I might be a charcoal snob

[DaveMW]

Whenever I have cooked on my Weber kettle I have always used lump charcoal, never briquettes. Recently I built my first UDS and saw a good price for Kingsford Blue so I grabbed a couple of bags. I loaded up my UDS this past weekend and had a practice burn to learn how the temps would act etc. It burned great; 250 - 275 for 6 hrs without having to adjust anything and used only a fraction of the charcoal in my basket. BUT, what I did notice was the smell of the smoke coming from the charcoal. I am sure it was the charcoal and not anything else. I am very hesitant to try cooking with the KB now. I am not afraid it will make the food funky or harmful in any way, it is charcoal afterall, just not sure that is the flavor I want to impart on my food. KB is cheaper for me to buy than RO which is my main reason for trying it.

Anyone else ever notice this after previously using lump?

 

[deguerre]

Heck. I noticed it after using Stubbs, which is usually what I get unless I'm getting Kingsford Comp, which is another favorite. I do like it for high heat cooks though and have not noticed anything offputting flavorwise.

 

[caseydog]

The only difference I notice is when the fire is just getting started. Once up to temperature and burning efficiently, my KB smoke smells fine. In fact, by itself, the KB smoke is pretty mild. My wood chunks create almost all the smoke flavor.

CD

 

[Smokin' D]

My go to lump is Wicked Good. Love that stuff! I have never used K. I have used Stubb's and Wicked Good briquettes though. The smell from the WG lump is great. Not so much from the briquettes. I will light briqs in a chimney to get the fire going but will not use it as the main fuel for a cook. Unpleasant smell is the main reason. I guess I'm a snob too.

 

[landarc]

I use KB and RO briquettes, either alone or in combo with lump, sometimes I just use lump, it never seems to matter all that much. It ends up coming down to how well I plan the cook. Briquettes do burn nicely and more evenly in a UDS than lump does.

 

[Spydermike72]

I hear this all the time and I have yet to smell anything weird with the Blue Bag. I do get a very strong smell from RO Briqs when I first light them... I have never had any bad taste or aftertaste after using either Kingsford, RO, or Lump...

 

[Harbormaster]

Kingsford has never seen the inside of one of my cookers.
To me it has a very strong petroleum/fossil fuel/coal/ammonia type smell. I do not want that on my food, or the residue in my cookers.

My opinion.

 

[teej]

I don't like KB because of the way it burns. Otherwise, I've never gotten a bad flavor or smell on the food because of it.

 

[Wampus]

Kingsford has never seen the inside of one of my cookers.
To me it has a very strong petroleum/fossil fuel/coal/ammonia type smell. I do not want that on my food, or the residue in my cookers.

My opinion.

:crazy:

(I only say that because I know you and you KNOW I'm farkin around Clark)



Seriously, I agree with Spydermike72. I've cooked with both RO lump and KB extensively and don't notice a funky smell at all. The only noticeable difference at all is that KB will give you more ash but I find that it burns more consistently than lump. I have much MUCH more spikes and lulls with lump than with K briq's.



YOU, sir.....are just being a charcoal snob.:wink::becky:

 

[1MoreFord]

I don't know exactly what the "off" odor is or why it's there and it's always bothered me. I did notice Kingsford has changed the MSDS sheet for the blue so it may not smell bad anymore. It only lists 3 ingredients now.

 

[4uweque]

I guess I'm a charcoal snob too, I only use a local made hickory and oak briquette, they burn great, even and controllable temps as well as great smell. It's nice living in a town that's so serious about BBQ. You can get almost anything if you know where to look.

 

[jestridge]

Never touch the stuff

 

[The Cosmic Pig]

I decided to use Stubb's in a practice cook yesterday after using KB for quite a while - just to save the KB for a comp coming up real soon - but I believe the flavor of the meat was much better after using the Stubb's, so I believe I'll go that route for the comp now! I may be a snob in the making! :tsk:

 

[Xpert510]

I was honestly thinking that I was going crazy. I have never used lump and always use regular KB. I get awesome results with this fuel in my heavily modified Chargriller Trio. I built a UDS because I cant stand babysitting the offset esp. in cold temps. Every cook on the UDS I get an over-smoked / toxic smoke flavor in the food, especially pork. Once in a while people sensitive to smoke in the food pick up on this... (mostly women I've noticed) and have a comment like "wow you really put a lot of smoke on this". I have never got a comment like that when using the offset. So, I tried a diffuser and even a temp pit controller (iQue110) thinking maybe the smoke was just lingering in there. I use the large bunghole as the chimney and always run it wide open. I cook 225-250 only. I dont know what else to try and am confused why KB is fine on the offset but doesn't work for me in the drum. I am thinking of trying this Royal Oak stuff that everyone raves about in my UDS. Has anyone struggled with this and overcome it (ie. bad taste with KB fuel in UDS)?

 

[olewarthog]

Xpert510, I have cooked on a CG offset for several years mostly using KB. Never had any flavor problems. I just recently acquired a UDS. In my CG, I normally used 4-5 chunks & would have a nice mild smoke flavor that was not overpowering. The first 2 cooks on the UDS, I used the same 4-5 chunks & the smoke flavor was way too much for my wife & I. Last weekend, I cooked some chicken leg quarters & used RO lump only. No wood chunks. The chicken tasted like charcoal grilled chicken but a lot more moist & tender. Virtually no smoke flavor at all. I'm thinking that the CG leaks a lot more smoke & the draft moves the smoke thru the chamber quicker than the UDS. Next cook, I plan on just using 1-2 wood chunks & see if I can get that mild smoke flavor that we prefer.

 

[El Ropo]

I tried KB blue in my UDS and had problems getting temps up past 250. I prefer to cook at 300ish, so that was a real downer for me. Love a mixture of half stubbs and half B & B Oak lump for the UDS. K comp is nice, but it seemed to burn up at a faster rate than Stubbs.

 

[jetfxr27]

I guess I'm a charcoal snob too, I only use a local made hickory and oak briquette, they burn great, even and controllable temps as well as great smell. It's nice living in a town that's so serious about BBQ. You can get almost anything if you know where to look.

Yeah, but that stuff loves to POP!

From what I have read in the past, it matters where your bag came from. Different manuf. plants different wood types used.


Kingsford Manufacturing Co
21200 Maries Road 314, Belle, MO
(573) 859-3316 ‎
barbecue equipment · charcoal charcoal


Kingsford Manufacturing Co
5126 Summer Shade Road, Summer Shade, KY
(270) 428-2177 ‎


Kingsford Manufacturing Co
3315 Marcola Road, Springfield, OR
(541) 746-9601 ‎


Kingsford Manufacturing Co
9500 S Highway 27, Burnside, KY
(606) 561-4151 ‎


Kingsford Manufacturing Co
RR 219, Parsons, WV
(304) 478-2911 ‎


Kingsford Manufacturing Co
RR 46, Keyser, WV
(304) 355-2311 ‎


Kingsford Manufacturing Co
PO Box 353, Ridgeley, WV
(304) 738-2153 ‎


Kingsford Manufacturing Co
PO Box 24305, Oakland, CA
(510) 271-2966 ‎

 

[2dumb2kwit]

I'm just a rookie, but I already know that I don't like KB. In my opinion, it makes a bunch of ash, it smells like lighter fluid, and it makes the food taste like lighter fluid.

Other than that, I guess it's Ok. :shock: