Been pretty unlucky with lump

Mattman3969

To the OP and any one else that has had problems with RW sizes(this is one case where size doesn't matter). My last 5 bags have looked like this top to bottom.  

AaronH

RW.......Best ish ever! HOWEVER, my only complaint is very small.....they only have dealers in the Charlotte area and not in the Greensboro area. Anyway to fix this?!  

stlcharcoal

Darby_Crenshaw said:

I'm talking about sorting stuff donthat some bags are filled for better customers while a other gets crap

and the general excuse for bags that are all chips is that it is the bottom bag on a pallet or ettong tossed around. Every nag on the bottom isnt pulverized, or you're piling them too high

The video explains that people complain about small chips without realizing it is a part of the process

My point was it is the process. Not a teenager at walmart mishandling bags

sure, bags get crushed, but a bag of small bits isn't always the bottom bag on a pallet. Sometimes that's just the lump

i didnt say you were filling with fines. I said small stuff is part of the process. 

No. I dont own a charcoal
plant. My point is, none of this is evil conspiracy. **** happens. It all burns, including the small stuff

Most bags are overweight. 

Complaints about lump are typically overblown

Ok.....I think it sounds like we're in agreement then?    ?:/

I have never seen a company that sorts charcoal for certain customers.  It's not really an exact science, the variables exist on their own.  Only thing I have seen in MO is a manufacturer mixing Mexican lump in with their own stuff and still stamping "Made in the USA" on the bag.  That was 5-6 years ago, and that plant has a new owner now--hopefully they stopped that practice.  Saw another one stacking 35 bag pallets FOUR high--bottom row of bags had 2800# spread out over the bottom boards of a pallet.

The little stuff is a result of agitation and movement.  Every bump, shift, etc is going to result in the charcoal getting broken down.  But I can tell, it leaves the plant will minimal amounts of the fines in the bag, just as Lay's Potato chips have minimal crumbs in the bag when they leave their plant.

Just for the hell of it, I weighed a bag of my kids' Frosted Mini Wheats--35 oz when it started, then when they were all gone there was 2.5 oz of the crushed ones in the bottom of the bag that I threw away.  I doubt Lay's and Post/GenMills/etc get very many complaints as it's expected and the "norm".  But people who are used to buying briquettes are used to 99% of formed charcoal in the bag--when they make the switch to an all natural lump product they have to change that mindset.  A certain amount should be expected, but with rough handling by a shipper or retailer, it can make it exponentially worse.  Either way, I still burn 100% what's in the bag by just dumping the fines on the outer rim of the firebox.

Here's a WTF picture for you all......a little R&D earlier this year.  I also ran over a few bags with the company Expedition.  I could break the pieces down to about gold ball size, but no smaller.  They get that small and kind of lock together like gravel on a driveway.  They have enough surface area at that point I suppose.  For you tractor guys, that's a 2012 Mahindra 3016 HST.

 

XC242

I love Rockwood!!!

stlcharcoal

AaronH said:

RW.......Best ish ever! HOWEVER, my only complaint is very small.....they only have dealers in the Charlotte area and not in the Greensboro area. Anyway to fix this?!  

Yes, working on it......East coast is next on the list after we expanded covered Texas.  Looks like the nearest Ace to Greensboro that pulls out of the GA warehouse is in Rockwell.  Blackhawk in Charlotte always has it in stock as does Grill Medic in Mooresville though.

caliking

Seriously don't worry about small pieces. If you're worried about it choking down the fire clear a small area in the middle until you can see the grate and then stack a bigger piece or two to keep it all breathing well. All that stuff burns, no matter what the size. 

Buying stuff straight off a pallet means it was handled less so the pieces may be  bigger. You have to stack A LOT of really HEAVY  stuff on top of a pallet of lump to crush the bags on the bottom. Many workers don't realise that this stuff can be like glass.  You don't just throw the bags around like sand. 

NPHuskerFL

RW user. I have had the majority of bags reach me in great condition. Occasional package tear but, they tape it so no further damage occurs. I use the big stuff for L&S toward the bottom of the fire box. Many times before I top off the LG I'll take lump from there and put it into the MM. It's an efficient process with no waste either way. Minimal dust in most of the bags I've went thru which is probably around 100 or so to date. 
Before I used RW I was burning WGWW and last bag I bought was when they went from brown package to the white. The first 10 of white bags were horrible and took them back and received a refund. Doesn't mean they suck but, the shipper crushed several pallets. Needless to say they switched shippers. 

ryantt

Have tried a bag of rockwood and found it to be an above average product.  I have talked with @stlcharcoal on the phone and he is an exceptional business owner, and atrue class act.  The only problem I have with RW is I have to order it from Firecraft, so it takes a few days to get. 

tarheelmatt

stlcharcoal said

AaronH said:

RW.......Best ish ever! HOWEVER, my only complaint is very small.....they only have dealers in the Charlotte area and not in the Greensboro area. Anyway to fix this?!  

