Favorite lump for the price?

EggSmokeVa

ok.. I'm sure this has been talked about and I did a bit of research already on the forum.. But would like some more concise feedback. I have been using the BGE lump ONLY.. Haven't even tried another brand.. And I realize I am wasting a pile of money doing so lol.. 

So... What brand should I try and switch to.. To save a little money on lump but still get the same quality?

thanks!

DoubleEgger

You won't get a concise answer here. You'll have to try out some different brands and decide for yourself. 

pgprescott

This is like asking some frat guys who the best looking woman in Hollywood is today. You will get ten different women. I would just suggest that you focus less on the cost and try different brands and go with the one you like best. BGE, RO, WGWW, RW, Fogo, and others are all different. The density and species of wood are big factors IMO. Some people like smoker lump, others like the cleaner burning stuff. Also the type of cooks you normally engage in can be a factor. Don't compromise your end product based upon a few bucks. That doesn't mean you will necessarily like the one I like or the highest priced one. Good luck. 

EggSmokeVa

Thanks @pgprescott I haven't had any issues with the BGE brand.. I like it just fine.. Just have read a lot about other brands being just as good for much cheaper.. Figured I could maybe save on lump and spend more on meat lol

DoubleEgger

If you like your current lump and you're looking to save a buck, try Royal Oak first. 

pgprescott

EggSmokeVa said:

Thanks @pgprescott I haven't had any issues with the BGE brand.. I like it just fine.. Just have read a lot about other brands being just as good for much cheaper.. Figured I could maybe save on lump and spend more on meat lol

This may be true for you, but I would just not compromise based on price alone. If you try all the others and find one you like better go with that one for sure. Happy egging!

newegger169

For a just a few dollars more than bge lump rockwood is the way to go to me. Burns even and clean,  big chunks not pieces like bge. Havnt looked back since I switched. 

EggSmokeVa

Thanks I will give it a try @newegger169

Lit

If you like the BGE lump it's made by royal oak which you can get at Home Depot for like $12 for 18lbs. You save money and get the same stuff you were paying more for. 

SmokingPiney

Some good info here:

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpindexpage.htm?bag

Hi54putty

Wicked Good is my favorite. 

Tjcoley

My favorite lump is fresh blue crab right out of the Chesapeake.  If I have to go canned, the Phillips Seafood jumbo lump is my go to. 

bob.bud

Rockwood, I order 5 at a time from Firecraft to get them at $21 a bag and free shipping. When I first bought my egg, I used the BGE brand for a while... I used Rockwell once from a local dealer at $28 a bag and was hooked. With the exception of the price. 

You will hear about backlogs with Firecraft... and to that I say plan ahead and order before you are out.

bcsnave

I don't know where you are from but Grove Charcoal ..at $12.89 a 20lb bag is fantastic. Good size ...minimal dust fines...good clean burning. Our Piggly Wiggly carries it.

jaydub58

I have tried Rockwood and it is very good. 
That said, when HD is selling RO at  $12 for a 17 lb bag that is my go-to.  

Chillin@5

I grabbed a bag of rock wood and kamado joe a couple weeks back after only using BGE for first few months of egg ownership. I love Rockwood!!! Large lump that burns hot and clean. Very neutral smoke. It will be my new go to. 

NCEggSmoker

I just started getting Carbon Del Sur from restaurant depot. Decent size pieces and 8.99 per 18.8 pound bag. It's not as dense as Rockwood, Wicked Good, or Kamado Joe Brand so I primarily use it for hot fast cooks and use Rockwood for L&S. 

Cookinbob

I am one of those guys who is totally satisfied with Royal Oak (which is the same as BGE).  Home Depot always has it at a fair price, and the bags are never beat as I have experienced with other brands.  I am a member at Restaurant Depot, and here they only carry Royal Oak, and at the same price as HD.

slovelad

@EggSmokeVa simple answer here - try royal oak - 13 dollars a bag at Home Depot or lowes

allsid

Fogo- If you have the means, I highly suggest picking some up. It is so choice! Also the whole bag is full of pieces like this, not just a few chunks with a bunch of shards.

Mosca

If there is a Wegman's supermarket in your part of Virginia, their store brand is 6.99 for a 10lb bag, and it is made by Royal Oak.

EggSmokeVa

Just ordered some Fogo actually after research.. Found a decent deal on Amazon @allsid

EggSmokeVa

After this Fogo trial.. I will, however, give royal oak a try simply because of the price.. (And all of your recommendations of course lol)

thanks everyone!

Darby_Crenshaw

I am the one lucky guy in the country who seems to get decent charcoal no matter what brand i buy. Sometimes a bag of small stuff sneaks by me, but it all burns

ford versus chevy, in my (unimportant) opinion

Jeepster47

One point of clarification:  BGE, Nature Glo, and Royal Oak are all made by the same company.  That doesn't mean they are made in the same plant, by the same pit master, in the same kiln, with wood from the same forest, and under similar conditions.  Royal Oak Enterprises has quite a number of facilities scatter around the states turning out product.  The Royal Oak Enterprise product that you buy in Virginia may be different than the product that folks buy in Oregon.  You'll find folks here who swear by it and folks who swear at it ... both groups might be basing their opinions on completely different products.

Also, lump is a little like BBQ sauce ... what you favor is heavily influenced by your personal tastes.  Some of the lumps are smoke neutral.  Others yield a definite smoke flavor.  My wife doesn't like a heavy smoke flavor, so I only use a neutral lump.

Several folks above suggested that you try the different products available in your area to form your own opinion ... they weren't being obnoxious, they were giving good advice.

Darby_Crenshaw

and keep in mind it is a natural product. 

Finding a rock in the bag once in a while, or some uncarbonized wood, or one bag of smalls vs a bag of jumbo chunks, isn't evidence that you got screwed.

It's the reason you aren't paying fifty dollars a bag

EggSmokeVa

Thanks @Jeepster47 well said

Mikee

Buying one bag of lump is not a true indication of the lump. That's one of biggest downfalls of the NakedWiz website. I've gotten bags of RO with less than a 1/2 cup of fine pieces and dust. The bag I opened up last month was terrible. The current bag is again mostly medium pieces. I'll buy Cowboy lump when I have a coupon for the local hardware store and get it for under $10. I tried one bag of Rockwood and it was as good as Royal Oak; just twice the price. I purchased a bag of Laredo at the Restaurant Supply store and it had quite of bit of large pieces like Fogo. Even though Laredo is under $10 a bag; those large pieces do not work well in my small Egg.

Cookinbob

@allsid   I am not sure how you get a good stable fire going with such large chunks.  I would think you need a bunch of small stuff just to get it going.  I have wanted to try Fogo for some time, but never find the good price on Amazon.  It seems to vary quite a bit.

DoubleEgger

EggSmokeVa said:

Thanks @Jeepster47 well said

Ditto. It's kinda like saying that a Spark and a Z06 Vette are the same because they are both made by Chevy. 

EggSmokeVa

I just got a 35 pound bag of Fogo for $50... @Cookinbob