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Changing Lump. Few ?'s

JHands
JHands Posts: 78
edited August 2014 in EggHead Forum
Recently decided to make the switch from royal oak Wally World lump. It's too hard to control temp and the ash production is really bad and clogs up my small on overnights. I've made the short term switch to publix and it's actually really good and cheaper than royal oak in the 8.8 lb bags. The pieces in the two bags I've bought have been huge as well. The two I'm debating are fogo on amazon, and rockwood from fire craft. Are either of them worth the premium price when compared to the green wise stuff? 5.99 for a 8.8 lb bag of lump is pretty good considering the size of the pieces I'm getting in these bags. Plus whiz rates it 5 stars in ash production and burn time, which is what I'm looking for out of a quality lump for peaceful overnights without the maverick waking me up. I just can't see these other ones being that much better to justify over a buck per lb, especially when a couple pounds on average isn't even usable.

edit: just did math. Not including shipping or tax, the rockwood is a buck per lb, the publix is 0.68 per lb. that's quite the difference. Warranted?

Comments

  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,528
    Check out the thread comparing Ozark and Rockwood. If you can get them, they appear to be worth it. 

    http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1169692/rockwood-and-ozark-oak-a-honest-comparison#latest

    FOGO is just over $1.15 a pound from Amazon, while RW/OO are $1 pound if you order $99 from Firecraft. No question premium priced charcoal can provide premium quality. 
    Why not order 2 bags of RW, 2 bags of Ozark and maybe something else to make a $99 order from Firecraft to get free shipping? Expand your own experiences. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • Where are you located? Lots of the local BGE dealers sell other lump brands. I got my Rockwood at an Ace Hardware locally. I've seen Ozark Oak at Ace as well. Google the different lumps that The Naked Whiz has on his site. Most will have local distributors listed. Good luck on your hunt!

    LBGE since 2014

    Griffin, GA 

  • JHands
    JHands Posts: 78
    I'm in tampa, Florida. The closest I can get premium lump is Lakeland 45 mins away and it's Wicked Good. OO no where to be found and RW too far north almost to Georgia line
  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,877
    Sometimes Fogo is less than $1/lb - the price fluctuates quite a bit.  I'm not familiar with the Publix stuff, but RW/OO/Fogo are all worth the money, IMO.


    NOLA
  • tulocay
    tulocay Posts: 1,737
    I've never used the publix brand, but I switched from RO to Rockwood and will never look back. To me it is worth every penny. I can get locally at my ACE in the Atlanta metro area. I would suggest trying some RW and OO and deciding for yourself. Go to firecraft and shipping is free for orders over $100. Good luck.
    LBGE, Marietta, GA
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,759
    JHands said:

    I'm in tampa, Florida. The closest I can get premium lump is Lakeland 45 mins away and it's Wicked Good. OO no where to be found and RW too far north almost to Georgia line

    You might check with Indigo & Outdoor. They were talking about expanding their charcoal selection. Otherwise, keep an eye on our website because if we expand any further with Ace, Florida will the next region.
  • You already know that I'm a RW guy because of the results from the bag I recently got....

    Is there a Whole Foods nearby? Their brand lump scored fairly well in the reviews I've read. Maybe try that???

    LBGE since 2014

    Griffin, GA 

  • PNWFoodie
    PNWFoodie Posts: 1,046
    FOGO is awesome, but I wouldn't buy again until less than $35 a bag. I've bought it as low as $27.
    XL, JR, and more accessories than anyone would ever need near Olympia, WA
    Sandy
  • KennyLee
    KennyLee Posts: 806
    JHands said: edit: just did math. Not including shipping or tax, the rockwood is a buck per lb, the publix is 0.68 per lb. that's quite the difference. Warranted?
    I have not used Publix, but will say that many others compared with Rockwood and OO, it is worth it.  Just better quality all the way around than others I have used.  And realistically, it might take me a month or so to go through a 20-lb. bag of RW cooking 3-4 times a week.  So we're talking maybe $6 bucks a month difference.  And when you take into account the fact that you get less ash, longer cooks and more ultimate use out of your lump, it's probably less than that or about even.  Just my take anyway.   

    LBGE

    Cedar table w/granite top

    Ceramic Grillworks two-tier swing rack

    Perpetual cooler of ice-cold beer

  • TNegg
    TNegg Posts: 89
    I used rockwood for the first time last night.  Huge difference form BGE lump.  I haven't tried the type you are using but I had been getting a very bitter acrid smoke even after letting the BGE lump cook for an hour. Last night the rockwood was a pleasant smell right from the start... and for the first time I could actually imagine adding wood chips.  Last night was also the first time I didn't feel like I needed a shower to rinse the smoke smell form my hair before going to bed.  I know everyone on here talks about the difference but it really is amazing! I also got ozark oak and I will be trying that next!
  • Acorn
    Acorn Posts: 163
    Look at what we spend on a piece of meat!!! I do not sweat a couple of bucks for the good stuff, you get what you pay for. I'm lucky that our local Ace hardware carries 6 or 7 different lump choices. I am very pleased with Rockwood!
    Atlanta, GA  - LBGE -