Biggest Rock Yet

Doc_Eggerton

RO lump.

Village Idiot

That's what my wife said when I bought her her last diamond.

NewEnglandEgger

I am getting fed up with Royal Oak. The last 4 bags have been at least 50% very small lump. I am talking quarter sized pieces. There may only be 5 or 6 pieces that are 4". I am going to switch back to Wicked Good I think. A bit harder to light for sure...but no where near the amount of airflow impeding bitty chunks.

NewEnglandEgger

travisstrick

I am getting fed up with Royal Oak. The last 4 bags have been at least 50% very small lump. I am talking quarter sized pieces. There may only be 5 or 6 pieces that are 4". I am going to switch back to Wicked Good I think. A bit harder to light for sure...but no where near the amount of airflow impeding bitty chunks.

NewEnglandEgger

Every bag I have opened with the new 8.8lb size and the new graphics, have been total crap. All grape size pieces and dust. No more RO for this guy. 

cortguitarman

I found a big rock today in my Humphrey. However, I couldn't be happier with the size and quality of the lump. My smallest pieces are as big as Royal Oak large pieces. I think occasional rocks are par for the course with lump.

MrCookingNurse

I just opened a bag a RO new bag 8.8 lb new graphic and it was awesome!! I haven't opened as many bags as you guys but this was big pieces nice solid lump. I've used half of the bag and it's been a great bag.

I bought a couple bags this weekend so I wouldn't have to go to store for a whole hope I'm not disappointed with next bag

gte1

Same thing here with my last couple RO bags. I just took a trip to Ace, my local does not stock Wicked Good, but will order me some. 21 bucks per bag. With he new 8.8 bags of RO that's 75 cents/lb vs. 95 cents/lb for WG. With the difference in burn time that makes the price really close. Time for me to switch.

George

RichardBronosky

This is what happens to any company that deals with Walmart. Walmart starts hassling them about bringing the cost down and they cut corners to make it happen rather than lose the huge amount of sales that Walmart represents.

You say that the same company makes BGE, RO, and other brands? I bet they started sifting the bigger pieces out of the RO branded product to make it cheaper.

boatbum

Sold on Wicked Good - havent observed the difficulty in lighting.

Killed the fire after 20 some odd hours this weekend, still had charcoal left over.  I think it would have gone 30 hours....

 

cortguitarman

I'm not going to bash RO. My last bag was full of big chunks and it has been fairly consistent. It is still my go to in a pinch, or when I run out of Humphrey. Seriously guys, if you have a place to store it, check out a pallet of Humphrey. My cost, including shipping, was the same as RO. I picked up the order at a shipping hub, which brought down shipping costs. They loaded the entire pallet on my truck with a fork lift. They are based in PA, but the product ships from Ohio. I live in PA. Shipping rates, of course, may vary but it is worth a look.

Gato

I've said many times I was not crazy about RO. I've heard it said on here many times it is the same as b g e. I just opened a bag of bge and it definitely seems to be a better quality. They may be made at the same place but that's it.. To be fair I tried four bags of RO and this is my first of BGE. We will see.

tazcrash

FWIW, my last bag of RO was a 20lber from a place called Food Basics, it was the red bag with "Made in the USA" on the front. Same decent quality lump I've had in the past, I went back and bought 2 more (all I can hoard hide in the house. )

Doc & Travis, where did you get them from? 

Like Rich said, I would doubt that in Wally World's effort to undercut everyone they pick up the dregs at a steep discount.

Doc_Eggerton

I bought 20 bags in my first leap of fath at a Walmart.  Actually mine has been fine in the 8.8 bags, decent sized and less dust than I was getting in BGE 25 pound bags.  I don't think any more stones than in the BGE brand, but I just had to post that big one.

The BGE was really good, but costs twice as much.

Lit

I just went through 4 of the new 8.8 pound bags of RO from Walmart and didn't notice any change they were pretty much all decent sized pieces. The RO is perfect for my small and mini when I only had Wicked Good I had to pick through the bag to get pieces that worked in them and save the huge pieces for my large. I am going to check my local ace for Wicked Good though because its nice for long cooks.

travisstrick

FWIW, my last bag of RO was a 20lber from a place called Food Basics, it was the red bag with "Made in the USA" on the front. Same decent quality lump I've had in the past, I went back and bought 2 more (all I can hoard hide in the house. )

Doc & Travis, where did you get them from? 

