Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.
Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch
Second (hopefully last?) charcoal survey question
Comments
-
C. I think price would be a better factor to grade.
-
C. Not important. Price number 1 initially, quality of lump #2 (scrap pieces, dust, small pieces etc), burn time #3.Be WellKnoxville TN
-
Answer - C.
Natural lump has no additives, so any ash left over isn't added, it's the inorganic part of the wood (minerals, salts, metals). The amount of ash is generally minimal with natural lump charcoal compared to briquettes, which have fillers added.
The amount of ash in lump is going to be primarily a function of the species of wood and where it was grown, not really much to do with the collier's method (other than how much soil sticks to the charcoal).
Since the ash is minimal even in the worst case, and it has no impact on the quality of the fire or cook, and because I have a dedicated vacuum to clean out the ash, I don't consider it a factor at all that I care about.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
I'm gonna go with B)Somewhat Important. People with grills/smokers that burn more charcoal are going to be more concerned. Doesn't seem to make much of a difference when cooking on an Egg, but when I use my old offset down at the ranch, it does. On long smokes, I have to shovel out the ash buildup under the grate or it will build up and block air flow making consistent temperatures harder to hold. Eggers aren't the only ones who refer to your site, so you might keep that in mind.
Rowlett, Texas
Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook
The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings
-
I'm with Griffin. I see links to your site all over the World Wide Interwebs. Many have little to do with egging(for which I am very thankful that there is minimal advertising on your site compared to others). So I would find it as important as others. Not everything is a high heat sear so low and slowers will find the appeal to having that information.
-
B-_________________________________________________Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
Green Man GroupJohns Creek, Georgia -
Yeah, but he said lump. And his site has the tag line "Ceramic charcoal cooking, kamado cookers, barbecue, recipes, charcoal reviews and more!"
In context, C. I can see it being an issue burning briquettes in a stick burner. But he doesn't review briquettes nor stick burners.
If you're an extremely lazy egger, and you just keep adding lump without cleaning out the ash, just maybe buying low ash lump will buy you more time before maintaining the fire box.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
B
I agree and look to NOLA's take on most things, but beg to differ here.
If you have used lump like WGWW or Oo, you will notice that they are very low in ash. And the ash is kinda silky soft. Now try RO. The ash is gritty, sand like and there is a LOT. There is a huge difference. I can go 2 -3 cooks with the first two mentioned but with RO, I need to empty the ash before every cook. So what is my go to lump? Not RO.
Of course, the primary quality you look for in a lump is how it burns, not the residue, hence the B.
______________________________________________
Large and Small BGE, Blackstone 36 and a baby black Kub.
Chattanooga, TN.
-
-
C, not really important, as I just vac out a few more times.
-
B, just for the reason of long cooks. the longer the cook the more ash build up on the lump, so a lump with lower ash production is easier to run longer at low and slow.
-
C. I get less ash produced on a 16 hour low and slow than on a 90 minute pizza cook, so not a concern.__________________________________________It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.- Camp Hill, PA
-
i cook til the bottom is full of ash almost to the grate and then remove a cup or two for the cook, maybe a little more for a low and slow. pretty much never clean out the egg anymore
) i dont see it making any difference at all when cooking in an egg. kinda cracks me up reading about vacuum cleaners etc, last thing in the world i want to do is disturb my broken up crumbly firebox
us extremely lazy eggers do as little as posssible with the ash, whiz, we are NOT taking the time to measure and weigh it
so C
fukahwee maineyou can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it -
Hey, don't knock the vacuum cleaners...mine's dedicated. Probably the best accessory I've purchased. I just grab the hose and hit the switch and the ash is gone in 60 seconds. I'm on my second bag and I started using it 6 months ago.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
C.
I am much more concerned about it having a neutral smell and not a lot of chips and dust.
Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD. -
-
-
nolaegghead said:Hey, don't knock the vacuum cleaners...mine's dedicated. Probably the best accessory I've purchased. I just grab the hose and hit the switch and the ash is gone in 60 seconds. I'm on my second bag and I started using it 6 months ago.
