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What do you do with the really small lump pieces?

CPARKTXCPARKTX Posts: 1,973
in EggHead Forum
It seems that even good quality lump has some amount of very small shards of charcoal. By the time I go through 4 to 5 bags, the bottom of my lump storage bin has about 6" of that very small material. It makes me nervous using it since it packs in so tightly it must impact airflow. Do you use it anyway, toss it, or...?
LBGE & SBGE.  Central Texas.  

Comments

  • The Cen-Tex SmokerThe Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 18,713
    Smaller than a golf ball goes in the trash for me.

    "I believe that life is based on belief-systems. The Way I see it, folks just need to have something that they can really believe in."

    "I believe I’ll have another beer."

    - Hondo Crouch

  • The Naked WhizThe Naked Whiz Posts: 7,780
    I put it out in the garden along pathways.
    The Naked Whiz
  • bigphilbigphil Posts: 1,390
    you could toss a handful on top just to you is up leave the dust out though 
    Large Big Green Egg , XL Big Green Egg . BBQ Guru, Weber Kettle, Weber Q grill for road trips.
  • SkiddymarkerSkiddymarker Posts: 8,432
    When I rake out the ash, I put the small stuff, both from the bag and the stuff that falls thru my High-Q back into the bottom of the egg, maybe to a depth of an inch or so. As soon as the lump above starts, pieces of coals fall through and the whole thing slowly burns. The ash goes in the garden, much like the advice from the Whiz....
    Waste not want not, even if I am a Lump Ho. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • nolaeggheadnolaegghead Posts: 29,388
    I try using it up evenly with the rest of the bag.  Don't sort.   Like @Carolina_Q
    ______________________________________________
    This is my signature line just so you're not confused.  Love me or hate me, I am forum Marmite.
    Large and Medium BGE, Kamado Joe Jr, Akorn Jr, smoker with a 5k btu AC, gas grill, fire pit, pack of angry cats, two turntables and a microphone, my friend.  Registered republican.
    New Orleans, LA - we know how to eat 
  • fonemanfoneman Posts: 104
    I burn it all and throw only the ashes away.. 
  • calikingcaliking Posts: 12,041
    I throw them back in the bag, so they can grow up and become bigger pieces of lump... just in case the charcoal warden is looking :D

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Village IdiotVillage Idiot Posts: 6,959
    I don't have a lump storage bin, but when I'm cleaning out the egg, I throw away the little pieces.  Lump is cheap compared to meat.
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


  • billyraybillyray Posts: 1,179
    I sift the ashes and small pieces I remove from the bottom through a 1/4" hardware cloth sieve I made and add the pieces that don't fall through back to the top of my next cook. I have a high-que grate.
    Felton, Ca. 2-LBGE, 1-Small and waiting on a mini
  • TUTTLE871TUTTLE871 Posts: 1,316
    Throw them in my neighbors yard, he still thinks it rains lump.

    "Hold my beer and watch this S##T!"

    LARGE BGE DALLAS TX.

  • henapplehenapple Posts: 15,986
    Use Ozark Oak... Duh
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • SpaightlabsSpaightlabs Posts: 2,076
    Mix em in with the big and medium stuff. Ya payed for it, might as well use it.
  • hapsterhapster Posts: 7,502
    Squeeze it in my fist for a few minutes and then give my wife a diamond


    ;)

    Actually if the lump is really small I just throw it out with the dust in the bottom; but I don't freak out if it ends up in the egg, burns just like the rest of it
    MSV Chill Spot
    Chester County, PA

    http://egginwithedward.blogspot.com/

    http://edwardhardingphotography.zenfolio.com/
  • jaydub58jaydub58 Posts: 2,161

    I use it all, just toss small pieces in on top of whatever is left.

    I clean ashes out with a Shop-Vac with a piece of PCP attached to get into the bottom vent.  Any pieces large enough to plug up a 1/2 inch pipe, I just toss into the egg.  Small enough to get into the Vac, they're garbage.

      

    John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon
  • egger aveegger ave Posts: 721
    The dust and small pieces go in my gardens. The charcoal retains moisture and helps break up the clay soil.
    1 Large BGE, 1 Mini BGE, 1 Minimax BGE, Original wife and 3 dogs living in the heart of BBQ country in Round Rock Texas. 

    "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."

    Albert Einstein
  • Charlie tunaCharlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    Lump makes "HEAT" ---  heat makes BBQ  ---  BBQ makes me happy  ---   i burn mine up!
  • onesaxplayeronesaxplayer Posts: 79
    I draw pictures with it :)). Actually I use it up in my Weber because that rig can deal with smaller pieces better than the egg, IMHO.
    When you get to a fork in the road, pick it up, spear something with it and throw it on the grill!!!
  • RLeeperRLeeper Posts: 480
    Never have sorted lump and always dump straight from the bag. Low and slows have always been a success and I have yet to have a fire go out.
    Extra Large, Large, and Mini. Tucker, GA
  • ChubbsChubbs Posts: 6,925
    I throw them in my oyster bucket that is also where my ash goes. Then my dog eats it and I get mad when she pukes it up at night. Then the next time I clean the egg out the cycles starts over after I say I won't put it in there again.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • stlcharcoalstlcharcoal Posts: 3,558

    I dump the fines and dust into a 5 gallon bucket with a lid.  When fireplace season rolls around, I place a few cups in the bottom of each fire.....excellent ignition aid.

    One of my customers was telling me about using them in gardening.  Google "bio-char".

  • cajunduckcajunduck Posts: 203
    Put it on top of the bigger lump. "Recycle"
    Geaux Tigers!! West Monroe, Louisiana
  • ReldtiCDNReldtiCDN Posts: 142
    edited June 2013
    Use them for christmas presents for the kids who were only a little bad for through the year.
    I just throw it in, it should burn up quick.
    Brampton, Ontario



  • dajogejrdajogejr Posts: 12
    I give them to my neighbor to burn in their outdoor fire pit as a starter.
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