Cowboy lump review

MrCookingNurse

Long story short: taking the rest of the bags back quick.

Took forever to light. That's really about it. Burned fine. Some odd looking pieces tho. Smoke smelled good. When I say forever to light, I mean minutes with a MAP torch that I can light RO on seconds with.

The good: once it was lit, it was on and hot!! A lot of lump left after 6 hours at 250 and 30 min at 5-600. It smelled really good and has a nice smoke taste. Mostly big pieces, but weird stuff.

The bad: terrible to lite, and very odd pieces.

Odd looking pieces.

Mattman3969

Looks like I may revisit some Cowboy. Thanks for the review MCN.

MrCookingNurse

@Mattmann3969

I would keep it, but I've got to go to Lowe's anyway, and RO is on sale at wally world right now.  The smoke and taste was really great, but the lighting and odd stuff is enough for me to say no.... but from what I hear, this is improved from their older stuff. 

3andsomedust

I bought my first bag of cowboy last week when it was on sale. Used it tonight to grill some burgers. A few of my personal observations... - A few big pieces but more dust in the bag than any lump I've ever bought before -I thought it was the most potent strong smoke I've ever smelled. Not horrible, but definately a much stronger smokey flavor than either RO or OO. I let the smoke clear for 45 minutes prior to grilling and it was still really strong. Some may like this, but my family and I prefer a more smoke neutral flavor. - I'm glad I tried it....will use again in a pinch but I'm sticking with either RO or OO.

MrCookingNurse

@3andsomedust

It's better than I was expecting. You really thought smoke was bad?? I really liked it. Don't know if it was jus a change from RO or what.

cazzy

I'd hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. I wanted you to take it back before you even opened it. Lol

That's some whack stuff!!

stlcharcoal

Take some of those chunks and throw them on the ground......if they don't shatter into pieces, it's not charcoal (yet).  True charcoal will make almost a metallic "tink" noise when you shake it.

The reason it could have been hard to light and produce a strong smoke, is because it was still wood.  It was in the stage right before it becomes charcoal.

These "pre-charcoal" charcoals often can maintain the large chunks in the bag because it is not brittle like properly kilned charcoal.  It also lasts longer than all the rest......because you kiln it the rest of the way into charcoal, then go from there.  All that smoke is the remaining tars/sap/sugar in the wood.

Not saying this is the case for this particular bag or brand, just what I have encountered over the years with some top rated brands.

MrCookingNurse

cazzy said:

I'd hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. I wanted you to take it back before you even opened it. Lol

That's some whack stuff!!

Haha you sure did! :-q

MrCookingNurse

stlcharcoal said:

Take some of those chunks and throw them on the ground......if they don't shatter into pieces, it's not charcoal (yet).  True charcoal will make almost a metallic "tink" noise when you shake it.

The reason it could have been hard to light and produce a strong smoke, is because it was still wood.  It was in the stage right before it becomes charcoal.

These "pre-charcoal" charcoals often can maintain the large chunks in the bag because it is not brittle like properly kilned charcoal.  It also lasts longer than all the rest......because you kiln it the rest of the way into charcoal, then go from there.  All that smoke is the remaining tars/sap/sugar in the wood.

Not saying this is the case for this particular bag or brand, just what I have encountered over the years with some top rated brands.

Thanks for info!

lakewade

It's weird how variable their quality is.  I bought two bags and both have been very good.  I use paraffin'd sawdust to light fires so everything lights for me.    

70chevelle

Cowboy was my only choice for a while in my area.  I didn't like seeing wood flooring cutoffs in the early years (about 4 years ago), but it still burned well, although a little sparky.  My Wallyworld started carrying RO, and had it on sale for $5/8.8# bag last year, so I bought a bunch.  Saw that Lowes had Cowboy in 20# bags for $9.99, so I bought a few of those bags.  It's been fine, lights as easy as RO for me, and now that it's not a bag of hardwood floor cutoffs, it has similar makeup of larges and dust as the RO.  I use veg oil and a paper towel with all my lump.  I'm thinking you may have gotten a bad bag?  On another note, the worst lump I've gotten has been an off brand that was mesquite lump.  I thought it was good in the beginning, but talk about a strong smoke flavor.  It took over everything I cooked on it. 

The Naked Whiz

Looks fine to me.  One piece is obviously bark which is normal for many charcoals made from saw mill slabs.  The others look like oak and perhaps like they came from knots where limbs sprouted.  I just got a bag and hope to review it in the next month.

Griller

I must've experienced the Cowboy lump brand in and around the time 70chevelle mentions above. The first couple of bags produced a great flavor of smoke. Thereafter, I began to notice chunks of concrete, metal, and charcoal covered plywood. The last straw was when the smoke smelled acrid - almost like a house was on fire. It was so bad we threw the food out along with the remainder of the Cowboy lump coal and never looked back.I go between Ozark Oak, BGE lump, and Wicked coal now. 

SmokeyPitt

That was my experience exactly MCN...just difficult to light and get going.  I felt like I had to empty a quarter tank of MAP every time I lit it .  Once it finally gets going it burns fine.  

Lit

I use cowboy alot and have no complaints for the price. It lights much faster than wicked good for sure and has bigger pieces than royal oak. I recently bought about 100 pounds of royal oak recently since is was $8.99 for about 18 pounds and I prefer cowboy over the small pieces and ash I am getting from royal oak. I bought a 10 pound bag of cowboy several years back and it was crappy but it has changed alot since.

jaydub58

When I first started Egging just over three years ago, Cowboy was it in our area.  I got along with it fine.  I agree it does take a little longer to start, but burns good and hot and, I feel it leaves noticeably less ash than RO,

Now I'm pretty much back and forth between Cowboy and RO, just depending on current price.

BigGreenBBQ

I've used cowboy a few times in a pinch. If the price is right I buy a bag. I try to keep WG on hand. What I really want to do is start making my own charcoal. Maybe out of bamboo. Might be a lot of work but its sounds fun and you know exactly what you are getting.