Yes, working on it......East coast is next on the list after we expanded covered Texas.  Looks like the nearest Ace to Greensboro that pulls out of the GA warehouse is in Rockwell.  Blackhawk in Charlotte always has it in stock as does Grill Medic in Mooresville though.

Man I wish we can get something soon. I had to break down and get RO for my work cook. 

bboulier

There are a variety of factors that affect charcoal quality - the choice of woods, the method of processing, and shipping and handling.  I have used a lot of Royal Oak.  In general, it takes a long while to burn off the VOC's, especially if it is not from the US.  I don't know why that should be the case.

 I ordered  two 30 lb. bags of Fogo from Amazon.  Best charcoal I have ever used.  Next purchase was two smaller bags of Fogo.  A high fraction of this purchase was very small particles or dust.  I am guessing that the difference was shipping and handling.  I have also had mixed results with Wicked Good (in my view not much of a difference with Royal Oak).  I have both good and bad bags.

littlerascal56

Gave up on the Royal Oak from my Home Depot. Pebbles and small crums fell thru the 3/4" holes in my XL.  Switched to "The Good One" from Firecraft, and can't believe the quality difference.  Cooks great, and always have a lot left in the firebox for the next cook. It's still  huge pieces, considering FedEx had to deliver it to the house!

DoubleEgger

I've found bigger pieces in torn bags so I actually look for them. Pea sized pieces of lump won't tear a bag. I turn the bags upside down before I buy. If it sounds like one of those rain sticks, I put it back. 

stlcharcoal

DoubleEgger said:

I've found bigger pieces in torn bags so I actually look for them. Pea sized pieces of lump won't tear a bag. I turn the bags upside down before I buy. If it sounds like one of those rain sticks, I put it back. 

Ha!  Smart one you are.  Anytime we get the retailers complaining about the tears, that's what I tell them.  It's like the worm in the tequila.  If you see it poking through the bag, you know there are big chunks in it. 

That being said, we don't wanting people spilling charcoal in their trunk, house, etc.  We have tried different plies, weights of paper, and types of paper--it's helped, but nothing is going to stop it unless it gets broken down before it goes in the bag.  When I figure out how to put a jagged and rigid product in a paper bag without ripping, I won't need to peddle charcoal anymore.  hahaha

Lit

When I used to load up on RO at restaurant depot if it was the bottom of a pallet I would get them to bring a new one out. You can physically tell the difference when getting a bag from the top and a bag from the bottom. The bags on the top even look more full.

Ladeback69

@stlcharcoal, I saw this KKGBBQ Sources Facebook post and posted it in another, hope you don't mind.   Great video about how your product is made.http://www.libertyhottub.com/rockwood-lump.php

nolaegghead

Seems to me tyvek would make for a tear resistant lump bag...

clifkincaid

nolaegghead said:

Seems to me tyvek would make for a tear resistant lump bag...

I think that lazzari lump is in those bags. Also @stlcharcoal nothing in Washington state for RW is there? FireCraft my only option?

Fred19Flintstone

How's that saying go?  Unlucky with lump, lucky with...

fishlessman

stlcharcoal said:

DoubleEgger said:

I've found bigger pieces in torn bags so I actually look for them. Pea sized pieces of lump won't tear a bag. I turn the bags upside down before I buy. If it sounds like one of those rain sticks, I put it back. 

Ha!  Smart one you are.  Anytime we get the retailers complaining about the tears, that's what I tell them.  It's like the worm in the tequila.  If you see it poking through the bag, you know there are big chunks in it. 

