Royal Oak charcoal

ceramic_cooker

Has anyone noticed an increase in large rocks appearing after cooking with Royal Oak charcoal? I know some rocks always make it through to the product, but these seem to have increased recently in RO.

I have used RO for several years. Everyone is aware of Home Depot's hidden price increase (reducing the size by over 12% and charging the same), but it is concerning if they are also choosing to include more rocks to their product.

clifkincaid

When it goes to 9.97 a bag I'll stock back up on a dozen bags.

Darby_Crenshaw

weigh the bags before getting out the pitchforks....

many (most?) bags (for many suppliers) are overweight.

people crab about cowboy lump all the time, but my last bag was 5+ pounds overweight.  kinda makes up for a couple rocks every now and then

Lit

I have a couple good sized ones in my XL right now.

chrisc133

I use a lot of RO and have yet to find a single rock.

Carolina Q

chrisc133 said:

I use a lot of RO and have yet to find a single rock.

^^^ This.

Ok, surely I've had a couple in the nearly SEVEN years I've been using RO...

nolaegghead

I am fresh out of fvcks to give regarding the normal variations of lump charcoal.

HeavyG

I haven't had any rocks in any Royal Oak for well over a year. Luck of the draw/regional variability I guess.

JMCXL

I had a strange problem with 1 bag of Humphrey's Lump. Called the company and they shipped 2 replacement bags for free.  Great company that stands behind their product. 

pinballLooking

I had my first large rock last night. I had about 5 shall rocks.

GregW

nolaegghead said:

I am fresh out of fvcks to give regarding the normal variations of lump charcoal.

It does seem to be a recurring dead horse to beat.

Toxarch

I've had some small rocks. Usually end up in the bottom of the KAB after a while.

Darby_Crenshaw

nolaegghead said:

I am fresh out of fvcks to give regarding the normal variations of lump charcoal.

I have been championing not giving a fvck about charcoal for years. Lotta people are emotionally invested in the supposed superiority of their brand of the moment though. Lotta blow back when you dare to question 

Jupiter Jim

ceramic_cooker said:

Has anyone noticed an increase in large rocks appearing after cooking with Royal Oak charcoal? I know some rocks always make it through to the product, but these seem to have increased recently in RO.

I have used RO for several years. Everyone is aware of Home Depot's hidden price increase (reducing the size by over 12% and charging the same), but it is concerning if they are also choosing to include more rocks to their product.

It is lump that we put into a cooking vessel and turn into ash! I'm just wondering why we expect it to be so pure? It's not a precious metal or stone! I recommend that you switch to a lump at a much higher price so you can get the so much sought after PURE LUMP! Relax and Egg On.  

Darby_Crenshaw

I am going to start selling lump sorted into various sizes, guaranteed rock free and bagged by hand

only $75/25 pounds 

dougcrann

They ain't rocks......they are heat sinks...

Doc_Eggerton

Darby_Crenshaw said:

weigh the bags before getting out the pitchforks....

many (most?) bags (for many suppliers) are overweight.

people crab about cowboy lump all the time, but my last bag was 5+ pounds overweight.  kinda makes up for a couple rocks every now and then

Cowboy?  A few free pounds doesn't make up for plastic straps, fiberglass and plywood.

onedbguru

clifkincaid said:

When it goes to 9.97 a bag I'll stock back up on a dozen bags.

I went to a WallyWorld last week and lo and behold they had the 17.6lb bags on sale for $9.97 so I bought 8.   HD still had the 15.4lb bag for $12.97 on a pallet with balloons as if this was a "great price".  Now I have 11 bags (3 of which were the 15.4lb bags).  

