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Cowboy brand lump

Our Lowe's has Cowboy brand lump for about half the cost of the BGE lump sells for at the retailer. Is the Cowboy brand good stuff?
It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'

Comments

  • dweebs0r
    dweebs0r Posts: 539
    edited July 2013
    I didnt have a good experience with it but I think a few others have had hit and miss.  The couple of bags that I bought had more dust than anything.

    Here is a review of the stuff:

    For what its worth, I like royal oak from the local Walmart.  It is the same lump that is in the BGE branded bags.
       -Jody Newell (LBGE & a 36" Blackstone griddle).
    Location:  🍺🍺  The back porch, Munford, TN.  🍺🍺
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    That review is old and was of the original charcoal that looked like (in Cowboy's own words) childrens play blocks.  I hope to do a new review of the current charcoal in the next 2 weeks.
    The Naked Whiz
  • Whiz-are you under the impression that Cowboy is better now?
    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
  • jaydub58
    jaydub58 Posts: 2,167
    I used it for just over a year before RO was available here.  I think it's okay. 
    John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I have three bags of cowboy I'm about to tap.  I've used it in the past, no complaints other than lots of sparking.  Just killed the last of my WGWW. 

    I'll report on it after I burn some.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,042
    I've used several (10?) of the larger bags over the last year.  My ACE carries it year round at about $12 a bag.  I just flip the bags and if it sounds like rain I don't buy it.  It is kinda sparky at light up more so than royal oak but its fairly neutral in flavor gets hot and will run you the length needed to do long low and slows.  I have no complaints but I don't complain about stuff I burn too often if its cheap, I would rather save the extra cash for meat.  
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Whiz-are you under the impression that Cowboy is better now?
    I'm not under any impression, actually.  We'll see how it goes....
    The Naked Whiz
  • tactical_66
    tactical_66 Posts: 207
    I have tried it twice and was very disappointed. A lot of sparks and poor quality material in the bag. Some of it looked like scrap lumber
  • foneman
    foneman Posts: 104
    I had an unused bag of Cowboy for the past 3 years and decided to use some a couple days ago. Lighting was not a problem and sparking didn't seem to be any greater than Royal Oak, BUT the smoke took at least 20 to 30 minutes LONGER to clear up before I could cook with it. Based on that, I will not even attempt to buy anymore since RO is so readily available at wally world and RO does NOT smoke half as much as Cowboy. Now that it has burnt off the bad smoke, it did not seem to be any problem relighting and using today as I do with the used RO. This was with a 3 year old bag of Cowboy so your mileage may vary with some that is purchased today. 

    I think Frontier brand lump snaps and pops ten times more than either of these two brands and leaves ash dust on the food. 
  • Trash. Unfortunately, that is what they sell at Publix and I have been forced to use it multiple times because I was in a hurry. A lot of small stuff in the bag and oddly shaped sticks. 
    Killen, AL (The Shoals)
    XL, Small, Minimax, and Mini BGEs
  • Charlesmaneri
    Charlesmaneri Posts: 1,295
     I have been using Royal Oak with great success  I originally started with BGE brand and that was great but too expensive was paying $27.99 for 20 lbs  then one day I was in Wal-Mart and saw Royal Oak on sale for $9.99 for a 17.6 lb bag so I said to myself why not try it so I tried it and I truly dont notice any difference so I went back to Wal-Mart and bought all they had of the Royal Oak for $9.99 a bag so I dont think that I will be using BGE brand again (to expensive) 
    2 Large Eggs and a Mini 2 Pit Bulls and a Pork shoulder or butt nearby and 100% SICILIAN
    Long Island N.Y.
  • BizGreenEgg
    BizGreenEgg Posts: 301
    I used it for several years until I found a local supply of royal oak. Cowboy sparks more, produces more ash, and is a little harder to light than RO. It's not bad for the price, but I'm a RO convert now. FWIW.
    Large BGE & mini stepchild & a KJ Jr.
    The damp PNW 
  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    edited July 2013
    I have the new cowboy lump and it is terrible. It's not fully carbonized and is very odd looking parts. I'm no charcoal expert by any means but this is extremely hard to light and takes for every to get hot because it technically isn't charcoal yet.

