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BGE Lump

Tony S.
Tony S. Posts: 114
edited August 2011 in EggHead Forum

I have had my Egg now for 3 years. The first year I used it, I used BGE lump. I did some research and found that it was made by Royal Oak. So, it is cheaper, so I have been using Royal Oak since. My wife just told me that for the last 2 years, since I stopped using BGE Lump, she has not really liked anything that has come off the EGG.

 

My question is ... Are BGE Lump and Royal Oak Lump the same thing?

 

Please help.

Manitoba, Canada Large BGE

Comments

  • Supposedly, the BGE lump is "the best of the lot", but I've been plenty happy with Royal Oak in the orange bag.
    The Naked Whiz
  • Tony S.
    Tony S. Posts: 114
    My wife says that the food has a fuel taste to it. I just smoked pizza and she said she could really taste it, I could not. Just trying to find out if BGE is better than the Royal Oak. I have only ever seen it in the blue bag in my area though.
    Manitoba, Canada Large BGE
  • I doubt the difference (if there is any) is in the quality of the charcoal, but rather maybe just in the sizes of the pieces.
    The Naked Whiz
  • Buckwoody Egger
    Buckwoody Egger Posts: 665
    edited August 2011

    No difference that I have noticed, I always use Royal Oak in red bags from Wal-Mart.  Switch back to BGE lump and see what she says!  That's a pretty cheap experiment.

    You didn't mention, but I assume you know not to use lighter fluid or other chemicals to start the fire in the Egg.

  • Tony S.
    Tony S. Posts: 114
    That is correct. I either use my propane torch or my electric starter. There has never been any chemicals near the thing. Yea, a cheap experiment is right. We are so limited her to types of lump. BGE or Royal Oak is all that I can ever see.
    Manitoba, Canada Large BGE
  • Ok, good luck with the BGE bag.  BGE and Royal Oak are top notch lump, you could have it much worse.   
  • stevesails
    stevesails Posts: 990

    make sure you let it burn till the smoke is clear. I had the same problem with my wife.  she hated anything i cooked.. so i let it burn till the smoke is very clear. I have an xl, and that may take up to an hour sometimes to get to 350. 

     

    also, if you are cooking chicke direct, leave the top off and just control temp with the lower vent.  keeps the chicken fat smoke flowing out of the egg.

     

     

    XL   Walled Lake, MI

  • thebtls
    thebtls Posts: 2,300
    I rarely cook with the lid down, except pizza, etc and there is rarely any smoke taste. as for the chemical taste, I personally think that smoking does that, it's how it tastes to me anyway, call me different, I don't care for that flavor...

    I switched to Royal in the Green bag from Menards, the only difference we notice is the size of the pieces.
    Visit my blog, dedicated to my Big Green Egg Recipies at http://www.bigtsbge.blogspot.com You can also follow my posts on FaceBook under the name Keep On Eggin' or the link http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Keep-On-Eggin/198049930216241
  • Daddyo
    Daddyo Posts: 224
    I rarely cook with the lid down, except pizza, etc and there is rarely any smoke taste. as for the chemical taste, I personally think that smoking does that, it's how it tastes to me anyway, call me different, I don't care for that flavor...

    I switched to Royal in the Green bag from Menards, the only difference we notice is the size of the pieces.
    I think Cowboy Lump imparts less smoke flavor than BGE or Royal Oak.  That said, I suspect all the lump companies switch wood suppliers from time to time and that changes everything.  For years Cowboy sold lump that had a lot of floor board pieces in it, and now I never see that anymore.  

    Check out the Naked Whiz Lump info.  He provides a lot of info on flavor, etc.
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    Could someone explain to me, or direct me to a link, to how lump burns smoky at first, and then clears up?  I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around that... 
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • Beaumonty
    Beaumonty Posts: 198
    Well, there are three basic phases to the burn. (1) lighting - the flames try to catch, somewhat smoky 10-15 minutes; (2) spreading to smolder - very smoky as the charcoal catches, depending on how open your vents are, it take abou 30-45 minutes you know youare done when you get clear heat coming from the vent. (3) slow burn, only smoky when you put food on.
    I sometimes get a gassy, smoky taste when i close the vents down too much and fat renders.
  • Botch, charcoal if full of "stuff" that isn't carbon.  My theory is that when the charcoal is igniting, the "stuff" is burning and being driven off.  This is the smoke.  When a piece of charcoal is glowing red, it is now essentially pure carbon and there is no stuff/smoke.  So, when you start your fire and as the fire grows until it reaches a stable equilibrium for the temperature you want, lots of unburned charcoal (which is full of "stuff") is igniting and you see a fair amount of smoke.  When the fire reaches that equilibrium, the amount of unburned charcoal that is igniting is far less (because the fire now is barely spreadiing) and you get less smoke.
    The Naked Whiz
  • Smell the smoke, hold your hand over the smoke for a few seconds and then smell your hand. If you do this a few times after you light your egg, you can tell when the smoke goes from bad to good.
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    Botch, charcoal if full of "stuff" that isn't carbon.  My theory is that when the charcoal is igniting, the "stuff" is burning and being driven off.  This is the smoke.  When a piece of charcoal is glowing red, it is now essentially pure carbon and there is no stuff/smoke.  So, when you start your fire and as the fire grows until it reaches a stable equilibrium for the temperature you want, lots of unburned charcoal (which is full of "stuff") is igniting and you see a fair amount of smoke.  When the fire reaches that equilibrium, the amount of unburned charcoal that is igniting is far less (because the fire now is barely spreadiing) and you get less smoke.
    I would accept this, except for the fact that lump burns from the outside in, and when you snuff a fire mid-burn, and then stir the cold coals the next day, the lump pieces are burned on the outside, but with the stirring the white, burned portion is knocked off leaving original lump underneath.  I would think the pure carbon, and the impurities would burn off at the same rate.
    Anyway, that's why I can't quite wrap my head around it.  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • Lump burns from the outside in but a piece of burning lump is hot all the way through for all practical purposes.  It isn't just the outside surface that is hot.  The heat drives off the "stuff".  The "stuff" isn't necessarily burning and being consumed. Some is vaporized and driven off. A piece of charcoal that is glowing red is now probably mostly carbon and very little "stuff".
    The Naked Whiz
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    Ah, that makes sense.  Thanks Whiz!  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • Lump burns from the outside in but a piece of burning lump is hot all the way through for all practical purposes.  It isn't just the outside surface that is hot.  The heat drives off the "stuff".  The "stuff" isn't necessarily burning and being consumed. Some is vaporized and driven off. A piece of charcoal that is glowing red is now probably mostly carbon and very little "stuff".
    That would also explain why if you light up old lump without adding new lump you don't get the thick acrid smoke much at all.  The "stuff" is already gone
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    edited August 2011
    And also, I think, why trying to light old lump is harder than new.  At least part of the reason.  The "stuff" helps ignition.  But I think that all charcoal smokes as it is going from cold to glowing red.  Even the really good 2003 Philippine coconut charcoal from Kamado would smoke in the beginning.

