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Lump storage for the winter

Hey, guys..

With winter fast approaching (September here in the Great White North of SE MI! :) ), I want to load up on lump.

Thinking of getting 100 lbs of Ozark Oak from Firecraft for the free shipping.  (OK, the free shipping on $100+ is the real motivation..)

Can I store this in my garage with no issues of dampness effecting the lump or risk of spontanious combustion?  (That'd be bad!)

Any tips / tricks for storing over a humid and (often well below freezing) MI winter?

Thanks!
Mini BGE, KJ Classic - Black, Cookshack SM025, Weber Gasser (mostly for Kamado storage!)
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Comments

  • EGGjlmh
    EGGjlmh Posts: 816
    I usally load up on RO for the winter.  I keep it in my little storage shed with no problems at all.

    1MBGE 2006, 1LBGE 2010, 1 Mini Max, Fathers Day 2015

  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    No issues......Even if it gets wet, it will dry out.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    For the past 10 years I have kept no less than 400 to 800 pounds of lump in my attached garage year around. Granted it doesn't get wet, but lump is 100% carbon - not rotting wood. Even if your storage shed leaks wet lump is no threat...in fact you can even light wet lump!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
    I started last winter with about 160 lbs in my garage - no problems. With that said, HD and me egg dealer had lump all winter, so I probably will keep it to 3 bags or so, much as I liked having the big stash.
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited August 2014
    RRP said:
    For the past 10 years I have kept no less than 400 to 800 pounds of lump in my attached garage year around.

    Hello. My name is Ron and I am a lumpaholic...

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • EGGjlmh
    EGGjlmh Posts: 816
    RRP said:
    For the past 10 years I have kept no less than 400 to 800 pounds of lump in my attached garage year around. Granted it doesn't get wet, but lump is 100% carbon - not rotting wood. Even if your storage shed leaks wet lump is no threat...in fact you can even light wet lump!

    Holy crap!  I thought about 100 pounds was a good winter stash.  I am jealous!!! :|

    1MBGE 2006, 1LBGE 2010, 1 Mini Max, Fathers Day 2015

  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
    I have always stored my lump in the garage as well.


    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
  • SmokyBear
    SmokyBear Posts: 389
    Any risk of fire with such a large stash of lump piled up?  Lump is VERY hard to light (without a torch) so I'm thinking not but want to be very sure also..
    Mini BGE, KJ Classic - Black, Cookshack SM025, Weber Gasser (mostly for Kamado storage!)
  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
    The way I see it is if you garage is already on fire the fuel from the lump burning will be the least of your worries. 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    edited August 2014
    EGGjlmh said:


    Holy crap!  I thought about 100 pounds was a good winter stash.  I am jealous!!! :|
    No - it is a long story, of which I get pimped any time I mention it. It all started 14 years ago when I bought my first egg and had to go nearly 4 months with only one 20 pound bag, since the BGE dealer AT THAT TIME was clueless why anyone would want to cook on a BGE any time between Sept and the following May! No wonder he went out of business! That didn't make me a hoarder in itself, but I swore I would NEVER be caught like that again. Besides that my buying practice has allowed me to buy and accumulate lump while on sale rather than have to go pay full retail when a 10 or 20 # bag runs out. Laugh at me...I don't care! Besides that it is not at all unusual for me to go through 40 pounds a week!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
    I completely understand Ron. You will not get caught with your pants down again! For some reason I thought you were in California??? 


    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
  • Hey there @SmokyBear - I live in Flint and have a GFS store near me that carries their brand of lump (made by RO) year round.  I think it's $12 or $13 for 20 lbs. 
    Flint, Michigan
  • RickyBobby
    RickyBobby Posts: 744
    I'm with RRP on this one! My last Lump purchase was a full pallet, which equals 600lbs, and I shared it with no one. Call me a hoarder or whatever ... I will not get caught without Lump. I live very rural and if there's ever big power outages I will be on bottom of list to be back on. I figure with a good supply of Lump I will always have a means to cook, power or no power!
    My PitMaster IQ120 FREAKIN ROCKS!!!!!!! Current BGE arsenal: XL & MiniMax
  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
    @RickyBobby I read your words, but all I can hear in my head is "Please be 18." 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
  • I buy it when it's on sale and try to stockpile as well, but end up buying lump from GFS when the stockpile runs low.
    Flint, Michigan
  • badinfluence
    badinfluence Posts: 1,774
    RRP said:


    EGGjlmh said:





    Holy crap!  I thought about 100 pounds was a good winter stash.  I am jealous!!! :|

    No - it is a long story, of which I get pimped any time I mention it. It all started 14 years ago when I bought my first egg and had to go nearly 4 months with only one 20 pound bag, since the BGE dealer AT THAT TIME was clueless why anyone would want to cook on a BGE any time between Sept and the following May! No wonder he went out of business! That didn't make me a hoarder in itself, but I swore I would NEVER be caught like that again. Besides that my buying practice has allowed me to buy and accumulate lump while on sale rather than have to go pay full retail when a 10 or 20 # bag runs out. Laugh at me...I don't care!

