First bag of Rockwood all rubble. Never again.

Mosca

Ordered from Firecraft. Those two large pieces that you see are the only two pieces that are not like the rest of what is in the picture. Bottle caps included for scale.

I am am going to complain to Firecraft, but there is no way I'm packing up a 20lb bag of charcoal and sending it back. I'll burn it and lesson learned.

Wolfpack

I hate you got a bad delivery.

I order from them all the time and usually have good results- I suspect the issue is shipping and not firecraft. 

Either way way the small pieces will burn fine- just need to create some lower spots to make sure you get airflow. 

annjamaican

Interesting. I order Rockwood from FireCraft as well and my lump is always in primo condition. Perhaps they will make it right if you contact them?

Mosca

Wolfpack said:

I hate you got a bad delivery.

I order from them all the time and usually have good results- I suspect the issue is shipping and not firecraft. 

Either way way the small pieces will burn fine- just need to create some lower spots to make sure you get airflow. 

There are absolutely no pieces to use to create lower spots, aside from the two pieces in the photo the bag is entirely rubble. I could fit ten pounds of coal into one cook.

jtcBoynton

Mail ordering anything brittle is taking a chance. Just opened a new bag of Rockwood today.  

Mosca

annjamaican said:

Interesting. I order Rockwood from FireCraft as well and my lump is always in primo condition. Perhaps they will make it right if you contact them?

I sent an email, along with the photo. But there is no way I am shipping forty pounds of burnt wood back for a refund. I'll burn it and move on, and never again. 

By by the way, a shake and feel of the second bag indicates that it is the same as the first. But I'm not opening it, I have nowhere to store it.

Like most of us, it's not the money. Although no one likes to get burnt, I can take a hit of $50 without any trouble. It's about having high expectations dashed, and that ugly feeling you get when you feel like you've been had.

stlcharcoal

Mosca said:

Ordered from Firecraft. Those two large pieces that you see are the only two pieces that are not like the rest of what is in the picture. Bottle caps included for scale.

I am am going to complain to Firecraft, but there is no way I'm packing up a 20lb bag of charcoal and sending it back. I'll burn it and lesson learned.

Please contact them......they'll take care of you.  You're not going to be expected to send it back.

Firecraft sells tens of thousands of our bags every year, and their sales continue to grow.  Occasionally this happens.  If this was the norm, I can guarantee they would NOT be selling tens of thousands of bags every year--they would be selling next to none because the consumer wouldn't pay a premium for a beat to hell bag.  The consumer would take the stand that you have above and buy something else. 

Sorry for the trouble.  Like I said, it happens......it just sucks it happened to you.  Please contact Firecraft and they'll fix it.  They might be a little slow to respond early this week--we were all down at HPBA Expo in New Orleans through Saturday.  Firecraft's president and I were out until the wee hours of 10pm on Thursday talking charcoal and the BBQ biz.  Great group of people--have faith please.

Mosca

stlcharcoal said:

Mosca said:

Ordered from Firecraft. Those two large pieces that you see are the only two pieces that are not like the rest of what is in the picture. Bottle caps included for scale.

I am am going to complain to Firecraft, but there is no way I'm packing up a 20lb bag of charcoal and sending it back. I'll burn it and lesson learned.

Please contact them......they'll take care of you.  You're not going to be expected to send it back.

Firecraft sells tens of thousands of our bags every year, and their sales continue to grow.  Occasionally this happens.  If this was the norm, I can guarantee they would NOT be selling tens of thousands of bags every year--they would be selling next to none because the consumer wouldn't pay a premium for a beat to hell bag.  The consumer would take the stand that you have above and buy something else. 

Sorry for the trouble.  Like I said, it happens......it just sucks it happened to you.  Please contact Firecraft and they'll fix it.  They might be a little slow to respond early this week--we were all down at HPBA Expo in New Orleans through Saturday.  Firecraft's president and I were out until the wee hours of 10pm on Thursday talking charcoal and the BBQ biz.  Great group of people--have faith please.

I did send them an email, including the photo. But it would be an easy scam for someone to pull. I didn't ask for anything. If they want to do something, great, if not, that's fine too.

stlcharcoal

Mosca said:

 I did send them an email, including the photo. But it would be an easy scam for someone to pull. I didn't ask for anything. If they want to do something, great, if not, that's fine too.

Don't assume everything is a "scam" or you were "had" as you put it.  There are plenty of us out there that run respectable businesses and take care of our customers.  At least give us the chance to fix things before losing hope.

Mosca

stlcharcoal said:

Mosca said:

 I did send them an email, including the photo. But it would be an easy scam for someone to pull. I didn't ask for anything. If they want to do something, great, if not, that's fine too.

Don't assume everything is a "scam" or you were "had" as you put it.  There are plenty of us out there that run respectable businesses and take care of our customers.  At least give us the chance to fix things before losing hope.

