charcoal advice

[grillfella]

Hey guys when I use my smoker I have been using big green egg charcoal and my smoking wood of choice. The problem is that the pieces of charcoal are a little small. Is there some other heat source that is bigger that I can use:grin:

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

Have you tried a lump charcoal like Cowboy Brand, Fella? It's usually cheaper than brand name stuff and the pieces can be pretty large. Just remember that that stuff will burn HOT.

 

[grillfella]

Is that the best one in your opinion to use

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

Hmm...It's cheap, it burns well, and it comes in BIG bags...?!! I don't know where you live so you may not have that particular kind, but there will be something near you, I'm sure.

 

[grillfella]

I am in los angeles We have a cowboy brand lump charcoal out here but it burns fast (although I have never used it in my smoker)

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

BigMista should know JUST what you can get in the LA area.

Neil?

 

[grillfella]

thanks Arlin

 

[SP]

Try Royal Oak if they carry it at you local Walmart. I have not been impressed with Cowboy. Its good they recycle floor scraps but its not a great charcoal.

 

[Q_Egg]

Don't know about your cooker/smoker, but BGE lump is usually pretty good. Like most bags, there are large pieces and more smaller ones. Usually BGE has a bit more large chunks than most. Cowboy is lumber pieces, but seems to work fine in the BGE when you are shutting the dampers down a ways for lower temp cooks.. Royal Oak is great if you can find it.

 

[thirdeye]

Guys ..... BGE lump is made by Royal Oak, same stuff just cheaper under the RO name. WallyWorks usually carries RO for about $5 a #10 bag. Some WW's carry B&B lump which is excellent. Any "Do It Best" hardware chain either stocks or can get RO lump (and briquettes too) in #20 bags.

The best review of lump coal can be found HERE.

As far as size and heat goes, mesquite lumps usually have the largest pieces and it burns hot. I have to use a chipping hammer to break the bigger ones. My favorite brand is Lazarri at $9 for a #20 bag.

 

[grillfella]

You are right cowboy does kind of suck, and yes they do carry royal oak at wall mart thanks (by the way what is your opinion on big green egg charcoal)

 

[bowhnter]

I use a mixture of Royal Oak lump and Kingsford. Seems to work pretty well.

 

[Brauma]

Awesome link to the lump review Thirdeye. Thanks.

 

[Oldbob]

Here is what is available in My area...they work well for Me !!

 

[Q_Egg]

Guys ..... BGE lump is made by Royal Oak, same stuff just cheaper under the RO name. WallyWorks usually carries RO for about $5 a #10 bag.

Maybe it's the large size bag and how the filling mechaism operates, but I always find the BGE bags to contain more large chunks than R.O bags from Walmart. The R.O is always great as well ..... but now my local Wally's has brought in a stock of Kingsford CharWood and at higher price. I have delivered a letter strongly requesting more R.O. !!!!

 

[Kirk]

Is there a particular problem with small pieces besides the fact that they fall though the grate? I just put a piece of expanded steel mesh on my charcoal grate whenever I use lump. I never have any trouble with stuff falling through and I don't have to worry about locating one brand or another.

 

[Bigmista]

Go to Smart & Final and get the 40# bag of Best of the West mesquite lump charcoal. I bought a bag the other day for $12.29. I grilled 75 burgers and 75 dogs over an 8# load and never had to add anymore. The guy next to me cooked the same amount of food and ended up using a whole bag of Kingsford.

I can also smoke in my barrel for at least 12 hours with out re loading on about 10#'s of lump and some hickory chunks.

 

[SteerCrazy]

I prefer the B&B lump but found that Royal Oak Lump works just as well. I've used Cowboy Lump and did not like it. I found some Royal Oak Briquettes at Lowe's and found that it burns hotter, longer and has less ash than kingsford. I use a blend of Royal Oak Lump and Royal Oak Briquette.
Just stocked up 12 bags of R.O. Lump from Wal-Mart :lol:

 

[thirdeye]

Maybe it's the large size bag and how the filling mechaism operates, but I always find the BGE bags to contain more large chunks than R.O bags from Walmart. The R.O is always great as well ..... but now my local Wally's has brought in a stock of Kingsford CharWood and at higher price. I have delivered a letter strongly requesting more R.O. !!!!

Tom,

Staying with the same brand, I would have to agree that larger pieces come in #20 bags than in #10 ones. I did buy two #40 pound bags of Lazzari "Hardwood Lump" not Mesquite Lump, in Denver. It was about the best overall quality as far as pieces went. Wish I could get it on a regular basis. Lazzari is bagged in California, maybe Big Mista or some of the other west coast guys have used it.

My WalMart only carries #10 bags of RO, the hardware store only carries the #20's. I have only burned #80 of BGE lump in my life. I have a #20 bag in my warehouse that I'm saving for some god-only-knows reason .... I need to break it out and use it to see first hand if it is more like a RO "select". BGE is $7 or $8 a bag more than RO branded lump, don't think I can justify that.

 

[Brauma]

I just bought a #10 bag of Royal Oak lump at Walmart today for $5.27. Cant wait to try it.