Lazzari mesquite lump - huge!

edaly

My wife bought a bag of Lazzari mesquite charcoal from our local hardware store and I have to say it has the hugest pieces of lump I've ever seen. This is in my Large egg:





It also seems like a great deal - the hardware store here in LA sells a 20lb bag for $9.99. Here's what the bag I bought looks like:



I've now bought 2 bags and this second one (pictured above) had even larger chunks than the first. Interestingly, the review on NakedWhiz doesn't show nearly as large pieces, although they are using a 6.75lb bag:

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag16.htm

As a sidenote, if the lump charcoal FAQ on Naked Whiz is correct, lump charcoal is 20-25% of the original volume, which would make these some pretty big pieces of wood before being carbonized.

I've done several cooks with this lump and it does seem to burn for a long time - I did a ~8 hr cook and had several large chunks remaining mostly intact.

BTW I'm not affiliated with Lazzari in any way. Just wanted to mention what seems like a great product. Previously I was paying more than double the price, buying 8.8lb bags from Whole Foods for ~$12 (mainly for convenience). They were filled with small pieces that didn't burn as long.


edaly

RRP

And you like huge pieces like that why?

Don't get me wrong I don't like dust and tiny chips, but any time I find a large piece I set it aside until I have several and then whack them with a hammer to break them up.

Anybody else do this?

thailandjohn

I have used lump charcoal from Lazzari for years

I do break down the larger pieces

I use both their Mesquite and the Oak lump

I use the Mesquite mainly for high temp cooks because it burns very hot and the Oak for my long slow cooks

I live in the East Bay and it is a short drive for me to go to South San Francisco and buy directly from Lazzari

I pay $16.09 For a 40lb bag of Oak lump and around $12.00 for the Mesquite

They also have chips and chunks of all kinds of wood at good prices

SMITTYtheSMOKER

I'd suggest you do yourself a favor and switch to Oak Lump. I find that anything that stays on the grill longer than 15 minutes tends to get oversmoked with Mesquite. Cheaper is not always better.

jaydub58

Lazzari Oak lump isn't available in my area, but mesquite is. Doing any kind of beef cook, steak, etc., I like to throw in a double handful with the Royal Oak lump. A bit of mesquite works well for me and my chief critic with beef. I can't think of anything I'd want to cook with mesquite lump alone.

Amy S.

In my short time egging, I already found that out. Now, I am back to straight lump and a few chips thrown in for flavor.