Cowboy charcoal?

Powak

What's the general consensus on this stuff? I grilled with some tonight. Nice big pieces, good heat, but smelled just like Kingsford briquettes. The chicken came out tasting damn good tough.

theyolksonyou

Not good. 

WeberWho

Not a fan. Even when you get clean smoke it's still too heavy of a smoke. Nothing like having a nice neutral lump and adding smoke that's light and doesn't taste like a bonfire. All you want is a kiss of smoke. Cowboy just tastes like smoke in my opinion

KiterTodd

It's crap.  I wouldn't use it for campfires.

There is a whole school of thought on lump charchoal and personal favorites, but see if your local Home Depot carries Royal Oak.  It's usually $12-$14/bag and is very good.   (much like wine or whiskey, there's always a better one, but this will do the trick, it's readily available, and the price is right).

saluki2007

Do you need any rocks for anything around your house?

Powak

Yeah I got an unopened bag of RO I'm going to rip into for my brisket smoke weds. Cowboys going in the trash. Smelled like burning railroad ties.

Hans61

Read the nakedwiz review of it, pretty much says it all...

Powderhound

It's total junk!  

bgebrent

theyolksonyou said:

Not good. 

This

Chicklet

Junk.  Someone gave me a small bag and I threw it out after one cook.  Terrible smell and smoke.  It smelled very synthetic to me.  

Royal Oak is the way to go. 

Fred19Flintstone

If you need extra fiberglass insulation and plastic strapping for around the house, you can get it in Cowboy.  I got those items from Cowboy like a prize in a box of Cracker Jacks.

Biggreenpharmacist

We toured the plant. Snapped a few photos:

sctdg

Just Say NO!

GlennM

Agreed. Made my food taste like it was cooked over burned plastic

bluebird66

Tried one bag, didn't like it.

NPHuskerFL

I feel I  have given them a fair chance.  I used 8-10 bags a while back. Lots of Uncarbonized pieces/logs, metal fragments, "rocks", nails, wire ties. After about the 3rd bag I was hand sorting bags because it was like Cracker Jacks!  Also found a half fist sized piece of plastic. 
A> The only way I hand sort is for maybe a L&S with largest at the bottom. And on the MM when I "Rob Peter To Pay Paul" >>>snag lump from the LG to feed the MM. 

Doc_Eggerton

Found plywood in the only bag I ever tried.  RO and Best of the West are easily available here and work fine for me.  Ace Hardware used to carry Weekend Warrior which I liked, but too much trouble to obtain now.  I would pay the overpriced premium for BGE brand before I would burn Cowboy.

Jai-Bo

saluki2007 said:

Do you need any rocks for anything around your house?

Yessir!  That sums it up!

Doc_Eggerton

Jai-Bo said:

saluki2007 said:

Do you need any rocks for anything around your house?

Yessir!  That sums it up!

The proper question is, do you need any construction materials; plywood, nails, fiberglass, plastic or metal straps?

NPHuskerFL

@Doc_EggertonOr melted Lego Forts  

Powak

Sounds like Cowboy coal is like a box of chocolates - never know what you're gonna get...

Powak

My food didn't taste bad after but my clothes and whole backyard smelled like a backyard tire fire.

jjmills

+1 all of the above

fishlessman

i use cowboy regularly, it does smell strong and takes longer to burn clean but its not really as bad as everyone makes it out to be. its cheap and available everywhere

avibug

I used a bag this month.  All of it was charcoal. Tiny, tiny pieces of charcoal.  

Mosca

I tried it once. It was okay, but I did get something in it, I don't remember what. My local supermarket carries the store brand, made by Royal Oak, cheaper and easier to get.

Eggscuses

Just like the football team. No good.
And no they don't make dolphins charcoal.

Rascal

Cowboy people probably think that anyone who BBQ's is probably half-tanked and won't notice the stench of plastics, glue & all!!~~

AintEZbeingme

No fan here!!

fishlessman

i believe this cowboy employee may have been sniffing glue when he fell in

SmyrnaGA

I haven't used cowboy for a while, but, I did notice a bit of uncharred wood in every bag.  If you sort and remove them, it doesn't take a long time for the bad smoke to clear.