    Now once it's lit good it works fine, but I prefer Walmart royal oak because I can light it in less than 15 seconds and be cooking in minutes.

    I bought three large bags of it on sale and will never buy it again. I was going to take my unopened bags back but never made it.

    Very eager to see the whiz's new review.


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • exspo
    exspo Posts: 51
    I had the same experience as the others with Cowboy - small chips and a few big branches.

    RO and BGE depending on the cook of the day. Also use Kroger brand which I hear is also RO.
  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    Sorry to double post, but to your original post, BGE Lump is overpriced with a fancy name tag. It's from the same place royal oak is made. There's a couple of different named bags that are all royal oak distributor.


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • exspo
    exspo Posts: 51
    I have this theory that it may come out of the same RO factory, but the size sorting is different. BGE gets a coarse sort (biggest pieces), then RO gets a mix of big, med and small, and Kroger gets mostly med and small with a few random big boys in the bag. This is just the way it seems to me, would require a study of the various RO varieties to know for sure.
  • khristyjeff
    khristyjeff Posts: 163
    I had same experience as MrCookingNurse. My Cowboy pieces were large but took forever to light and get ready to cook. I picked up some more RO and put a good layer of it over the Cowboy to get rid of it. Family got tired of waiting.
  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,052
    I am trying it now.  Last week it sparked so much that a piece landed on the back of my neck and burned me!

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

  • Scottborasjr
    Scottborasjr Posts: 3,494
    As much as I dislike shopping at WalMart getting Royal Oak there is the most cost effective source of lump for me.
    I raise my kids, cook and golf.  When work gets in the way I'm pissed, I'm pissed off 48 weeks a year.
    Inbetween Iowa and Colorado, not close to anything remotely entertaining outside of football season. 
  • beteez
    beteez Posts: 548
    Trash. Unfortunately, that is what they sell at Publix and I have been forced to use it multiple times because I was in a hurry. A lot of small stuff in the bag and oddly shaped sticks. 
    Publix in Ga sells their own Greenwise Lump, which is a good product.
  • Dave in Florida
    Dave in Florida Posts: 1,157
    I tried Grill Mark at Ace Hardware.  The bags i got I thought were really good. Plus when I bought it a few weeks ago it was $10.00 for 17 lb bag.

    http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3931573
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
  • yzzi
    yzzi Posts: 1,843
    beteez said:
    Trash. Unfortunately, that is what they sell at Publix and I have been forced to use it multiple times because I was in a hurry. A lot of small stuff in the bag and oddly shaped sticks. 
    Publix in Ga sells their own Greenwise Lump, which is a good product.
    I absolutely love the Publix brand. It's cheaper than RO per pound, and I can use publix coupons to get it discounted. It's a little bit harder to light, but it lasts a lot longer and gives you some really nice size pieces.
    Dunedin, FL
  • XLBalco
    XLBalco Posts: 607

    I pick up the Cowboy lump at HD every so often..  It's not my go to lump but I use it to build my base on overnight cooks mainly.  The pieces are usually pretty big.

  • RocEGG
    RocEGG Posts: 89
    I picked up a few bags at HD of cowboy early this year to test out. I have to say I didn't like it. It sparked and smoked forever and had an off taste. The sizing was ok but it didn't last as long as I hoped.

    I have had good luck this year with Frontier. I buy it in a 38lb bag at BJs wholesale for $20.I have gone thru maybe 400lb of it this season. I have noticed there is a fair percentage at the end of the bag that is dust, but I would say it averages on the larger end of medium chunks. It does spark at lighting and does take a bit to really get going. But it has a neutral flavor and burns for a long time. I like it as much as the BGE branded RO. My local walmarts don't carry RO.  I wasn't really impressed with last time I tried it anyway. And the local BBQ dealers are a long haul to buy wicked or RO etc. It is my go to lump.
    Rochester, NY  - XL BGE