    Besides that it is not at all unusual for me to go through 40 pounds a week!

    Ron from 1 horde to another I get it. I never go below 100 lbs of lump myself. And honestly I can go thru 40 lbs easy on 1 cook depending on how many eggs or if I fire the monster up.
    1 XXL BGE,  1 LG BGE, 2 MED. BGE, 1 MINI BGE, 1 Peoria custom cooker Meat Monster.


    Clinton, Iowa
  • SmokyBear
    SmokyBear Posts: 389
    Hey there @SmokyBear - I live in Flint and have a GFS store near me that carries their brand of lump (made by RO) year round.  I think it's $12 or $13 for 20 lbs. 
    Thanks..I'm pretty sure I can get lump year round, so that's not as much the motivation to place the order with Firecraft..

    I've had pretty bad luck with RO lately (VERY tiny pieces in the 16 lb bags from Wally World) and have one bag of Ozark Oak that's worked well for me so far - so, I want to get more OO.  Problem is I can't find OO anywhere in the Detroit Metro area, and hate paying shipping - Sooooo..I was thinking of ordering from Firecraft and want to get up to $100 so I can get their "free" shipping..but, it'll take either a bunch of Dizzy Pig added to my lump order or 10 bags of OO - which there's no way I'll go through (in addition to the RO that I already have in the garage) before winter..

    If I could buy Ozark Oak anywhere around here, I probably wouldn't stockpile..the RO will do "in a pinch" but I'm getting REALLY tired of all the tiny pieces in the bags and am willing to pay a few more pennies for "good" lump..
    Mini BGE, KJ Classic - Black, Cookshack SM025, Weber Gasser (mostly for Kamado storage!)
  • If you order OO, I would be happy to meet and buy some with you. I go to metro Detroit every other week to visit my Mom.
    Flint, Michigan
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    edited August 2014
    Hope I came make it till the snows clear and @henapple can get his wagon over the pass. But like henapple says: "it's only a damn Mini". image
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • I keep it in the attached garage all year and never a problem

    image

    NW IA

    2 LBGE, 1 SBGE, 22.5 WSM, 1 Smokey Joe

  • SmokyBear
    SmokyBear Posts: 389
    edited August 2014
    Somewhat OT, but I've also found mixing Ozark Oak (about half a pound at the bottom of the lump pile) and filling the rest of the pile with RO works pretty well..better, actually, than ALL RO - presumably cuz the OO at the bottom are much bigger pieces which creates better airflow all around.

    I did try the same thing with RO at the bottom but rarely can find big enough pieces in the bag from WW - and even when I do, the OO at the bottom seems to work better (faster to get to 400..higher temps all around).  Weird!
    Mini BGE, KJ Classic - Black, Cookshack SM025, Weber Gasser (mostly for Kamado storage!)
  • itsmce
    itsmce Posts: 410
    I like the idea of OO on the bottom holding the smaller pieces from falling through.  I have the High Q fire grate and when I clean out the ash I am surprised at the size of some of the pieces that make it below.  I typically will shake my ash bucket to bring the big pieces to the top and toss them back on for another go.
    Large (sometimes wish it were an XL) in KS
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    If you get too low @Mickey I'll put the truck in 4 - low and plow through the snow to get you more.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    henapple said:

    If you get too low @Mickey I'll put the truck in 4 - low and plow through the snow to get you more.

    I love you Man :x
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,230
    You guys look like hoarders. 

    When I need lump in the winter, I drive 5-10 minutes to Whole Foods or to the local BGE store for the official product. 

    Plus, it's an excuse to get a new Eggseseeorie! 
    New Albany, Ohio 

  • Hi. I'm Fred and I'm a hoarder.image
    Flint, Michigan
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    Added some pallet racking to store lump.
    The bottom in now also filled with OO and Wicked.
    Work in progress with the summer heat.lol
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    Photo Egg said:
    Added some pallet racking to store lump.
    The bottom in now also filled with OO and Wicked.
    Work in progress with the summer heat.lol

    Damn Darian, that is cleaner and more straight than my house 8->
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,230
    He's a hoarder and a prepper! 
    New Albany, Ohio 

  • @Photo Egg - That is a nicely organized garage. We use that racking in all of our stores and warehouses. Maybe I should get some as that appears to work really well.

    NW IA

    2 LBGE, 1 SBGE, 22.5 WSM, 1 Smokey Joe