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Royal Oak Lump

DWFII
DWFII Posts: 317
edited September 2022 in EggHead Forum
I have had good luck with this charcoal in the past--there's not much else to be found in my area.
Recently I bought a 30lb. bag. At least 20% of it wasn't even charcoal--it's either wood with what looks to be an oil of some sort and a lot of black charcoal dust on the surface, or it's bark (up to an inch thick) again un-carbonized but black.
I have to load my egg by hand trying to eliminate as much of that detritus as I can...one handful at a time.
And it smells odd when it is ignited.
this is actually the second bag that has been like this--I had similar experiences with a smaller bag last year.
I have been cooking with it...mostly pizza but if I don't pull out the garbage, the food has an off taste to it (or maybe it's my imagination...maybe it's dirty smoke and creosote from uncarbonized wood burning)
In any case, I thought I would share my experiences with it--even if it's safe it's not even the marginally acceptable quality it used to be.
Bespoke boot and shoemaker--45+ years
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Comments

  • SamIAm2
    SamIAm2 Posts: 1,894
    @DWFII - So glad to see a post of yours on the front page of the forum. Sorry about your issues with charcoal in your area. One of the members of this forum sells a very good charcoal, Rockwood, which I would use all the time. Your local Ace hardware store may carry it or order it for you. You can also purchase directly from the company https://rockwoodcharcoal.com
    Ubi panis, ibi patria.
    Large - Roswell rig, MiniMax-PS Woo; Cocoa, Fl.
  • I had a chunk of firewood in my last bag of RockWood. My understanding is that he adds a extra pound to the bags to cover things like that. I run RockWood exclusively and it’s only the second time that has happened.
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • Langner91
    Langner91 Posts: 2,120
    I had a bag of Royal Oak once that was as described.  The only way I could get through it was to do 2-stage cooking with it.  I filled, and I mean FILLED my egg with the charcoal, and lit it in three places.  I let it get ripping hot and closed the lid.  I basically made charcoal out of the stuff in the bag. 

    On the second, third, and fourth lighting, it was fine.  It was a pain in the backside, as I had to keep running the egg and not cooking when I needed more lump.  


    Clinton, Iowa
  • I had a chunk of firewood in my last bag of RockWood. My understanding is that he adds a extra pound to the bags to cover things like that. I run RockWood exclusively and it’s only the second time that has happened.
    There's about 1/2# overage in the 20# bags.  We do that to cover for any rocks or under carbonized pieces that may sneak in.  The good thing about an under carbonized piece of a domestically produced lump is that it's probably going to be oak, hickory, or something else you'd already be smoking with.  So it's not going to ruin your food like an under kilned bitter rainforest species would.
  • Powak
    Powak Posts: 1,391
    DWFII said:
    I have had good luck with this charcoal in the past--there's not much else to be found in my area.
    Recently I bought a 30lb. bag. At least 20% of it wasn't even charcoal--it's either wood with what looks to be an oil of some sort and a lot of black charcoal dust on the surface, or it's bark (up to an inch thick) again un-carbonized but black.
    I have to load my egg by hand trying to eliminate as much of that detritus as I can...one handful at a time.
    And it smells odd when it is ignited.
    this is actually the second bag that has been like this--I had similar experiences with a smaller bag last year.
    I have been cooking with it...mostly pizza but if I don't pull out the garbage, the food has an off taste to it (or maybe it's my imagination...maybe it's dirty smoke and creosote from uncarbonized wood burning)
    In any case, I thought I would share my experiences with it--even if it's safe it's not even the marginally acceptable quality it used to be.
    I’ve gotten that in $30+ bags of BGE coal. Messed with that for a minute and back to RW it was.
  • I had a chunk of firewood in my last bag of RockWood. My understanding is that he adds a extra pound to the bags to cover things like that. I run RockWood exclusively and it’s only the second time that has happened.
    There's about 1/2# overage in the 20# bags.  We do that to cover for any rocks or under carbonized pieces that may sneak in.  The good thing about an under carbonized piece of a domestically produced lump is that it's probably going to be oak, hickory, or something else you'd already be smoking with.  So it's not going to ruin your food like an under kilned bitter rainforest species would.
    Wasn’t it a pound before?
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    edited September 2022
    I had a chunk of firewood in my last bag of RockWood. My understanding is that he adds a extra pound to the bags to cover things like that. I run RockWood exclusively and it’s only the second time that has happened.
    There's about 1/2# overage in the 20# bags.  We do that to cover for any rocks or under carbonized pieces that may sneak in.  The good thing about an under carbonized piece of a domestically produced lump is that it's probably going to be oak, hickory, or something else you'd already be smoking with.  So it's not going to ruin your food like an under kilned bitter rainforest species would.
    Wasn’t it a pound before?
    Yep.....if you buy two bags.   =)
  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,323
    So buying 40 bags is essentially getting one bag for free. Sweet!
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • I had a chunk of firewood in my last bag of RockWood. My understanding is that he adds a extra pound to the bags to cover things like that. I run RockWood exclusively and it’s only the second time that has happened.
    There's about 1/2# overage in the 20# bags.  We do that to cover for any rocks or under carbonized pieces that may sneak in.  The good thing about an under carbonized piece of a domestically produced lump is that it's probably going to be oak, hickory, or something else you'd already be smoking with.  So it's not going to ruin your food like an under kilned bitter rainforest species would.
    I figured it to be hardwood and almost threw it in with my chicken last night but didn’t want to risk it. Though it will not be wasted!
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • Never used or saw Royal Oak as yet, I picked up a bag of BGE lump at our local Ace, expecting greatness.  It was ok but fairly small lumps (if you can call them lumps), no decent sized pieces.  Got a bag of Frontier from BJ’s Wholesale, top of the bag had nice sized lumps, worked well, we’ll see how it goes as we get down the bag a bit.  Back to Rockwood at ACE, premium price there.  Most of their BGE’s and accessories are MSRP. 
  • Langner91
    Langner91 Posts: 2,120
    If you used BGE lump, you've used Royal Oak.  


    Clinton, Iowa