    Edited to remove obscure reference, lol.
    The Naked Whiz
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,674
    i use my egg less times a week than i did for the first year or two, it takes longer for it to start and burn clean when its only used a couple times a week verse every night. light it sooner and i bet it burns and tastes cleaner, nothing goes on til it smells clean
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Pjoe
    Pjoe Posts: 224

    I have had my Egg now for 3 years. The first year I used it, I used BGE lump. I did some research and found that it was made by Royal Oak. So, it is cheaper, so I have been using Royal Oak since. My wife just told me that for the last 2 years, since I stopped using BGE Lump, she has not really liked anything that has come off the EGG.

     

    My question is ... Are BGE Lump and Royal Oak Lump the same thing?

     

    Back to your original question..... It sounds like your wife has a sensitive palette much like mine does. She can taste subtle chnges in smoke and seasoning that escape me. I would buy another bag of BGE and let her tell you if she picks up a difference. I had to stop using Cowboy lump because of an "off taste" it has. Good luck with it.
    Bill

    Please help.


    LBGE AR SMALL BGE WOO RING
  • Dnorman
    Dnorman Posts: 117

    BGE is supposed to be First Sift, meaning it has larger pieces. and it is supposed to be all hardwood, with no scrap in it.  The others apperently use a different blend, even those made in the same plant as the BGE. 

     

    With that being said, I have tried a few other brands I really like and find as good if not better.  And there are the junk lumps out there too.

  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
    edited August 2011

    I went from BGE brand to Publix GreenWise brand.  Mainly b/c it is cheaper, but I hit the Publix on the way home from work so it is very convenient.  Cost $6 per 8.8lbs.  Seems like in another discussion someone posted Publix was also Royal Oak.   Not 100% sure about this though.  I did notice a change in the lump (white ash and more of it after a cook) from last year and emailed Publix but never received a real answer as to  what has happened.  Anyway, the change wasn't bad enough to cause to me seek a new supplier of lump.:)

    Check it out:http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag88.htm

    Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/  and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
    What am I drinking now?   Woodford....neat
  • bcdon
    bcdon Posts: 17
    edited August 2011
    Tony,

    I'd try a little experiment if I were you to see if your wife can actually detect the difference between the BGE lump and Royal Oak. 

    You can either buy a bag of BGE lump and show your wife that you are using it (only actually use the Royal Oak) and get her opinion to see if she thinks it tastes better.

    Or, cook the same meal twice, one with BGE and the other with Royal oak and then get her opinion. For fun, you can make this a double blind experiment so even you don't know which you used until after you compared both meals (i.e. fill a paper bag with Royal and another with BGE, label the bottom and have it mixed up so you  don't know which is which; then after you cook both meals -- it doesn't have to be the same day -- you can both discover which you thought was the best). 
  • eggtopia
    eggtopia Posts: 91

    I have had my Egg now for 3 years. The first year I used it, I used BGE lump. I did some research and found that it was made by Royal Oak. So, it is cheaper, so I have been using Royal Oak since. My wife just told me that for the last 2 years, since I stopped using BGE Lump, she has not really liked anything that has come off the EGG.

     

    My question is ... Are BGE Lump and Royal Oak Lump the same thing?

     

    Please help.

    I Think you might have a bigger problem.  You're wife has been unhappy with your food for two years and she just now told you about it.  I hope even bigger problems aren't coming. 

    By the way, I had the same problem with the undesirable smokey flavor in food.  I found exactly what others are saying, you have to let it burn for a while before cooking.

    I didn't get it at first because all the literature states that it should be ready to cook in 10 minutes.  This simply is not true and is only thing I was disappointed with. 
  • Cebar33
    Cebar33 Posts: 2
    Out here on the West coast I've had very good luck with Lazzari mesquite lump charcoal, it's about half the cost or less of the BGE brand.  I use my Egg so often I start to get nervous when I've got less than 100 lbs of it sitting in my garage!   I only started using it when my local vendor ran out of BGE, and stuck with it because nobody in my circle seemed to notice the difference and I was happy to pocket the savings as I go through several hundred lbs a year.   
  • dnjaa
    dnjaa Posts: 1
    I found the Royal Oak has much smaller pieces and they don't last as long as BGE . for long cooks I prefer BGE over Royal Oak.
  • bcdon
    bcdon Posts: 17
    No one has suggested the obvious - have you tried changing your wife?

    Pat
    Perhaps the most expensive solution, buy you just might be on to something. ;-)