I use RO because I can get it at that price and I like the result.  I occasionally get a bag of something more expensive - especially if it is on sale and typically don't see any real, measurable difference. Others sparked and burned differently, but the overall taste was still the same. But no matter the brand, I always find a few rocks here and there so, not a big deal, and usually at the bottom of the bag. 

stlcharcoal

Darby_Crenshaw said:

I am going to start selling lump sorted into various sizes, guaranteed rock free and bagged by hand

only $75/25 pounds 

You'd be losing your butt......$200 for 20# minimum.  And you'd have to x-ray every piece to make sure there wasn't anything encased.  Then the big chunks would still break down unless you wrapped each one in bubble wrap. 

When people complain about the size distribution in the bag, I always wonder if they call Frito-Lay or General Mills after they find a bunch or crushed up chips or cereal in the bottom of the bag.  There's a fair share of size distribution in Tostito's and Corn Flakes just like any lump charcoal.  All of them come out of the machine in a pretty much standard size, then just like lump charcoal, they get broken down during the bagging, palletizing, shipping, handling, stocking.  They can't do anything about it either, yet it's somehow perfectly acceptable for them and not for us.  Hell, even Pringles break during handling yet no one says a word. 

pgprescott

stlcharcoal said:

Darby_Crenshaw said:

I am going to start selling lump sorted into various sizes, guaranteed rock free and bagged by hand

only $75/25 pounds 

You'd be losing your butt......$200 for 20# minimum.  And you'd have to x-ray every piece to make sure there wasn't anything encased.  Then the big chunks would still break down unless you wrapped each one in bubble wrap. 

When people complain about the size distribution in the bag, I always wonder if they call Frito-Lay or General Mills after they find a bunch or crushed up chips or cereal in the bottom of the bag.  There's a fair share of size distribution in Tostito's and Corn Flakes just like any lump charcoal.  All of them come out of the machine in a pretty much standard size, then just like lump charcoal, they get broken down during the bagging, palletizing, shipping, handling, stocking.  They can't do anything about it either, yet it's somehow perfectly acceptable for them and not for us.  Hell, even Pringles break during handling yet no one says a word. 

Hey Jonathon, can you work on a bag of ice that won't melt together into a big hunk when it melts and refreezes? I would like to buy some of that too. 

Darby_Crenshaw

Doc_Eggerton said:

Darby_Crenshaw said:

weigh the bags before getting out the pitchforks....

many (most?) bags (for many suppliers) are overweight.

people crab about cowboy lump all the time, but my last bag was 5+ pounds overweight.  kinda makes up for a couple rocks every now and then

Cowboy?  A few free pounds doesn't make up for plastic straps, fiberglass and plywood.

Straps and fiberglass weigh nothing

and the plywood?  Big deal. Pull it out and get over it. They do not use plywood to make charcoal. You might get a stray piece, but that's rare. And that sh!t happens to every manufacturer  

People used to b!tch that Cowboy was all construction debris and would piint to flooring as proof

until it was pointed out to them that there were no nailholes, it was all square cut, etc.

they were sourcing culled pieces from oak flooring manufacturers, not dumpster diving

but their consumers were too stupid to understand this, and thought it was demo debris 

my food tastes pretty good. No one has dies yet. And i can cook with any charcoal you give me. I don't panic when i am down to twenty bags of "brand-of-the-month"

i find it frankly effeminate when 'men' argue about brands of charcoal. Ford. Chevy. Whatever

laughable priorities

Darby_Crenshaw

stlcharcoal said:

Darby_Crenshaw said:

I am going to start selling lump sorted into various sizes, guaranteed rock free and bagged by hand

only $75/25 pounds 

You'd be losing your butt......$200 for 20# minimum.  And you'd have to x-ray every piece to make sure there wasn't anything encased.  Then the big chunks would still break down unless you wrapped each one in bubble wrap. 

When people complain about the size distribution in the bag, I always wonder if they call Frito-Lay or General Mills after they find a bunch or crushed up chips or cereal in the bottom of the bag.  There's a fair share of size distribution in Tostito's and Corn Flakes just like any lump charcoal.  All of them come out of the machine in a pretty much standard size, then just like lump charcoal, they get broken down during the bagging, palletizing, shipping, handling, stocking.  They can't do anything about it either, yet it's somehow perfectly acceptable for them and not for us.  Hell, even Pringles break during handling yet no one says a word. 

