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Rockwood Charcoal

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biggin74
biggin74 Posts: 37
in EggHead Forum
A friend and I bought some Rockwood Lump the other day since it is so highly rated. We have both had a ton of trouble with it. In a large green egg smoking 2 butts, it only lasted around 8 hour at 250s. We were both actually very disappointed in the performance of the charcoal. Is this newbie fever to the charcoal or did we do something wrong? Is it a bad bag?
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  • Blassiter
    Blassiter Posts: 195
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    Are you filling it to top of fire ring? Just below plate setter.

    LBGE - 2/12/2015

    Chesapeake, VA

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  • Eggerty
    Eggerty Posts: 220
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    @blassiter nailed it. For L&S with rockwood, I will always fill to the fire RING not box.
    LBGE - Nov/'14
    A Texan residing in Denver, CO.
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,186
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    Something isn't right. I filled my XL to the top of the fire box with Rockwood and cooked a brisket for 18hrs at 225 and still had half the lump left after cool down. 
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  • Durangler
    Durangler Posts: 1,122
    edited March 2015
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    Never skimp on filling the egg above the firebox with ANY lump if your expecting 12 to 24 hours at 250. Filler up and fire away. 5# of the best lump will not burn much passed 10 hours.
    I just did a butt with Hasty Bake. Used around 10# in my XL at 250ish for 14 hours. Had enough leftover to go another 14 hours.
    Be liberal when filling.  
    XL BGE, 22" Weber Red Head, Fiesta Gasser .... Peoria,AZ
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  • dlk7
    dlk7 Posts: 1,053
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    I have used Rockwood for all my full packer briskets at 225 degrees.  Some have taken over 24 hours and I have always had plenty left to cook a few more meals after that.  I have XLs and fill to the top of the fire ring with only 3 or 4 chunks of cherry wood mixed in for smoke.

    Two XL BGEs - So Happy!!!!

    Waunakee, WI

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  • dlk7
    dlk7 Posts: 1,053
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    How much wood are you using for smoke and have you calibrated your thermometer?

    Two XL BGEs - So Happy!!!!

    Waunakee, WI

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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    Agreed. Fill it up. I've had nothing but exceptional results with rock wood. 
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • logchief
    logchief Posts: 1,415
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    What everybody else has said, "fill er up"  I use Hasty Bake too cause I can't get Rockwood in CA and like #Duralngler said my L&Ss have never run out up to 12 hrs. on a large.   Haven't done a brisky yet
    LBGE - I like the hot stuff.  The big dry San Joaquin Valley, Clovis, CA 
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  • biggin74
    biggin74 Posts: 37
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    Filling it up was definitely the issue there was not enough charcoal left in filled it up second around with it and it burned many have a lot left after about 10 hours. I have a medium and I filled it up till about I think the top of the fire ring about 4 inches below the platesetter and smoked salmon I don't like to be up for about an hour and and then through a whole chicken on there seems that we didn't use enough charcoal.
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    4" below the PS is not full. It's full when you can barely get the PS in. 
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  • stompbox
    stompbox Posts: 729
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    Yeah, my PS is normally sitting on the coals when "full". 

    But then again, I always have over half my lump leftover after a 16 to 18 hour smoke.
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  • biggin74
    biggin74 Posts: 37
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    That definely helps!! I didn't know to go all the way to the bottom of the plate setter. No wonder It burned out. I will smoking that chicken tomorrow and let you know that goes!!
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  • biggin74
    biggin74 Posts: 37
    edited March 2015
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    dlk7 said:
    How much wood are you using for smoke and have you calibrated your thermometer?
    3 or four chunks of Apple wood. I use the thermometer  BGE on the egg it is usuall about 20 degrees warmer than at the grates. From what I figure ( may have that backwards). I do not know how to calibrate the thermometer. Or even know if it has been.
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  • johnnyp
    johnnyp Posts: 3,932
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    Also, for low and slow, light from the back and not from the middle for longest cook times 
    XL & MM BGE, 36" Blackstone - Newport News, VA
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    Calibrate your dome thermo if you haven't.  Hold it in boiling water and adjust using the nut on back. Use the slot in a spatula or something to hold in the water. Throw your clip that hold the thermo in the dome in the garbage. 
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  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
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    biggin74 said:
    ... I do not know how to calibrate the thermometer. Or even know if it has been.
    Here's a good step-by-step set of instructions.

    http://www.biggreeneggic.com/calibrating-big-green-egg-dome-thermometer/

    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,092
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    +3 what @theyolksonyou said.
    They don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. That's against their interests. - George Carlin
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  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
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    theyolksonyou said:
    ... Throw your clip that hold the thermo in the dome in the garbage. 
    @theyolksonyou ... NO ... NO ... damn man, those are shiny gizmos ... you never throw shiny gizmos away.  I've got four of them in the junk box right now.  Some day I'll think of a use for them ... that is besides on the stem of a dome thermometer.


    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

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  • Eggerty
    Eggerty Posts: 220
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    biggin74 said:
    That definely helps!! I didn't know to go all the way to the bottom of the plate setter. No wonder It burned out. I will smoking that chicken tomorrow and let you know that goes!!
    :triumph: 
    LBGE - Nov/'14
    A Texan residing in Denver, CO.
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    @Jeepster47 well, I do have a cracked fire grate in the drawer...

    shouldn't you be walking hand in hand with Mrs. jeepster on the beach?
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,092
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    I use the clips when I calibrate my thermos.  I clip them to the pot.
    They don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. That's against their interests. - George Carlin
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  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
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    @theyolksonyou ... don't you listen to country music down there in Georgia?  If you did, you'd know that there's no "Ocean Front Property" in Arizona. 

    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    I. Haven't logged in to the @Jeepster47 vacation tracker tonight. I thought you were flying kites in Huntington and eating fish tacos at Wahoo's. 
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    @Jeepster47 however, if you'll throw in the Golden Gate....
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  • biggin74
    biggin74 Posts: 37
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    theyolksonyou said:
    Calibrate your dome thermo if you haven't.  Hold it in boiling water and adjust using the nut on back. Use the slot in a spatula or something to hold in the water. Throw your clip that hold the thermo in the dome in the garbage. 
    @theyolksonyou thanks!!  Will do that tomorrow!
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  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
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    theyolksonyou said:
    @Jeepster47 however, if you'll throw in the Golden Gate....
    Great, you are listening to the good stuff.

    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

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  • MaC122
    MaC122 Posts: 797
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    I can not tell you how pleased I am with Rockwood over BGE lump. I always have a lot of lump left over after a long slow burn. The smell is not as harsh as other lumps and it will burn hotter than bge. I am so glad my local ACE sells it
    St. Johns County, Florida
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    Jeepster47 said:
    theyolksonyou said:
    @Jeepster47 however, if you'll throw in the Golden Gate....
    Great, you are listening to the good stuff.
    Grew up on it
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  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
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    @biggin74 ... just to double down on the instructions.  Fill to the top of the fire ring for low-n-slows.  Fill to the top of the fire bowl for other cooks that will not take a long time ... chicken, steaks, etc.  Filling to the top of the fire bowl every time, for direct cooks, is helpful because then the fire is always the same distance from the protein.  One less variable to mess you up.  And, apologies for Jason and I going off topic.

    @theyolksonyou ... I grew up on Motown, California Beach and English band music.  Came over to country when they started resurrecting some of the oldies. 

    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

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  • biggin74
    biggin74 Posts: 37
    edited March 2015
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    @Jeepster47 I enjoy getting to know folks no worries! And thanks for the double down!
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