Old lump good as new??

NCSU-Q

Prepping for a butt cook, and I still have about half a bowl of lump in the egg from my last cook.

Does the remaining lump have the same heating quality/ability as an equal amount of new lump? Or has it already given away a portion of its stored energy?

Any chemical/thermo engineers care to chime in on this one... I am a civil engineer, and forgot the answers to questions like these as soon as I passed those classes!

P.S. I realize that I still have to build the fire properly... big stuff on bottom, etc.

stike

it's still carbon....

anyway, i find it all much more predictable to always add new lump ("top off") after stirring the ash from the old. you can cook on old lump, and you can get a roaring fire quicker with all fresh, but 90% of the time i use a blend

Grandpas Grub

I use old lump all the time. On an overnight cook I make sure the ash is out of the used lump. I make sure all air holes in the fire box and fire grate are completely clear. I will slide that lump to one side of the fire box and put some larger pieces of unused lump over the fire grate. Then I move the use lump over on top of the new lump and again clear air holes, then large pieces of new lump. Then level out the used lump over entire surface.

If needed I add new lump to fill up to the top of the fire ring.

GG

stike

old lump is a little more flavor neutral, too. if you are baking old lump is a great way to go. except old lump from a butt cook or a spatchcock

hahaha

Cpt'n Cook

I put the new lump on the bottom and the old lump on top. Seems to light faster and there is almost no burn off time.