Will briquettes taint a BGE?

jollygreenegg

Almost all the time I use lump, but there are times when I'll use briquettes because I'm too lazy to drive the extra miles to buy the lump or my dad will give me a bag from a two-pack he bought.  Also, I don't ever use fluid.
The food off of the lump definitely has a "cleaner" taste, but will the occasional briquette use taint the egg?

Crimsongator

No, but I definitely wouldn't use matchlight or any with lighter fluid. Competition Kingsford should do well in a pinch for direct cooks.

SGH

jollygreenegg said:

 will the occasional briquette use taint the egg?

Absolutely not. If it would, my eggs would have been ruined long ago. For certain cooks, I prefer charcoal over lump. 

Mike_the_BBQ_Fanatic

Can you snuff briquettes out and relight it like you can lump?

DMW

SGH said:

jollygreenegg said:

 will the occasional briquette use taint the egg?

Absolutely not. If it would, my eggs would have been ruined long ago. For certain cooks, I prefer charcoal over lump. 

@SGH - Just curious, for which cooks do you prefer briquettes over lump?

DoubleEgger

Mike_the_BBQ_Fanatic said:

Can you snuff briquettes out and relight it like you can lump?

No

DieselkW

This is news to me. I was told in no uncertain terms never ever use briquettes in a komado because they're full of ceramic damaging charcoal binding ingredients and lump is natural wood.

So ... WTF? Is this propaganda spread by the lump guys, or is the lump union lobbying BGE with fist fulls of cash? Is there a 501(c) Lump Pac with influence and ties to very important politicians?

Why don't bags of Kingsford say: "Safe for use in your expensive outdoor oven/smoker/grill Komado" for market share?

Somebody call 60 Minutes - Stossel needs to know about this.

gerhardk

From what I understand the reason not to use them is that the large amount of binder material will affect the airflow so it is harder to maintain a low slow temperature over a 10 plus hour cook.

Gerhard

Lit

Only issue is the large amount of ash left over. I don't use them cause I keep 3-400 pounds of lump around but I have a buddy that uses them more than lump.

FATC1TY

Aside from the types with lighter fluids, gels, whatever to aid in lighting, you can use the powdered briquettes if you so choose.

Only issue they have is the amount of ash build up. It'll affect the airflow in the cookers, and cause issues with temperature.

A hot fast cook.. probably just fine.

SGH

DMW said:

@SGH - Just curious, for which cooks do you prefer briquettes over lump?

Brother D, sorry that I'm late on the draw. I missed this question somehow. Nonetheless I have seen it now my friend. I prefer briquettes anytime I'm grilling direct. Not raised direct, just standard level direct. I find that I can get a much more "even" heat around the grid when using briquettes. With lump you will always have the inevitable hot spot. There is just no avoiding it short of running a raging inferno and then you are far to hot to cook. I'm not bashing lump in any way as I use as much or more than anybody. However for searing within inches of the coals I prefer briquettes for the control. The only downside of briquettes is the amount of ash that they produce. Short of this they work great. Here is another use that I use them for. You can cheat a smoke ring with them. If you are cooking for someone who doesn't like a lot of smoke but they like a pretty ring, you can use briquettes in place of wood and get a nice smoke ring without the heavy smoke taste. Again, my apologies for missing this when you first posted it. 

Carolina Q

DoubleEgger said:

Mike_the_BBQ_Fanatic said:

Can you snuff briquettes out and relight it like you can lump?

No

Of course you can. The main issue with briquettes is the amount of ash they generate.

Focker

DoubleEgger said:

Mike_the_BBQ_Fanatic said:

Can you snuff briquettes out and relight it like you can lump?

No

Have been using relit briquettes in my kettles and WSM for a long time. 

Why can't it be done?

SGH

Focker said:

Have been using relit briquettes in my kettles and WSM for a long time.

I reuse them in both of my eggs (mini & large), Unit #1, Unit #6, PBC, kettle and UDS. They work just as good as fresh ones. 

SGH

There is snuffed out briquettes in both of my eggs as we speak. 

BOWHUNR

Mike_the_BBQ_Fanatic said:

Can you snuff briquettes out and relight it like you can lump?

Yep.  Do it all the time when we cook on Weber kettles at deer camp.  Just stir'um to knock the ash off and hit'um with the mapp torch.

Mike

Skiddymarker

As noted the trouble is ash, lots of it. I like briquettes for a direct sear, the Smokey Joe Weber needs about 25 to get a real inferno going....

cookingdude555

I have about 400 lbs of kingsford competition briqs in my garage right now.  Its good stuff, just pulverized lump (maybe they get it from crushed royal oak bags from walmart) with a vegetable binder.  No chemicals.

snoqualmiesmoker

cookingdude555 said:

I have about 400 lbs of kingsford competition briqs in my garage right now.  Its good stuff, just pulverized lump (maybe they get it from crushed royal oak bags from walmart) with a vegetable binder.  No chemicals.

Well, except borax. 

stlcharcoal

SGH said:

  . For certain cooks, I prefer charcoal over lump. 

You mean briquettes over charcoal, right??