) )
wonder if anyone here has a maid service for the house, make sure you hit the egg before you leave
fukahwee maineyou can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it -
C. My rosebushes love the ash!John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon
-
Im with @fishlessman, Never take all the ash out of my egg, in fact I even throw the small stuff that fell through the grate and was snuffed back into the bottom after I give it a rake to ensure air flow. I've never made the call to not buy a specific type of lump due to the amount of ash, so to answer the Whiz's question as it relates to kamado style cookers, to me the answer is C) Not important at all.Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
-
I don't remove all of it either. 60 seconds to clear an air passage and I'm back in bidness.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
I'd go with B..
It's not extremely important, but in terms of maintenance requirements, having lump that produces more means less cooks between cleans.. And there have been several times recently that I can't seem to get good temps quickly.. I push some ash around in the bottom, and it takes off.. Maybe I'm just too lazy and need to utilize my shopvac more often..
LBGE
MS Gulf Coast - Proud member of the Who Dat Nation!
My Not Frequently Updated Basically Dead Blog: http://datcue.wordpress.com -
I used to use the shop vac from my manbearcave - it has the regular stock dry filter. That ash would clog it up in 30 seconds. I got a dedicated vac (around $50 at Amazon) and use the bags. They DO NOT CLOG. When they're completely full, they weigh 20 pounds (of densely packed ash). No muss, no fuss. Yeah, I've scooped it out too. Get a bag, big spoon or something. Inevitably you have ash on the deck. Not a big deal and I'm not ADHD or anything, but I'd spend $50 on the vacuum over a looflighter any day. I use a cheap torch with propane, works like a champ.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
I'm thinking that something like burn time is linear. More is better. More more is more more better. Lots more is lots more better. Ash is more like a threshold for many. If the amount of ash produced is so great it seriously impacts your ability to do a long overnight cook, that's real important. Otherwise, it is only a slight bother as to how often you have to clean it out.
The Naked Whiz -
C (Seems like there needs to be something between B and C. I care, but I don't believe there are significant differences between lump brands)For grilling, it doesn't matter. I only care about ash for low n' slows and most of the ash probably comes from wood chunks/chips.I'm not picky. If it burns, I can cook with it.
-
C. It is something that has never effected my cooking and I have never cooked with one of these"low ash" lumps. I, like nola, vacuum out my egg before a large cook where air flow and time is important._______________________________________________XLBGE
-
scottc454 said:C (Seems like there needs to be something between B and C. I care, but I don't believe there are significant differences between lump brands)For grilling, it doesn't matter. I only care about ash for low n' slows and most of the ash probably comes from wood chunks/chips.I'm not picky. If it burns, I can cook with it.
The Naked Whiz -
-
C - doesn't matter-----------------------------------------analyze adapt overcome2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
-
I say C.
The two main lumps I buy are Nature Glo, which gets great review from NW and B&B, also gets good reviews. In my experience, B&B produces less ash and there are bigger pieces, but I prefer Nature Glo over B&B because it lights fatser and burns clean faster.
Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
Categories
- All Categories
- 182.7K EggHead Forum
- 15.7K Forum List
- 459 EGGtoberfest
- 1.9K Forum Feedback
- 10.3K Off Topic
- 2.2K EGG Table Forum
- 1 Rules & Disclaimer
- 9K Cookbook
- 12 Valentines Day
- 91 Holiday Recipes
- 223 Appetizers
- 516 Baking
- 2.4K Beef
- 88 Desserts
- 164 Lamb
- 2.4K Pork
- 1.5K Poultry
- 30 Salads and Dressings
- 320 Sauces, Rubs, Marinades
- 543 Seafood
- 175 Sides
- 121 Soups, Stews, Chilis
- 35 Vegetarian
- 100 Vegetables
- 313 Health
- 293 Weight Loss Forum