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The Various Brands of Lump on the Market

I'm seeing various brands of lump charcoal on the market and I'm wondering if there is a major difference between them.  If this question has been discussed in the past, please excuse me and point me in the direction as to where I can learn. 

Comments

  • Check out the Naked Whiz ceramic cooking site, here is the link for the lump data base:

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm

    Edina, MN

  • not all lumps are created equal, if you can get your hands on some wicked good, ask your local ace, you'll be very happy in both the burn times, ability to reach ridiculous temperatures and very little ash production.
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    You'll also find that if there are 30 different lump brands, there are 30 different opinions on the one.

    +1 on checking out the nakedwhiz site.

    Overall, you'll see Wicked Good and Royal Oak as the top 2 brands mentioned. People seem to like both overall. Ozark Oak is also highly rated, but it's regional to the Southeast. If you are in Pennsylvania(near Reading), Fred's Music and BBQ stocks it. Royal Oak makes most store brands it seems, as well as BGE brand.(RO is what I use, Wegmans store brand). It is also available at Walmart(Red bag). It seems that WGWW takes a little longer to start than others, based on the ancedotal evidence presented here. I have used it once. I seem to be an outlier, but I had a horrible amount of ash production that choked off two low and slows. For this, I invested in a High-Que fire grate. Secondly, I will never go back because, even with the frequent Ace discount coupons, it is nearly double the price than what I pay for Wegmans(RO) $0.60/lb vs $1.05/lb. It was fantastic on high heat searing, though.I just can't justify buying it when I get equal results for half the price. The only way to find out is to try it, FWIW.

    I would test between WGWW and RO and see what you like better. Did you get a free bag with your egg? Then, you have already tested RO. Lastly, each brand can having differing levels of quality(minor, like more dust or small pieces in a given bag compared to another) based on a multitude of reasons. If you go to grab a bag and it looks trashed or feels like the lump is crushed, stay away.
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669

     

    +1 on checking out the nakedwhiz site.

    I am not a Wicked fan, but the  only non-fan I think. My  goto is Ozark Oak with BGE/Royal Oak (same thing) as backup.

    Just buy several and you will  find what you like.

    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • GBC
    GBC Posts: 58
    Budgeezer said:

    Check out the Naked Whiz ceramic cooking site, here is the link for the lump data base:

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm

    Thank you...awesome site...just what I was looking for.
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited December 2012
    @GBC, what @Eggcelsior  says - specifically, don't judge any brand based on one or two bags. The quality can be night and day. Generally, the larger bags tend to be better than the smaller bags, IMHO. 
    I like to do the "Plinko" test, pick up the bag, turn it upside down and listen as the small stuff "plinkos" thru the larger lumps, too much noise - try another one. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    I've learned that each lump is different and folks are passionate about their favorites. I'm fairly new but here's what I've found for self.

    RO doesn't do well on slow cooks but I've only tried 2 bags and they were small ones.

    I just scored 20 bags of Ozark at .50 per lb. It seems to burn really hot and I struggle with keeping low temps.

    I love BGE lump. I've done well with high and slow cooks and it seems to go further...cooks per load.

    I tried one bag of wgww, hatred it. Out had a weird taste. But again, only I've bag.

    Just because a lump is cheap doesn't make it better...like I said, even at $1 per lb if I'm getting more cooks it's cheaper in the long run.

    My .2 cents which is what it is worth.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • All lump is different , but it all does the same thing.

    If you are new to the egg don't get hung up on the small stuff. There are many things to learn that will have a much larger impact on how your cooks turn out than what kind of lump you use.

     There are some differences in lump , but only you will be able to decide which is best for you. Start with what you have nearby. After you have gotten some what proficient with the egg try some different kinds of lump , and see what you like.
  • It's too bad y'all can't get Maple Leaf. I don't think TNW was right to downgrade it because they stopped shipping to the US. It comes in four and eight kilo bags and the four kilo have more small pieces. The first rating is more accurate

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Eggcelsior, I've had the same experience with the Wicked Good Weekend Warrior (WGWW).  I like the large chunks and the price, but I do go through a lot of it and get a lot of ash.  

    I tried the BGE lump when I first bought the egg, and I liked it, but WGWW was less expensive.

    I've only tried one bag of Royal Oak (RO), and I liked it a lot.  It seemed to give a stronger smoke flavor than WGWW.  The problem is that I can only get the small bags nearby.  Unless I drive an hour round trip to get the big bag, I'm stuck with buying a bunch of 8 pound bags, or sticking with WGWW.  I'd love to find someplace closer to me that sells the big bags of RO!

    We have an Earth Fare store near us and I noticed that they had 10 pound bags of store-branded lump.  I tried it, and it was all very small pieces and powder.  I'm not sure I'll even finish that small bag.