Fresh or Old Lump?

Clavin · February 2011

I am reading a BBQ book at Barnes and Noble while the wife is shopping. This particular author who claims to be expert (although he says the three types of bbq grills are, the Weber, the bullet, and the offset smoker... no mention of the Egg type) has 10 MUST DOs for good BBQ.

One of those 10 is that its imperative that one doesn't use unburned lump charcoal when starting a cook because that will alter the flavor of the finished product.

I never have given it much thought, but I wonder what the standard practice is out there in Eggland. I just stir around the unburned stuff from the last cook to get rid of the ash and pile on new stuff.

Anyone out there start fresh every time?

MemphisQue · February 2011

That is exactly what I do. I do let it burn for a period of time to one burn off any droppings, etc. from prior cooks and get rid of any funky odors from the new lump. If I am smoking I won't add the hickory, mesquite, etc. until after the fire has burned for awhile.

2Fategghead · February 2011

I burn used lump. I burn new lump. I mix it up...you are doing it correct.

stike · February 2011

that's bunk.
lump left in the egg which is unburnt or partially burnt has had all the VOCs driven off. if anything, it burns cleaner than fresh lump.

he may be talking about briquettes, i dunno.
lot of experts out there. number one requirement for an 'expert' is to sound like it. and repeating lore and 'certainties' is the easiest way to sound like it.

'meat absorbs smoke', unseasoned wood makes for creosote, brisket from one side of the cow is more tender than the other... this stuff will never go away. doesn't mean it's right, it's just easy to repeat and remember. myth is usually easier to understand and remember than the truth.

Little Steven · February 2011

Clavin,

Leftover lump has a different meaning with sheet metal grills than ceramics. There isn't normally much left with those, we would be tossing more out than we used.

Steve

fishlessman · February 2011

once you light it and wait for the bad smelling gasses to burn off you have the same thing as the lump left from the last cook.

Clavin · February 2011

I think that this "expert" was concerned with the fact that used lump (he was very anti-briquette, so he had that going for him) absorbed the odor of the previous cook.

I didnt' buy it, and am sure as shoot not going to throw out used lump every time. Just wanted to know what y'all thought.... there is such a wealth of info here that I love to tap into.

Now, tonight I "the Chicken" with a little bit of used lump mixed in. Good thing my last cook was chicken breast, or it might come out bad. :huh:

stike · February 2011

activated charcoal is what absorbs odor. 'regular' charcoal is about as close to 'activated' charcoal as sand is. not like it at all.

he's right that it can pick up drippings and fat. that WILL make food taste badly, but only if you toss the food on right away.

as always, if the smoke smells good, it'll taste good

i hope you put the book back on the shelf :laugh:

uglydog · February 2011

It seems to me that the only lump you can burn is unburned lump. After lump, charcoal, or wood has been burned it is ash, which doesn't burn very well. Am I taking this too literally?

Uglydog

stike · February 2011

yes. :laugh:

Fidel · February 2011

I believe that by "unburned lump" the author is trying to tell the reader to allow it to burn cleanly before cooking over it.

I hope.

I only load lump once every 3-4 cooks and use it until gone. Last night I cooked chicken breasts over lump that had been used to do ribs, wings, and italian sausages over the past week or so. The chicken was fine.

MemphisQue · February 2011

Maybe my post was not clear but I definitely reuse the lump and try to get as many cooks as I can. I usually top it off every couple of cooks. I do let it burn off old drippings, etc before I put anything on it.

stike · February 2011

i thought you were clear. i was replying to clavin, FWIW. apologies if it sounded like i was replying to you.

as far as my thinking re: the issue... i think every question re: smoke (soaking chips, fat drippings, new lump, old lump, whether a wood is good for smoking, starter cubes, etc...) all of it is covered by "if it smells good, it is good" :laugh:

MemphisQue · February 2011

I agree. Your food will taste remarkably similar to how the smoke smells.

stevesails · February 2011

well... he might have meant non-fully carbonized lump. You certainly don't want to cook with that. If i see a piece when loading the egg I pick them out and throw away.

Or save and add it to the pebble pile of stuff i find inn the lump that wont burn.

Clavin · February 2011

no, I think the author meant to clean out the grill and use fresh, out of the bag lump charcoal.

He also said soaking wood chunks was dumb.

MemphisQue · February 2011

Based on the comments on this post I think it makes no difference between old or new lump so long as you let it burn for awhile before cooking. If you are using wood chunks, I have never seen the need to soak them. The only reason some will soak the wood chips is because they are so small and for longer cooks on larger pieces of meat they will burn very quickly if dry. That is why I typically use the chunks vs. the chip size. The chunks will burn for quite a long time thus helping you get a good smoke ring.

Fidel · February 2011

Soaking wood chunks is dumb. Well, pointless would be a more PC way of saying it.

It really serves no purpose.

XLentEGG · February 2011

I try to alternate the lump by using new fresh lump on the weekend for the low and slow. Whatever i have left i use to grill with during the week. Having a XL and a fire ring, I can usually go three or four good times on the initial 10 lbs.If I have to add, it's new on the bottom.

Clavin · February 2011

I didn't know that.

I've only been doing this for a year and a lot of places I read says "soak the wood for an hour."

Always learning. But still cooking some really good food irregardless of my techniques.

Clavin · February 2011

I didn't know that.

I've only been doing this for a year and a lot of places I read says "soak the wood for an hour."

Always learning. But still cooking some really good food irregardless of my techniques.

Fresh or Old Lump?

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