Nope. Wouldn't lose a dime, and would be legend. Because I wouldn't sort a damn thing. I'd just resell the same crap in a fancy bag. And then take care of the one in twenty that complained. 

stlcharcoal

Darby_Crenshaw said:

Doc_Eggerton said:

Cowboy?  A few free pounds doesn't make up for plastic straps, fiberglass and plywood.

and the plywood?  Big deal. Pull it out and get over it. They do not use plywood to make charcoal. You might get a stray piece, but that's rare. And that sh!t happens to every manufacturer  

You will NEVER find a piece of plywood in our bags......I can guarantee that.  With the way the supply chain works, some charcoal companies can be sure of that.  All of our charcoal comes from slab and cord wood.

Doc_Eggerton

Darby_Crenshaw said:

Doc_Eggerton said:

Darby_Crenshaw said:

weigh the bags before getting out the pitchforks....

many (most?) bags (for many suppliers) are overweight.

people crab about cowboy lump all the time, but my last bag was 5+ pounds overweight.  kinda makes up for a couple rocks every now and then

Cowboy?  A few free pounds doesn't make up for plastic straps, fiberglass and plywood.

Straps and fiberglass weigh nothing

and the plywood?  Big deal. Pull it out and get over it. They do not use plywood to make charcoal. You might get a stray piece, but that's rare. And that sh!t happens to every manufacturer  

People used to b!tch that Cowboy was all construction debris and would piint to flooring as proof

until it was pointed out to them that there were no nailholes, it was all square cut, etc.

they were sourcing culled pieces from oak flooring manufacturers, not dumpster diving

but their consumers were too stupid to understand this, and thought it was demo debris
my food tastes pretty good. No one has dies yet. And i can cook with any charcoal you give me. I don't panic when i am down to twenty bags of "brand-of-the-month"

i find it frankly effeminate when 'men' argue about brands of charcoal. Ford. Chevy. Whatever

laughable priorities

Weren't you the poster lambasting people who are passionate about their choices in lump?  You seem to feel the need to defend Cowboy to the point of making personal insults.  I was not commenting on the basis of popular myth, but upon my personal experience.  Cowboy is ashy, smelly, and in my experience full of surprises.  Oh and BTW, bugger off.

Terrebandit

I have not noticed a spike in rocks. I did notice a spike in dead birds last summer. 

clifkincaid

Our WM use to carry the 17# bags. Now it's the 8#ers. HD here is the same as yours...sure hope in june or july they have the sale again. 

onedbguru said:

clifkincaid said:

When it goes to 9.97 a bag I'll stock back up on a dozen bags.

I went to a WallyWorld last week and lo and behold they had the 17.6lb bags on sale for $9.97 so I bought 8.   HD still had the 15.4lb bag for $12.97 on a pallet with balloons as if this was a "great price".  Now I have 11 bags (3 of which were the 15.4lb bags).  

I use RO because I can get it at that price and I like the result.  I occasionally get a bag of something more expensive - especially if it is on sale and typically don't see any real, measurable difference. Others sparked and burned differently, but the overall taste was still the same. But no matter the brand, I always find a few rocks here and there so, not a big deal, and usually at the bottom of the bag. 

Jll0004

I bought two bags of RO last week and found a small boulder! Not sure how I feel about RO

bgebrent

Exhausted by lump threads.  I know, don't open if...

Lit

I have seen a drastic quality increase in RO. The lump size has gotten much better. I bought a bag of the other stuff recently and the RO was just as good if not better IMO. And it's half the price.

SloppyJoe

Blah blah blah.   

DMW

Lit said:

I have seen a drastic quality increase in RO. The lump size has gotten much better. I bought a bag of the other stuff recently and the RO was just as good if not better IMO. And it's half the price.

Maybe the rumor they bought Ozark Oak has some merit?