Royal Oak!

I'm sorry to report that I just don't see all of the bad problems with Royal Oak and I have been using it for 8 years. Yes I get that some other brands might be better but in the end a few pieces of rock have no effect on a cook. When I see one person talking up one brand more than others it makes me wonder why? Lump is wood that has been turned into lump and how much different can it really be? I do respect that some of us have our personal preference when it comes to lump but I see no reason to bash another product over and over. I would try any lump that I can easily purchase and if it was really that much better I would use it. The only way to really know is to do two cooks side by side and see how the food taste in the end. Happy Egging with what ever lump you like! >-

CAT Seller said:

@henapple I have not tried Rockwood. I have not seen it in my area - St. Aug/Jacksonville Fla. I am not opposed to giving it a try though.

Your local Ace Hardware should be able to order it for you.  You're right on the line between the Tampa warehouse and the Loxley, AL warehouse.......any store restocked by Loxley can order it.  The farther north the more likely you are to find a store that can order it.  I saw on my list a store in Ferdandina Beach ordered some bags.

Charcoal snobbery ?

Not to change the subject, but, I recently used my charcoal bag picking skills on bags of Doritos. First 2 bags were round and solid on the bottom! The 3rd bag felt like it got more air pockets at the bottom.

I love Rockwood and save that for slow cooks or when I want to use smoke wood. RO is more for the regular Grilling. It's so smoky I don't NEED to add any wood chips or chunks.

I just gave away my half-used bag of RO...that's how much the smoke bothered me. I threw a handful of cherry on tonight (first time adding wood) and while it did create much smoke, it was...sweet. Not like the bonfire smell I associate with RO.

Here on Long Island we don't have many choices (that I have found).  I tried Weekend Warrior and it was crap.  All small pieces and dust and way too expensive. Also tried Frontier and everything tasted like it was in a house fire, really bad "burnt" flavor and tons of dust in the bag.  I have used BGE and Royal Oak (Supposedly the same) and I have been loving the RO.  I let it warm up and settle for about a half hour prior to a cook and I don't get any smokey or "off" tastes at all.  I am able to hold low temps for 24 plus hours and and go over 800 when needed.  I find it lasting very well lately too.  So for about $10 for 18lbs I am good to go.  

FATC1TY said:

If we are on to the snobbery of lump.. Why parse words, and lets argue why we spend close to $1000 for a charcoal grill, when you can get a weber or something for much less, and cook the same way? You can't discount the guys making some great food on the old kettle grills, right?

It's all personal preference. Leave it at that. We all find value in something that others might not.

I'll spend $20 for a six pack of great craft beer that is hard to find in a heartbeat. Most folks would think twice about a $8 twelve pack of Budlight because it's too much.

I'd always think twice about Bud light at that price. My tap water is much cheaper.

Charcoal snobbery ? >-

Maybe Royal Oak is different in different markets? In my case, once the fire is running, I get no smoke and almost no odour at all. Sometimes I wonder if the Egg is actually running, when I look at it from a distance. At the beginning of the cook, but prior to putting the food on, there is a lot of smoke and smell, likely form the prior cook, or maybe vapour, but after that everything is very clean.

stlcharcoal said:

You might show them that......we do not have any control on what these stores are charging for it.  I have no idea what they are buying it for from Ace either, or if they have to pay shipping/freight to get it from them. 

He showed me the list price in the computer.  I don't know what they're buying it for, but that's what their ordering page told them to sell it to me for. 

Note - I'm not complaining - I just thought you should know.  I like the product, but when I can get it for for 20 bucks online, no tax no shipping, that's what I'm going to do, even though I would prefer to deal locally.

FATC1TY said:

If we are on to the snobbery of lump.. Why parse words, and lets argue why we spend close to $1000 for a charcoal grill, when you can get a weber or something for much less, and cook the same way? You can't discount the guys making some great food on the old kettle grills, right?

It's all personal preference. Leave it at that. We all find value in something that others might not.

I'll spend $20 for a six pack of great craft beer that is hard to find in a heartbeat. Most folks would think twice about a $8 twelve pack of Budlight because it's too much.

Nailed it

Just ordered a few bags of maple leaf lump now that my 300lbs of RO from last fall is gone.

Eggbertsdad said:

Question on the 10lb OO bags. Are these smaller bags filled with decent size pieces? In some brands like RO their smaller bags are filled with chips and dust. 

My SWMBO bought me 14 bags of OO for christmas, I have used six or seven bags so far and I have been very pleased with it, All good sized lump and very little chips and dust, I have had a few pieces that I had to break before i used them.

caliking said:

@JupiterJim: that's like saying there's only one way to bake a chocolate cake. As with many other things, there is some nuance to making charcoal. Wood used , how it's burned down into lump, etc. Just as an example, I tried Stubbs lump once because Costco was selling it for s good price. Bought 8 bags. Returned 7 because the pieces inside were more like wood than lump. RO is not bad, and I would use it more if I didn't have 600+lbs of Rockwood, OO, and Figo plus others hoarded away in my garage.

I couldn't agree with you more!

How much are you guys paying for Rockwood or Fogo etc. Looks like there is a shop by me that carries both.  Haven't been there yet to check pricing.