco: It's like the time I went car shopping and was lookin at a used Mitsubishi, and the salesman said, "It's a well built car, didja know Mitsubishi is built by Toyota?" Salesmen will try anything.....

joe

p.s. I was once a salesman, I can say that.
 
Who knew Twinsfan was right: we should be boiling those ribs! :wink:
 
Thanks, guys.

When pressed as to why the lump would produce carcinogens when burnt, but wood pellets wouldn't, the guy tried to say it had to do with the way lump was made. Good thing I had no interest buying the grill in queastion since the guy really started to get on my nerves the more he talked.
 
probably 99 % of his customers believe him. so he goes with that.
 
It is in the state of California. In fact, everything is known to be carcinogenic to the state of California. Even the yet to be discovered cure for cancer is known to be carcinogenic to the state of California.
 
Boshizzle said:
It is in the state of California. In fact, everything is known to be carcinogenic to the state of California. Even the yet to be discovered cure for cancer is known to be carcinogenic to the state of California.
Click to expand...

Yep, land of fruits and nuts....(Sorry, Uncle Tommy and all the other fine folks out there!)
 
likeadeere said:
Well, I make my own Lump; And I'm pretty sure it was wood when I started.....:loco: It's like the time I went car shopping and was lookin at a used Mitsubishi, and the salesman said, "It's a well built car, didja know Mitsubishi is built by Toyota?" Salesmen will try anything.....

joe

p.s. I was once a salesman, I can say that.
Click to expand...
Yep me too! I did an internship for a rat poison company one time and was a "temporary sales associate" they gave me a "sales kit" some freebies to give potential customers and 4 states to cover... Fresh out of college with a liscense to travel in a company vehicle with all expenses paid... Hell, I stayed in every 4-5 star Hotel and ate at every 5 star restaurant I came across... Burnt premium gas too... Never had a job where I could write off beer and boudin as a legitimate "expense" and get remimbursed for it!!!!:thumb: I thought I had died and went to "college" heaven!!!

One of the sales pitches I had was how safe the rat poison was and it was species specific so I would take some product out and lick it! If that didn't work I would take a little nibble of it.... I sold TRUCKLOADS of that stuff to those farm Co-Ops!!!! I don't know if I was just a good salesman or if they just felt sorry for me for eating rat poison and stuff:becky:
 
mbshop said:
probably 99 % of his customers believe him. so he goes with that.
Click to expand...

George, just remembered another funny selling point the guy used. He basically said: "See those rotisserie chickens over there?" (It was in Costco.) "The rottisserie turns the birds around in the hot air so they cook evenly, but the Traeger moves the air around the meat so it cooks just as evenly." I wanted to ask if his grills would make chickens self-basting without a rottisserie, but didn't. :tape:
 
Bluehawg said:
One of the sales pitches I had was how safe the rat poison was and it was species specific so I would take some product out and lick it! If that didn't work I would take a little nibble of it.... I sold TRUCKLOADS of that stuff to those farm Co-Ops!!!! I don't know if I was just a good salesman or if they just felt sorry for me for eating rat poison and stuff:becky:
Click to expand...

Hah!! That's funny. :laugh:
 
Dave Russell said:
George, just remembered another funny selling point the guy used. He basically said: "See those rotisserie chickens over there?" (It was in Costco.) "The rottisserie turns the birds around in the hot air so they cook evenly, but the Traeger moves the air around the meat so it cooks just as evenly." I wanted to ask if his grills would make chickens self-basting without a rottisserie, but didn't. :tape:
Click to expand...

He's somewhat right about that. I've got that built into my oven (convection cooking), and the air movement makes for much more even cooking, and quicker cooking.

He's just wrong about the rotisserie: it moves the bird evenly over the heat source, as opposed to it being stuck on one side.

Of course, there's very little the guy is right about. Cut him a break though: he's just trying to make sales.

The MIT piece is an eye opener, and explains quite well why the food from my BWS tastes so much better than the food from my Weber kettle.
 
Dave Russell said:
George, just remembered another funny selling point the guy used. He basically said: "See those rotisserie chickens over there?" (It was in Costco.) "The rottisserie turns the birds around in the hot air so they cook evenly, but the Traeger moves the air around the meat so it cooks just as evenly." I wanted to ask if his grills would make chickens self-basting without a rottisserie, but didn't. :tape:
Click to expand...
Sounds like not only do the smokers he was trying to sell ran off hot air but the salespeople do as well:becky:

Sales 101:

If you can't dazzle em with brilliance, baffle em with bullshnit!
 
btcg said:
Cut him a break though: he's just trying to make sales.

The MIT piece is an eye opener, and explains quite well why the food from my BWS tastes so much better than the food from my Weber kettle.
Click to expand...

Cut him some slack? There's too many sales-slackers out there, and they give sales people a bad name.

Been a long time, but I've had a couple of TOUGH sales gigs. And I can tell you that selling pellet poopers at rock bottom prices in the middle of Costco is not a tough gig. At least not in the wealthiest county in Tennessee....especially if they have a convection fan. :thumb:

Regarding the baseless carcinogenic claim I posted about though, it's just another example of a salesperson relying on bad info to make up for their bad performance.

Anyhow, the Missus would've been proud, 'cause I simply mentioned Chris Lilly winning MIM so many times and Kingsford being his sponsor as I walked away.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

motoeric
Bbq story
Replies
14
Views
1K
oldgfbbq
O
J
Assassin 28 Renovation - Before & After (long - w/much pron)
Replies
19
Views
3K
darita
D
Fwismoker
Secret new cooker REVEALED!!! "007"
22 23 24
Replies
464
Views
79K
pjtexas1
pjtexas1
B
Recap with 2 offsests,WSM,and electric smoker
Replies
2
Views
370
Ron_L
Ron_L
F
Help me select a Q
2 3 4
Replies
60
Views
3K
TailGateJoecom
TailGateJoecom
Back
Top