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Arguing about lump charcoal.....

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2

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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
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    dougcrann said:
    I use Lazzari Mesquite. The white bag stuff. Cash & Carry. Believe it is the same as Smart & Final in the SW. 40 pounds for under $15. Opened 3 bags at once, only filled a 5 gallon pale about half full of dust/fines. Have used several hundred pounds of it. 0 rocks/junk. 
    Wife and I can't taste one species of wood to the next. 
    Used to use RO. My problem was the consistency of it. One bag was all decent size chunks, next bag lucky to find a piece bigger than a salt shaker. 
    Folks always talk about how great of a bargain it is. Even at the HD sale price it is still 21 cents a pound more than the Lazzari. I am disabled and on a fixed income.....
    I have used hundreds (maybe over 1000 in the 10 yrs I've been egging) of pounds of mesquite. I can get Lazzari at Restaurant depot. The biggest issue I had with it was there were full sized logs in the bag. I hit them with a hammer so they would fit. Mesquite can be sparky when it starts up and is typically ashy but those things are no big deal when you are getting super cheap lump. It burns hot and clean so a few sparks and little more ash are not big deal.

    Don't let anyone on here tell you whats good for you. If you like it, that is all that matters.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
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    I only use lump to warm up my smoker now anyways. RO is perfect for that. Cooking with wood gives much better results.
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  • dougcrann
    dougcrann Posts: 1,129
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    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    dougcrann said:
    I use Lazzari Mesquite. The white bag stuff. Cash & Carry. Believe it is the same as Smart & Final in the SW. 40 pounds for under $15. Opened 3 bags at once, only filled a 5 gallon pale about half full of dust/fines. Have used several hundred pounds of it. 0 rocks/junk. 
    Wife and I can't taste one species of wood to the next. 
    Used to use RO. My problem was the consistency of it. One bag was all decent size chunks, next bag lucky to find a piece bigger than a salt shaker. 
    Folks always talk about how great of a bargain it is. Even at the HD sale price it is still 21 cents a pound more than the Lazzari. I am disabled and on a fixed income.....
    I have used hundreds (maybe over 1000 in the 10 yrs I've been egging) of pounds of mesquite. I can get Lazzari at Restaurant depot. The biggest issue I had with it was there were full sized logs in the bag. I hit them with a hammer so they would fit. Mesquite can be sparky when it starts up and is typically ashy but those things are no big deal when you are getting super cheap lump. It burns hot and clean so a few sparks and little more ash are not big deal.

    Don't let anyone on here tell you whats good for you. If you like it, that is all that matters.


    Some pieces are indeed on the large side,  I solve the problem the same way you do. I only noticed the sparks when using the weed burner to light it. Have been using vegetable oil soaked paper towels lately, not much sparking that way...
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  • DieselkW
    DieselkW Posts: 894
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    After using good lump for a long time, I saw the Royal Smoke at Home Depot on sale and bought two bags.
    Have you ever flown first class on a plane? You know how it feels the next time you fly in coach? You don't want to be a snob, but coach is like being on a bus with wings and first class is, well, better.

    Lighting Royal Smoke (again) reminded me of how long it takes for the dense white smoke to stop and for the temp to come up.

    I'll use these two bags, and they'll get hot and cook for me, but I've already ordered my replacement lump at a higher cost because I like my brand better and if it costs me an extra $0.50 per cook not to be annoyed I'll spend it.

    Indianapolis, IN

    BBQ is a celebration of culture in America. It is the closest thing we have to the wines and cheeses of Europe. 

    Drive a few hundred miles in any direction, and the experience changes dramatically. 



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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
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    stlcharcoal said:
    Foghorn said:
    If we don't argue about charcoal, what are we going to argue about? 

    The problem is that everyone here has a BGE......kills the evol of the typical BBQ arguments

    -No charcoal vs. gas debate.

    -No type of charcoal grill debate.

    -No brand of kamado debate.

    What's left?  Brand of charcoal.

    Well we can always discuss:
    • fat up or down
    • foil or no foil
    • mustard or no mustard
    • brine or not
    • low and slow or turbo
    • best rub
    • best BBQ style

    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
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    jtcBoynton said:
    stlcharcoal said:
    Foghorn said:
    If we don't argue about charcoal, what are we going to argue about? 

    The problem is that everyone here has a BGE......kills the evol of the typical BBQ arguments

    -No charcoal vs. gas debate.

    -No type of charcoal grill debate.

    -No brand of kamado debate.

    What's left?  Brand of charcoal.

