charcoal issues

Unknown

Is there some point when you get rid of the old small pieces of lump? last 2 times when starting up the egg, it's taking much longer for coals to be ready for cooking. could it be that the smaller pieces of lump are partially blocking the openings?

Celtic Wolf

I take them out when they get so small they block the fire grate!! :laugh:

or the competition is over... :woohoo:

Broc

I never pour lump in from the bag. I used to -- but learned I can screw up the burn, easily.

Now, I take pieces from the bag with both hands [handful], and as I do the, the little guys sorta "sift" to the bottom of the bag. I then throw out that last... maybe 5%... of the contents... dust and itty-bits...

Don't mind washing up after loading the lump...

And no, I don't sort my lump other than that. Some [many-?] do.

~ Broc

tjv

I'm not a fan of used lump, hard to light and just doesn't seem to give the temps that new lump does. I generally just keep it in a bucket and use for quick cooks, burgers and such.

Oh ya, the bucket is metal. Tried the plastic version bucket once. Emptied the lump from a cook the night before, went to the store, came back to find the bucket melted and small fire going.....good thing it was outside....Just another of my knucklehead moves....LOL. T

lowercasebill

i have been filling to the top of the firebox and just topping off for the next cook after a few cooks there are too many little pieces and ash..so i take it all out and put a piece of hardware cloth [wire mesh] over a box and sift out the little pieces reload with fresh lump [bigger pieces on the bottom] and pour the leftovers on the top. i am going to gob back to just loading to an inch above the air holes, except for long cooks.