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what is the best lump?

supervisor404
supervisor404 Posts: 34
edited April 2012 in EggHead Forum
I see that Publix has lump on sale and I also see a number of EGG heads that use a mulitude of different types of of lump. Which is the best and why?

Comments

  • pswarren
    pswarren Posts: 98

    Get ready for a lot of different answers. Different charcoals burn at different temps, some burn longer, some add flavor, others do not. There are too many variables to say one charcoal is the ultimate.

    Wicked Good is a very good product that burns very long, doen not add flavor, low ash and is a little bit more difficult to light than others. If you have a local supplier it will run about $20 for a 22# bag. WG should be available from most ACE Hardware stores in the very near future. If it is not stocked just ask someone if they would order it for you.

    I would recommend trying a bunch and figure out what you like and go for it. Good luck in you charcoal quest!

  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    edited April 2012
    The page below has been very helpful for me. I bought a bag of the Publix lump yesterday, and will try it out this week. I have found that I personally love Natures Own Basque hardwood lump. It's Canadian, all sugar maple, very consistent, burns clean and has a very light smoke flavor...much lighter than other lumps I've tried. It's especially great on steaks, chicken and fish, where I don't particularly want a smoke flavor. And it seems to last a while and not snap, crackle and pop itself away in one cook, the way some others I've tried have. Read some of the reviews on the link below. Some of the things I read taught me that all lump charcoal is not created equally, and there are actually some very questionable things found in some of the cheaper brands.

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpindexpage.htm?bag
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    Google "The Naked Whiz charcoal reviews", Whiz has reviewed a bunch of different lump. I currently am using Royal Oak, which a lot of folks like, but once this bag is out I have a 40lb bag of Best of the West lump. RO was approx $6.50 for 8.8lbs at Walmart, and Best of the West was $15 for 40lbs at Sam's Club.
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    Never mind googling it, check that link. That link is great. I tried Cowboy Charcoal and Frontier Charcoal, and the ratio of large to small pieces was too great for me. Meaning both brands had a lot of small pieces and not much large pieces.
  • Brownie
    Brownie Posts: 1,023
    +1 @ Mayberry.  Natures Own has impressed me as well.
    I'm using Ozark Oak as I type for my first time on a Brisket. It seems good so far.
  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
    I just got 10 20 lb bags of Humphrey's as part of a group buy. I just started using it yesterday. My regular lump has been Royal Oak and I use Wicked Good for low and slow cooks.  From what I've seen so far, Humphrey's will replace both of those.  The group purchase was $16 for a 20 lb bag.
    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    I also tried Nature Glo, which I thought I was really going to like, but didn't. It's made from Royal Oak, just like Big Green Egg lump is. However, BGE pays to have the larger pieces put in the bags with their name on it. That's one reason it's more expensive. Funny that RO's best coal goes out with someone else's name on it. But, I guess they're paid for it, and it makes sense to them. The Nature Glo just popped too much, and burned much faster. I couldn't even do a second cook without adding a considerable amount of fresh lump to the bowl. For the money, I'd get more out of BGE lump.

    I'm just trying multiple brands to find a few I like the best. I'm going to pick up a bag of Wicked Good this week, too. I like low smoke flavor lump, unless I have pork on low and slow.
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,136
    edited April 2012
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sj_U6vObUA

    Hmm..  How to embed youtube videos...  Hmm...

    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


  • Thanks Guys. Alot of info on that review. Very helpful.
  • DIXIEDOG
    DIXIEDOG Posts: 109
    Wicked Good Weekend Warrior is my favorite, it's last an extremely long time and doesn't produce tons of ash.   I also like Humprey's for the same reason. 


     I had a lump emergency this winter and ended up buying a bag of Frontier, I wasn't expecting much since I had heard it was rebadged Cowboy but I've got to say that was excellent lump....the pieces were huge...looked almost like firewood but I haven't tried more so with that limited one bag experience I haven't really formed a strong yay or nay on it yet.  As long as Wicked Good is available to me for a fair price I won't be trying others, it works so well I have no desire to sway from it.
  • Eggbertsdad
    Eggbertsdad Posts: 804
    I just bought a bag of RO after I emptied my bag of Humphreys. To be honest, I think the RO lights easier and gets hotter. There's nothing wrong with Humphreys at all, but RO is much cheaper when you factor in shipping, etc. 
    Sarasota, FL via Boynton Beach, FL, via Sarasota, FL, via Charleston, SC, via The Outer Banks, via God's Country (East TN on Ft. Loudon Lake)
  • best of the west 100% mesquite lump from Sam's. As stated above, it's $15 for 40lb and it's great.That price can overcome a lot of nit picking (although I have zero complaints. I've been using it exclusively for all cooks for about a year. I have not found as much as a pebble in the bags. At 37.5 cents per lb I can afford to be choosy about what I cook with and what I throw out. The pieces are huge and I think that helps with airflow and fire stability. 

    Tons of good ones out there- I've used them all and probably will again. This is the best deal going that I've found though.

    Only downside: it's harder to find than the others. Not all Sam's carry it. 


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX