What changed with Royal Oak ?

fairchase

Seems lately the pieces are nicely sized with several big pieces And not many chips or dust . However it has became much smokier than it used to be ? Anyone know why ?

Chris_Wang

Thanks Obama

GreenhawK

My last several bags have been Royal Oak, and I was thinking about how quick it cleaned out.  I actually cooked biscuits the other day on the Egg, and you couldn't taste any smoke at all.  

PNWFoodie

RO is just way too smokey for me. I'm actually thinking of giving away the rest of my bag.

RRP

Personally I have seen no difference over the years, but if you are buying it one bag at a time there are multiple reasons for multiple differences! 

JRWhitee

I have not had any smokey royal oak, actually it has been better like @greenhawK said.

fairchase

I stocked up with 10 of the 17.6 lb bags during the Walmart sale. My storage building now smells like the remains of a forest fire. I have never witnessed this with stored lump before .

RRP

fairchase said:

I stocked up with 10 of the 17.6 lb bags during the Walmart sale. My storage building now smells like the remains of a forest fire. I have never witnessed this with stored lump before .

LOL - I have over 700 pounds stored in my garage and the air out there smells pure...even after the occasional spills of gasoline when filling my equipment. As a kid In the 50's I remember my Mother keeping a chunk of charcoal in the refrigerator to "soak up odors"!

Terrebandit

I bought several bags recently and have not seen any change.

bicktrav

I've caught a few fairly sizable rocks masquerading as charcoal in my recent bags.  That's sort of bugged me.  Otherwise, no complaints.

Skiddymarker

Last fall grabbed two 8Kg bags of RO for <$10 each at the HD in Bellingham. Over the past few week have used them both. They were packaged the same but must have come from two different planets. One was full of non-carbonized pieces, smoked too long and sparked like crazy. The other bag was fantastic. One of the most neutral bags of lump I've used. 

ericp

I live in Cali and Royal Oak is half bag good size pieces and the other half about falls thru the grate. It is the one I buy because i refuse to pay 30 dollars for the Green Egg version and the local stores only sell Cowboy which I have read alot of bad reviews. It doesnt have any smell and the burn time is satisfactory. My Walmart stopped carrying it. I pay 15.00 for a 20lb bag here 

JRWhitee

I have seen RO in the Home Depots as well for $12 for a 17# bag.

GreenhawK

I am starting to wonder if different lumps handle the climate in particular areas better than others.  I have good luck with lump that a lot of people on here don't seem to like very much.  Which by the way are made close to where I am.  On the other had, I have not had good luck with some brands that most of the people on here rave about.  Those are mostly ones that have come from far off.  

SenecaTheYounger

Charcoal is an organic product, which is sourced from multiple stands of wood which are everchanging.  This isn't genetically modified corn, grown in the same field with the same techniques year after year, producing a controlled uniform product.

I think it could be, where a producer might plant trees every year with the express purpose of producing charcoal by harvesting every 8 or 10 year old crop.  But that's much more expensive than the current system, which is to acquire stands of hardwood from wide ranging locations with all the attendant variables.

As much as we may complain that a particular brand is smokier or smaller or bigger or smaller than it used to be, it's still a lot cheaper than it would be if it were expected to be the same from bag to bag.

I think we tend to get used to a certain brand, and don't notice differences because we are entrenched.  When that brand changes though, we sense it as some failure (or improvement).

It's really just the nature of a, well, 'natural' product. 

Sometimes I get a tough steak, or a rotten apple in the bunch.  Same thing.

The Naked Whiz

Skiddymarker said:

Last fall grabbed two 8Kg bags of RO for <$10 each at the HD in Bellingham. Over the past few week have used them both. They were packaged the same but must have come from two different planets. One was full of non-carbonized pieces, smoked too long and sparked like crazy. The other bag was fantastic. One of the most neutral bags of lump I've used. 

Were they both the same kind of RO?  RO has sourced their wood from various South American countries, as well as the US over the years.  You have to check the bag to see what country it came from.  If it doesn't say, then it came from the US.

Gator_Man

SenecaTheYounger said:

Charcoal is an organic product, which is sourced from multiple stands of wood which are everchanging.  This isn't genetically modified corn, grown in the same field with the same techniques year after year, producing a controlled uniform product.

I think it could be, where a producer might plant trees every year with the express purpose of producing charcoal by harvesting every 8 or 10 year old crop.  But that's much more expensive than the current system, which is to acquire stands of hardwood from wide ranging locations with all the attendant variables.

As much as we may complain that a particular brand is smokier or smaller or bigger or smaller than it used to be, it's still a lot cheaper than it would be if it were expected to be the same from bag to bag.

I think we tend to get used to a certain brand, and don't notice differences because we are entrenched.  When that brand changes though, we sense it as some failure (or improvement).

It's really just the nature of a, well, 'natural' product. 

Sometimes I get a tough steak, or a rotten apple in the bunch.  Same thing.

Man you hit the nail on the head for sure! it's lump and in the grand scheme of things it's good stuff even with a few little problems. G M

tjv

RO is one of the biggest lump producers in the US.  As such, it's can be a bigger crap shoot when getting bags, including US product, when compared to a single mom and pop operation. 

t   

SoCal_Griller

I just bought 3 bags of RO and have opened two of them so far and have been very pleased with the lump.  Larger pieces, not much VOCs, and little ash.  I was very surprised since I gave up on RO about a year and a half ago.  I have been using Ozark Oak all winter and like it a lot, but will start using RO until the quality drops.

tksmoke

@SoCal_Griller‌ Where in Simi do you find Ozark Oak?

horseflesh

For the last 6 month or more I have thought that my RO bags had way too many small pieces in them. Other than that, I haven't noticed a difference. (There were always some moon rocks.)

uheep

well said SenecaTheYounger

sodigthisbigcrux

I use RO for most my day to day, and keep a bit of Rockwood and OO that I got from Firecraft on hand for special cooks and low/slows. I've noticed that the last few bags of RO I've used have had better looking pieces, but I think that might be  because of the way it's handled. I used to get it at Bi-Mart or Wal-Mart and  the bags always looked a bit thrashed, lots of rips and thus a lot more smaller pieces and dust. The bags I've been getting from from Home Depot since they started carrying it have been in great shape and the pieces have been bigger and more uniform. I haven't noticed an increase or decrease in smokiness.

khristyjeff

I had a procedure done on me last Fall where they needed to take a picture of my lungs.  The Nurse asked me twice if I was a smoker because it looked like it.  I've never smoked.  I do use RO.  Hmm.

SoCal_Griller

@tksmoke

As far as I know there is no brick and mortar store around here that sells Ozark Oak.  I have been ordering online from ShoppersChoice.com.  They have a fixed shipping price ($6.92) and I figured out that If I ordered 4 10 lb bags it came out just under what BGE lump would cost.  I have ordered from 3 times now and have been happy with the service and the lump has come through in good shape.  (Edited for bad typing)

tksmoke

Thanks @SoCal_Griller.  Still a little too rich for my blood.  I'm really liking Fogo, and with free shipping (Amazon Prime), it's hard to beat.  I've also been using Royal Oak, which is actually pretty good charcoal.  It does have a bit of a smoky smell, but I like it.  The Wal*Mart sale (@8 bucks for 17lb bag) made it a no brainer.  Even at $12.97 at Home Depot for a 17Lb bag, it's reasonably priced.

cookingdude555

I love royal oak. Good stuff.