No offense to ye olde K guys, but...

[NCGrimbo]

I've recently become a lump convert. My only real complaint is the poping it does. I'll be sticking with briquettes for my grilling to avoid having pieces of the "popped" lump on the food, but lump only for the low and slow.

 

[Steppenwolf]

Hadn't ever seen any lump here until last Friday at Target, they had some Kingsford there. I think it was a 10# bag for around 6$ or so. Haven't decided to try it yet.
BTW, when you say Cowboy lump is that a name brand or is it some type of lump?

 

[vr6Cop]

Cowboy is a name brand. It's pretty much made from construction debris.

FWIW, I used the Kingsford lump last night, and it popped and crackled way too much for me. I'll be making another run to Wally World for more RO.

I guess the BGE is efficient enough that it controls the burn of the lump. I have a WSM clone that would probably go through lump pretty quickly.

 

[MoKanMeathead]

I use Kingsford because I like the way it cooks.

 

[Scrooge Fan]

For me the answer is simple... the only lump I can find around here is Cowboy, which sucks. If I could find a good quality lump I'd buy it everytime.

I'm in Rockford, IL, and can get Royal Oak at Menards. Have you checked there?

 

[jsimonson0]

Ron and I got a place in Chicago for quality lump (Restaurant grade), but with gas prices, aint worth it.

Our Menards here has had some pretty good Cowboy lump lately. I hear people bitch about how its all powder and no pieces. I get bags that have 6"x4" chunks. Whats wrong with that?

Are you referring to Berger Brothers? If so, I live near there and can probably arrange for drop-offs when I'm in DG/Lombard areas of town. I haven't tried it yet, but for $15 at 40#, I'll give it a shot...

 

[Ron_L]

I'm in Rockford, IL, and can get Royal Oak at Menards. Have you checked there?

Yeah... I practically live at Menards :roll: Ours has royal oak briquettes but not lump.

Are you referring to Berger Brothers? If so, I live near there and can probably arrange for drop-offs when I'm in DG/Lombard areas of town. I haven't tried it yet, but for $15 at 40#, I'll give it a shot...

I didn't catch that in Bill's post, but if that's who he was thinking of we may be able to work something out. Are you a coffee drinker? :-D

 

[thunter]

I just went through a very painful series of cooks where I have been giving lump a very serious shot to be my preferred fuel. I have gone back to kingsford because 1) it burns much longer - I have done a 20 hour cook on one full WSM ring! and 2) I get amazing smoke rings with kingsford.

I have found that lump burns hotter which means it burns faster - for me, thats not good! I do a lot of overnight cooks and I like to fill'er up and let'er go! I have also found that (for me) it is next to impossible to get a decent smoke ring! Maybe its the Indiana climate or something; but, when I use lump -Royal Oak, I either don't get a smoke ring or barely get one. That sucks because lump does provide a very "clean" taste to the meat.

Anyway, the trade-off is acceptable to me - I am sticking with kingsford for smoking and I will use Royal Oak for steaks and other high-heat types of cooks.

Tony

 

[chinesebob]

instead of using the lump charcoal, I buy the bags of wood chunks and use those in my charcoal chimney. And I only use it to get things started. I stick to the hardwood for 99.9% of my cooking. I keep a bag of the K only for emergency situations.

I've put the word out to my friends and anyone else that if they have oak, hickory, or maple to call me and I'll be happy to "dispose" of it for them.
That way I can burn the real thing and not have to spend money on hit or miss "manufactured" wood.

 

[Bill-Chicago]

Are you referring to Berger Brothers? If so, I live near there and can probably arrange for drop-offs when I'm in DG/Lombard areas of town. I haven't tried it yet, but for $15 at 40#, I'll give it a shot...

Bingo!

Ron, is it Peoria Packing where Barbara Ann's BBQ has their hot links made? I think J shops there too.
I'll have to go did that thread up. I think they are 40# cases, maybe split one 3 ways? :razz:

I sometimes miss living in the city. Don't miss my old neighborhood though. Its gone

 

[Kevin]

I've put the word out to my friends and anyone else that if they have oak, hickory, or maple to call me and I'll be happy to "dispose" of it for them.
That way I can burn the real thing and not have to spend money on hit or miss "manufactured" wood.

That's how it works. I've got appointments to take down 2 apple trees. My brother delivers oak and maple. That is what grows here and that is what we use. It's all good.

 

[billm]

For me the answer is simple... the only lump I can find around here is Cowboy, which sucks. If I could find a good quality lump I'd buy it everytime.

Ron-you can get Royal oak Lump at Gordon Food Service in Lombard and Wicked Good at Fireplaces Etc in Vernon Hills
stay away from that Cowboy stuff