That being said, we don't wanting people spilling charcoal in their trunk, house, etc.  We have tried different plies, weights of paper, and types of paper--it's helped, but nothing is going to stop it unless it gets broken down before it goes in the bag.  When I figure out how to put a jagged and rigid product in a paper bag without ripping, I won't need to peddle charcoal anymore.  hahaha

the anthracite coal guys use woven polypro bags, i can dump a couple hundred 50 pound bags off my ramp truck and maybe only a half dozen get ripped. even the heavey plastic bags they use stand up well. some might like the idea that it doesnt have that frustrating string to deal with

DoubleEgger

It is my understanding that RW bags are environmentally friendly and use soy ink for the printing. 

fishlessman

DoubleEgger said:

It is my understanding that RW bags are environmentally friendly and use soy ink for the printing. 

my bags of anthracite coal claim that the coal comes from environmentally friendly coal mines   i dont pay attention to those words anymore but one thing i like is half priced taped up of bags of lump

theyolksonyou

fishlessman said:

stlcharcoal said:

DoubleEgger said:

I've found bigger pieces in torn bags so I actually look for them. Pea sized pieces of lump won't tear a bag. I turn the bags upside down before I buy. If it sounds like one of those rain sticks, I put it back. 

Ha!  Smart one you are.  Anytime we get the retailers complaining about the tears, that's what I tell them.  It's like the worm in the tequila.  If you see it poking through the bag, you know there are big chunks in it. 

That being said, we don't wanting people spilling charcoal in their trunk, house, etc.  We have tried different plies, weights of paper, and types of paper--it's helped, but nothing is going to stop it unless it gets broken down before it goes in the bag.  When I figure out how to put a jagged and rigid product in a paper bag without ripping, I won't need to peddle charcoal anymore.  hahaha

the anthracite coal guys use woven polypro bags, i can dump a couple hundred 50 pound bags off my ramp truck and maybe only a half dozen get ripped. even the heavey plastic bags they use stand up well. some might like the idea that it doesnt have that frustrating string to deal with

That damn string is the bane of my existence. 

DoubleEgger

@theyolksonyou here is a copy and paste from @Jeepster47

Here's my method ... applicable to Rockwood bags:

1)  Rotate the bag until the single line of stitches are towards you.  All of the loops are on the backside in this position.

2) Go to the end of the stitching by your right hand.  That's the starting point.

3) Gently work the stitches loose until the single stitch thread is coming out your side of the bag and loop thread is coming out the other side.  Gently tug back-and-forth on each thread until it unravels.

4) If gentle tugging doesn't work, then either a) work the knot loose enough that you can pull the single stitch thread out up to the next stitch b) cut the first stitch on the single thread side and work the cut off piece loose on the other side c) cut the damn top off the bag.

stlcharcoal

fishlessman said:

the anthracite coal guys use woven polypro bags, i can dump a couple hundred 50 pound bags off my ramp truck and maybe only a half dozen get ripped. even the heavey plastic bags they use stand up well. some might like the idea that it doesnt have that frustrating string to deal with

That coal doesn't have sharp pieces 24" long though.....those are the problem pieces, but the ones the consumers like.  Those are going to poke through a poly-woven, plus take some of the strands with it when they go to pour it into the grill.   I've bought charcoal in poly wovens and in every one I find plastic strands.  The dust containment is also an issue.

The reinforced non-woven bags and Tyvek ones seem to do ok, but they're all pinch bottom which makes them harder to fill for the crew, then harder to stand up for the retailer......more expensive too, which would just gets passed on to the consumer.  It also destroys our "zero-waste", "all natural", and "100% MO" commitments.  A lot of people burn our bags in their chimney starters. 

tarheelmatt

This thread has this song in my head now... She's lump, She's lump.... 

https://youtu.be/_1EYTZjhBuY

theyolksonyou

DoubleEgger here's my method

Thatgrimguy

I learned a ton about charcoal from this thread!  Thanks @stlcharcoal

fishlessman

DoubleEgger said:

@theyolksonyou here is a copy and paste from @Jeepster47

Here's my method ... applicable to Rockwood bags:

1)  Rotate the bag until the single line of stitches are towards you.  All of the loops are on the backside in this position.

2) Go to the end of the stitching by your right hand.  That's the starting point.

3) Gently work the stitches loose until the single stitch thread is coming out your side of the bag and loop thread is coming out the other side.  Gently tug back-and-forth on each thread until it unravels.

4) If gentle tugging doesn't work, then either a) work the knot loose enough that you can pull the single stitch thread out up to the next stitch b) cut the first stitch on the single thread side and work the cut off piece loose on the other side c) cut the damn top off the bag.

ill get ten or so to pull out in a row, then 2 or 3 that give me grief

4Runner

Size is overrated.

I do prefer medium sized chunks as all I do to the large ones is break them up.  Small is fine too. Dust is my arch enemy.   

DaveRichardson

@stlcharcoal- I'll just take the big ole "Supersacks" like you get mulch and stone and sand in....  Delivered to my driveway....  I'll crate it from there. Ok?  Sold!