Like Rich said, I would doubt that in Wally World's effort to undercut everyone they pick up the dregs at a steep discount.

Wally world. For the record, alcohol and lump are the only thing I buy at walmart. I have been using Central Market lump from HEB and it is great. The only hit it takes is that it is harder to light and sparks just a little when I put the heat gun to it. The harder to light is offset by how long it last in my eyes, though.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Trav, if you like CM then you will love Best of the West. It's 100% mesquite just like CM but the pieces are huge and it's $15 for 40lb. We'll get together for lunch or something and I'll throw a bag in the truck for you to try.

stike

Lump is a total cr^p shoot. If i limited my purchases to rock-free, perfect-sized, no-spark lump, I'd be stuck using my gasser.

I dont have the magical perfect brands (insert current mythical unicorn brand name here) available near me.

Do what your wives all learned to do. Stop looking for 'perfect' and settle for 'good enough'

Never met a lump that wouldnt burn and burn just fine, regardless of size, rocks, etc. Except the sparking hell of South American-sourced R.O.

tazcrash

Do what your wives all learned to do. Stop looking for 'perfect' and settle for 'good enough'  

Ouch! 

LOL  )

RichardBronosky

Do what your wives all learned to do. Stop looking for 'perfect' and settle for 'good enough'  

Ouch! 

LOL  )

Hey! I resemble that remark!

Egg Juju

I have found that charcoal can be like religion to us Q'ers so I have avoided such conversation in recent times. 

Having said that... I have been using BGE lump for 3 years and like it better than the RO I was getting at Wal-Mart prior to my egg purchase. <ducks head>

 *all views expressed in this post are purely the opinion of the writer and not intended to impugn the choices of any other member of the forum.*

Doc_Eggerton

I have been using BGE lump for 3 years and like it better than the RO I was getting at Wal-Mart prior to my egg purchase. <ducks head>


I like BGE too, but not enough to pay twice as much.

Egg Juju

and it only took 6 minutes... a new record!

 

I like BGE too, but not enough to pay twice as much.

I do...

stike

BGE lump is Royal Oak in a different bag. Royal Oak makes BGE Lump

Egg Juju

BGE lump is Royal Oak in a different bag. Royal Oak makes BGE Lump

I've heard that...

stike

it's the truth... 
how a bag is handled at the store is important too.

Doc_Eggerton

how a bag is handled at the store is important too.

Never thought of that.  Obviously the bags can get crunched and crushed.

Egg Juju

it's the truth... 
how a bag is handled at the store is important too.

I believe you... the contents of the bag are not the same when opened at my home.  I used the RO lump for 2 years in my pro-Q and it was small to medium pieces.  I was given a bag of BGE lump at the eggfest and I have never used anything else-- huge difference.  Maybe it is the local store personnel.  Maybe it is the truck driver that delivers it.  Maybe a lot of things.

And... I am sure this is a location difference... but here... RO is 85 cents per pound and BGE is 1 dollar per pound so to me, maybe only me, it is worth it.

 

Edit-- for the record... I do not care what it costs. I like it... I buy it.  If someone else likes RO I am happy for them and believe that is what they should buy.  I will not be one of those folks.  I am sorry if you disagree.  Can we please move on.  I promise to return to my previous position of not discussing brands of charcoal ever again. 

Eggbertsdad

RO is $0.58 per pound where I get it. So far, so good. In fact, I'm going back to buy a few more bags at $9.99 this weekend. 

Shawn

Ro latelly has been garbage there quality control took a big dive! I found lots of rocks and the lump is all 1 inch or smaller and tons of dust! 7 bag out of 10 has been like this! What the.........

cortguitarman

I think store handling is a big factor. I bought a bag of RO at an Agway store who doesn't sell it I'm high volume. Big pieces of lump. Wal Mart, small to medium size. BGE is 2x the cost of RO here. I didn't see enough of a difference to pay the price difference. Anyway, both are better than cowboy.

Chubbs

I have started using Cowboy. Every single bag I have purchased in Columbia SC (~20bags) has had huge pieces. RO has been terrible from day 1 for me. Small and dusty. Just my opinion on my personal eggsperience.