I meant it would be an easy scam for a consumer to perpetrate on a company. Sorry for writing unsuccinctly. But I did write "feel like" I was had, and I did intend the difference. Feelings just are. 

GregW

Charcoal is a lot like Forest Gump's box of chocolates.........you never know what your going to get.
That's why I don't have any particular brand loyalty. I've bought expensive charcoal from the specialty stores and it be no better that the big box store's Royal Oak..........sometimes I get lucky and sometimes I don't.

Darby_Crenshaw

Looks fine to me, to be honest. Not sure what the fetish for huge chunks is

and EVERY manufacturer puts out a bad bag or three once in a while.  Way too many variables in the process for us to expect  perfection at a reasonable price

Mosca

Darby_Crenshaw said:

Looks fine to me, to be honest. Not sure what the fetish for huge chunks is

and EVERY manufacturer puts out a bad bag or three once in a while.  Way too many variables in the process for us to expect  perfection at a reasonable price

For a premium brand at a premium price I expect at least a mix of sizes. Gravel sized lump clogs the holes on the charcoal grate. And, this stuff is downright tiny. The entire bag top to bottom does not have a single piece even the size of a tennis ball, other than the two in the photo. Most of it is between the size of a marble and a golf ball. 

DoubleEgger

Small pieces of Rockwood are better than big chunks of Royal Oak all day every day. 

jtcBoynton

In terms of size, how roughly a bag was handled in the distribution process determines what you get. In fact, the better charcoals are more brittle due to the higher level of carbonization.  I have had Rockwood that was nothing but small pieces and some that was full of much larger pieces.  I have had Royal Oak that was nothing but small pieces and some that was full of much larger pieces.  The thing that is more consistent within a brand is the level of carbonization.  Rockwood has less wood fiber in the pieces than Royal Oak. Royal Oak has less wood fiber in the pieces than some other brands.  

Darby_Crenshaw

My egg is magic. Burns it all. 

henapple

Have you used it? I agree with @Darby_Crenshaw. I don't want football size pieces. Geez, at least use it before you have a fit. It'll burn fine. The owner of the company is trying to help you ffs.  

Mosca

It doesn't matter. I don't really want anything. I got a chance to **** about it and I took it. I was expecting something different. I got what I got. I complained. It will resolve itself. I have too much other **** going on to think about it any more. If small lump is as good as big lump, fine. I'll post about it here when my fire goes out overnight mid-brisket because there wasn't enough air flow. And life will go on, if that's the worst thing that happens I'm just a grumpy old guy.

victor1

I ordered 5 bags before Christmas and it was find.  Firecraft is an excellent  company and great to deal with. As a thought, it might be a better idea to to give Fire Craft the opportunity to correct the problem before taking them to task here.  They don't make the charcoal and don't have control how its handled in shipping.  I'm sure they will help you out if you give them the opportunity.

Darby_Crenshaw

Your fire isn't going to go out due to poor airflow

Take a look at the tiny open area of a lower vent when running at 250. What is it, maybe 1/16th inch by an inch-and-half?  That's less than a ten of a square inch. 

There's way more free area between all that lump than that

i dump the dust and crap right out of the bag. Never chokes off airflow

but again. My egg is magic. 

Biggreenpharmacist

I'm betting you are taken care of and I hope when you are you give them credit. Most cmpanies out there don't give a rat's ass and wouldn't give it a second thought. The owner of rockwood is trying to be sure its made right. Says a lot about him and his company, in my opinion. 

henapple

Smfh 

XC242

I'm looking at a picture of charcoal that will burn just fine in a BGE. Don't see what the problem is. 

BYS1981

I never get the fetish of big lump pieces or building a fire, I pour the bag in each time, fuel is fuel.

hondabbq

• Mosca  Posts: 324

  January 25
  Since you are regulating air flow rather than fuel, the size of the pieces doesn't matter.  

   Flag  Quote ·  Off Topic   Disagree    2Agree    1Like
  
  
  
  

theyolksonyou

Lmao

henapple

Compensation 

bhedges1987

TBH that's how my rock wood always looks. Works fine

Eggaroo

Mosca said:

It doesn't matter. I don't really want anything. I got a chance to **** about it and I took it. I was expecting something different. I got what I got. I complained. It will resolve itself. I have too much other **** going on to think about it any more. If small lump is as good as big lump, fine. I'll post about it here when my fire goes out overnight mid-brisket because there wasn't enough air flow. And life will go on, if that's the worst thing that happens I'm just a grumpy old guy.

i agree!

Jcl5150

I ordered five bags of Rockwood from Firecraft to save on shipping and received it just last week.  The first bag was awesome.  One piece was the size of a football, but even the smaller pieces burned just as well, obviously.  Give Firecraft another chance...Rockwood is worth it.

henapple

I agree... I opened a new beer the other day. Looked weird and different so I threw it out. I'm sure it sucked... I guess I'll never know.