[Beentown]

Originally Posted by bcm1947

Maybe some of you stick burners can help me out here. If lump charcoal is lump because it is wood that is not completely burned to ash, then it should still give you a smoked taste in your bbq similar to burning stick wood. If you are burning lump charcoal made from white oak it should still have some of what makes it white oak. I realize that it is not the same as the complete process of burning sticks of wood in your smoker, but it will flavor your bbq, somewhat like the wood it was made from. Not trying to really make a point with my posts on this thread, just trying to learn something here. Thanks

Moisture in the wood is the main difference but also when you burn a log of hardwood you have chemicals being burnt off that have already been burnt off in lump during the process to make it charcoal.

Alcohols
Benzene
Zinc
Methane
Potassium
Sulfur
Sodium
Magnesium
ETC...

Basically, wood burns and some chemicals dissolve and some chemicals attaches to other chemicals present in the meat (myoglobin and such). Some of those important hardwood chemicals are aromatic polymers. Love me some cherry and hickory aromatic polymers....;)


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