    Well we can always discuss:
    • fat up or down
    • foil or no foil
    • mustard or no mustard
    • brine or not
    • low and slow or turbo
    • best rub
    • best BBQ style

    No we can't ... the science on those topics has already been settled!

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

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  • jonnymack
    jonnymack Posts: 627
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    Mopar = No Car!!  Hahaha...man I can remember the gearheads in my high school getting all worked up about Mopar vs. whatever Mopar was up against (not a gearhead), your original post reminded me of that. i'm no lump snob, I find Kroger lump works just fine. Royal Oak is OK to me, I found a Rockwood vendor near me so I'll see what the hype is about. Regardless hapster's right, most people can't handle having a rational discussion that may challenge their beliefs. Good times!
    Firing up the BGE in Covington, GA

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  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,989
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    I prefer Carbon Del Sur and Rockwood over everything else I have tried. I have used most lump I have bought with success. The only two I had a problem with is Cowboy, ( flooring pieces, parquet squares, entire bag, large portion not even charcoaled ) and Royal Oak via BGE Lump ( mostly small pieces and dust ). I tossed most of the Cowboy, as some still had a shiny coating on the pieces that were not processed, and sifted the RO and got about 60% of the bag that was usable.
    i used a weber chimney as my sifter. If it falls through that, I don't need it.
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    I'm serious about my brand loyalty. In my shed I have some never heard of Mexican mesquite (black horse something or other 45Kg for $30), Basques Sugar Maple (buy one get one 50% off), Maple Leaf (10% off), Royal Oak (true BOGO), FOGO Quebracho (40# for $40 delivered), Kebroak (40# for $40 delivered) and Lazzari Mesquite (40# for $15).....maybe I am a lump whore! 
    The best discussion point is controlling temp, top vent or bottom vent?
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
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    henapple said:
    Uncle Apple, beating a dead horse is on of my favorites ;)

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
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    SGH said:
    henapple said:
    Uncle Apple, beating a dead horse is on of my favorites ;)
    @SGH ... Hmmm ... well, at least you didn't say it was one of your favorite eats!!!

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

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  • TylerA
    TylerA Posts: 85
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    I will burn anything that isn't mesquite based.  I really don't like the flavor of mesquite.
    LBGE
    Huffman, TX
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  • dougcrann
    dougcrann Posts: 1,129
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    jonnymack said:
    Mopar = No Car!!  Hahaha...man I can remember the gearheads in my high school getting all worked up about Mopar vs. whatever Mopar was up against (not a gearhead), your original post reminded me of that. i'm no lump snob, I find Kroger lump works just fine. Royal Oak is OK to me, I found a Rockwood vendor near me so I'll see what the hype is about. Regardless hapster's right, most people can't handle having a rational discussion that may challenge their beliefs. Good times!
    Not very well liked on that site. Project car is a 69 Dart. Has a Ford 9" rear and is setup for a GM trans....what pushed a few folks over the edge was when I mentioned thinking about putting a LS crate motor in it, right from the Chevy dealer....
    Been tossing around the idea of making my own lump. Need to find a 30 gallon steel drum. May have a line on a local one. 
    I know that pine can not be used as a flavor wood. Can't  help but wonder about using it ad a lump. Process I had explained to me made it sound like all the sap will be cooked out of it in the process of making it. I volunteered to thin the trees on the sides of our roads...they are all  Ponderosa Pine. Gave away 14 cords of it last year. Suppose if I can't use it for lump I will be using it for the fire to turn maple/cherry into lump...
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  • jwc6160
    jwc6160 Posts: 218
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    So what is your go to lump?  Is the BGE brand no good or just over priced?
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  • Fred19Flintstone
    Fred19Flintstone Posts: 8,168
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    I'll stick to RO as my go-to.  When I was in Tennessee recently, the beloved former OO pimp shared some of his and I ended up with a rock in my small.  WTH?
    Flint, Michigan
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  • Hotch
    Hotch Posts: 3,564
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    I like the Lazzari Mesquite. When I get to the bottom of my pallet of old WW this will be my goto lump. Great price at RD.
    Large BGE, MiniMAX BGE, 2 Mini BGE's, R&V Fryer, 36" Blackstone Griddle, Camp Chef Dual Burner 40K BTU Stove
    BGE Chiminea
    Prosper, TX
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
    edited June 2015
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    TylerA said:
    I will burn anything that isn't mesquite based.  I really don't like the flavor of mesquite.
    Mesquite can be too strong for me as well. I haven't cooked with mesquite wood in years. That being said, there is no mesquite flavor in mesquite lump. it's all carbon so the properties that would cause mesquite flavor have long been burned off. It actually burns very hot and very clean.

