Briquettes on the BGE site

MrCookingNurse

Just thought it was interesting the featured video on the BGE site is a guy cooking with briquettes, not saying its wrong, jut interesting. 

http://www.biggreenegg.com/

LincolnPark_Egghead

I've been using plain old Kingsford blue bag briquettes for the last few weeks with no problems. Its been much cheaper than using lump, and with all the pizza cooks I've been doing the last few weeks, that savings has added up. 

DoofusOfTheDay

hadn't thought of using briquettes for cooks that don't really call for any kind of smoke, I have a bag of Kingsford sitting in garage doing nothing, might as well use it next pizza cook!

jaydub58

Nothing against briquettes, but doesn't that leave a lot more ash than lump?

Eggcelsior

jaydub58 said:

Nothing against briquettes, but doesn't that leave a lot more ash than lump?

Yes. The biggest risk of using regular briquettes in a kamado-style grill is clogging the vent holes during a low and slow.

fishlessman

maybe they are eventually going to put kingsford into green bge bags and charge 27.99 a bag

TylerA

I had a three or four bags of Kingsford left over, and used it up this winter.  I think its fine, but it does make a lot of ash.  I also mostly used it for pizzas or burger cooks.

mahenryak

The obvious, well-documented big no no is lighter fluid--or briquettes that contain lighter fluid.  Do not use either in the Egg.

MrCookingNurse

Eggcelsior said:

jaydub58 said:

Nothing against briquettes, but doesn't that leave a lot more ash than lump?

Yes. The biggest risk of using regular briquettes in a kamado-style grill is clogging the vent holes during a low and slow.

Only reason is ash and as mahenryak said lighter fluid. Just thought it was interesting since they say lump and even sale lump that on one of their sponsored videos they would use kingsford. It's a fire source and of course safe just interesting. 

stlcharcoal

Briquettes have soft wood sawdust in them as an ignition aid, so they will produce smoke.  They also have anthracite and fly ash which is what gives them that coal smell when burning.

g37

One of my main reasons for switching  to the BGE was the use of wood to cook my food.  Ive always loved the taste of food cooked over a wood fire. I always thought  briquettes made food taste like fuel.  I'm not sure y any 1 with a ceramic  cooker would want to cook with briquettes.  

odie91

mahenryak said:

The obvious, well-documented big no no is lighter fluid--or briquettes that contain lighter fluid.  Do not use either in the Egg.

I use both with no problems.

But I should clarify -- I had an old bottle of lighter fluid laying around; so instead of chucking it in a landfill, I filled a jar with it and drop a briquette in to soak.   I pull out soaked briquette (just one piece) to use as a fire starter.  It sits on the metal grate as it burns, and I have not had any issue with the ceramic absorbing it.

mahenryak

@odie91 this is from the mother ship's website:

http://www.biggreenegg.com/support/safety-tips/

NEVER USE LIGHTER FLUID OR ANY FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS IN AN EGG
Big Green Egg Natural Organic Lump Charcoal lights easily when using our All Natural SpeediLight Fire Starters or Electric Fire Starter for best results. NEVER use charcoal briquettes, lighter fluids or any flammable liquids in your EGG. This may void the Warranty, and will certainly make your food taste bad!

seal

I used to use briquettes but once I started using lump I never went back. Briquettes produce a ton more ash and they also take longer to light and get up to speed.  I think that's because they pack in tighter and don't allow the air to flow through as well as the lump.