    The downsides of mesquite and why most people prefer something else is that It's very sparky and very ashy. I prefer Rockwood over everything else I've found but if I didn't have access to it I would probably go back to cooking with mesquite. It's dirt cheap here and that makes up for the downside of the ash and sparks. 

    The worst part of mesquite is you have to clean your egg out after most cooks. It generates a ton of ash.

    I see you are in TX. HEB sells Central Market mesquite lump and it's great. If you were ever going to try it, I would recommend that one. It's the cleanest but most expensive of the mesquite lumps around here. Still half the price of most "premium" lump. If you can get past some un-carbonized pieces and actual logs in the bags that you have to break down with a hammer, the Lazarri is ridiculously cheap. I'm a lump nerd so I go with the boutiqe-y stuff but I still bottom feed from time to time and I'm never all that disappointed. I've cooked some awesome food over 20 cents per pound mesquite lump!









    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
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    jwc6160 said:
    So what is your go to lump?  Is the BGE brand no good or just over priced?
    BGE is Royal Oak with a large markup put on it. Some people say it has bigger pieces or it's the primo cuts of RO but I seriously doubt it. If you are using BGE and like it, just buy RO for half the price. If you are going to pay $1 per pound for lump, there are way better options out there.




    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,610
    edited June 2015
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    so, lump posts and 80's songs are what brings you to the surface @The Cen-Tex Smoker  ?

    I'm just jumping in to agree on the Central Market mesquite - I think you actually validated that one for me.  I use RO most of the time, but if I'm doing an overnight, I pick up some CM mesquite in the big bag.  The smaller bags are usually filled with duff.
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  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
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    So, as I'm down to my last 4 bags of RW.....is RO good for high relatively high temp cooks?   
    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
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  • GoldenQ
    GoldenQ Posts: 566
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    I was using Ozark Oak and loved it but now can not find any.  I was told they are making it under a new name for a single company under its name. The local area BGE rep from San Antonio told me he thinks SAM'S Club bought their entire product line.  Any thoughts or knowledge on this would be appreciated.
    I XL  and 1 Weber Kettle  And 1 Weber Q220       Outside Alvin, TX-- South of Houston
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  • gabriegger
    gabriegger Posts: 682
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    I buy what's on sale and use it cuz I'm pretty effin drunk by eating time to give a toss to discuss whether the charcoal has added flavour....

    the city above Toronto - Noodleville wtih 2 Large 1 Mini

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  • BIll-W221
    BIll-W221 Posts: 279
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    picked up a bag of WG Jakes Blend yesterday

    RO




    Wicked Good Jake's Blend





    Side by side


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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,610
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    that one door-stop looking piece in the jakes bag looks almost carbonized
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  • Trixie_Belle
    Trixie_Belle Posts: 163
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    So...what is better?  The large chunks or smaller chunks???   
    BGE novice...A Southern Belle living in Seattle.  
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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
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    Trixie_Belle said:
    So...what is better?  The large chunks or smaller chunks???   
    Mrs. Belle I prefer medium size pieces. Why? You can get a lot of them in the firebox for a long burn and they are big enough as not to restrict air flow. Real small pieces can be a real problem. They tend to really restrict air flow. The only problem with real large pieces is they take up a lot of room and you can't really get a lot of them in the firebox. However given the choice between large and small pieces I would chose large pieces everyday. I can break large pieces into medium pieces but I can not make small pieces into medium pieces. If I could have it my way I would want every piece 6 inches long, 2 inches wide  and 1 inch thick for my large egg. 

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • Trixie_Belle
    Trixie_Belle Posts: 163
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    @SGH  - thanks for the info.  I've only used 2 20lb bags of BGE brand so far.  Need to purchase more and wondered if I should go back to the dealer to purchase again or if RO.  Ugh....decisions! 
    BGE novice...A Southern Belle living in Seattle.  
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  • XC242
    XC242 Posts: 1,208
    edited June 2015
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    @GoldenQ I stopped at my Rockwood dealer today and he said he heard Ozark Oak was bought out by Royal Oak.
    LBGE (still waitin' for my free T-Shirt), DIgiQ DX2 (In Blue, cause it's the fastest), Heavy Duty Kick Ash Basket, Mc Farland, WI. :glasses:  B)
    If it wasn't for my BGE I'd have no use for my backyard...
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    @Trixie_Belle that BGE is relabeled RO. If your happy with the BGE give RO a shot and save some coin. 
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