Charcoal Question

Chuck/Tx,
i'd honestly use it if there were a reason put forth as to why it might be better...[p]but (and i have never used it, so i'm only going by consensus), my understanding is that briquettes don't burn as hot (lump is pure carbon), and they take longer to get to cook temps. there's much morwe ash (bad for overnights) and i don't believe they last as long in equal amounts.[p]aren't briquettes lump ground and extended with inert materials? [p]

Chuck/Tx,
When I first got my egg I had a partial bag of Kingsford left and used it for a few cooks once my initial bag of lump was used up. Worked fine for a short hot cook but there was very little leftover after the cook was over to reuse for the next time. Also there is probably 5 to 10 times more ash production so you will have to clean the ash out of not only the base but all around after nearly every cook. I think it might clog up all the vent holes for a long cook way before the meat was done but I haven't ever tried that. It won't damage your egg to use the briquettes just a lot more work. Not worth any cost difference IMHO.[p]BTG

Briquettes do not burn as hot and they have more ash. They also contain fillers which some claim may have health issues. Also I think the BGE warranty prohibits burning briquettes. I don't know why or how they would know if you did though.

Chuck/Tx,[p]I would never use briquettes in my eggs based on all the junk that goes into making them (as the fine folks below have stated).[p]You can get lump at BBQ Outfitters (Ozark Oak) or you can find B&B at HEB, Central Market and Shell Station (Hill Country Market) on 71 just west of 620. Lowe's sells Cowboy Lump, and Whole Foods sells their brand plus you can get Picnic Eco-Start there.[p]Cheers,[p]GM

Chuck/Tx,
Funny you should ask the question. There was a repeat program on TV yesterday (one of those how do they do that shows) that explained the manufacture and use of charcoal. Kingsford was the product. It told how Henry Ford with help from Thomas Edison created briquettes using coal powder/dust as the adhesive to hold the compressed charcoal together. About 90% of the briquettes being sold today use coal (that's right - from the ground) to make the charcoal stick together. [p]You can actually smell the coal when it is burning and it smells an awful lot like an old steel mill. The remaining briquettes on the market are compressed with a fine clay material to help bind it together. There is at least one brand that compresses only the pure charcoal. They gave out sample bags at the Texas Eggfest a couple of years ago. I used it and it works but not as well as pure lump charcoal in my opinion.[p]From a flavor standpoint, I don't cotton to tasting coal or clay in my food. [p]From a cleanup standpoint, with regular lump I only have to clean out my ash pit about four times a year. With briquettes I would have to do it a LOT more frequently as evidenced by the ash left over in a typical charcoal BBQ pit.[p]I say use what makes you feel good.[p]Hope this helps.[p]Spring “Just Call Me Lumpy” Chicken
Spring Texas USA[p]

Spring Chicken, You stated: "From a cleanup standpoint, with regular lump I only have to clean out my ash pit about four times a year"[p]No 'foolin? How much do you cook? Doesn't the pile of ash that builds up diminish your airflow? Or, do you just continually push the ash to the rear through the bottom vent door?[p]Guess I have been a bit anal in my ash cleaning chores.

Chuck/Tx,
Don't overlook Picnic at Brooksire's. Get the lump not the briquettes. It comes in 3 kilo bags, but is cheap, highly rated by the whiz and works great for me. [p]Also, check the Whiz's database on charcoal. He has performed his brand of science on the briquettes and has the results posted on his site.[p]Ed

Chuck/Tx,[p]HEB carry's B&B seaonally, so the Hill Country Market is the place to get it. They charge $10.99 for a 20 lb. bag, but it's worth it for the convenience. Just turn right on 71 from 620 and head up and over the hill and they are on the right side next to Papa Joes Pizza across from the Lakeway Baseball Diamonds. They also have B&B Mesquite which is great for briskets & steaks.[p]Cheers,[p]GM

Spring Chicken,
Thanks for the input ... gotta make me an ash catcher for sure. DUH ... why didn't I think of that? Guess that's why they pay you the big money, huh?

Chuck/Tx,
Well, there's S-E-X.[p]Spring "Henhouse Playboy" Chicken

Chuck/Tx,[p]Here's the bottom line. Charcoal's burn is "self regulating" that is, the compacted fuel burns at a slow, steady rate no matter how much oxygen is available to it. That's why you're able to grill consistantly on an open grill without burning everything up. But charcoal also creates a huge amount of ash and volatiles which choke out the fire. That usually isn't an issue for cooking up a few burgers.[p]But, if you use charcoal in a ceramic cooker or even a water smoker for a low and slow, you're likely to have your fire go out halfway through the cook due to the ash problem. Also, you will be exposing your meat to the unhealthy volatiles for a much longer period of time than you would for a burger cook. You'll end up with a film of creosote-like material in your cooker. You'll never be able to reach the TRex type temperatures needed for good steak sear. Lump burns much faster and is controlled by the vents on your cooker.[p]If you want traditional grilled burgers with that "charcoal" flavor, I guess you could use charcoal in a ceramic, but you'd need to leave the lid up and clean the unit out well afterwards. Better to just use lump and close the lid, IMHO. NEVER use charcoal for a low and slow in a ceramic though! Blasphemy.

Chuck/Tx,
Kingsford contains many more ingredients than just coal and wood char. Borax, limestone, brown coal, sodium nitrate, starch and sawdust. (This is from Kingsford themselves.) If I were going to burn briquettes it wouldn't be Kingsford.[p]TNW

Chuck/Tx,[p]Well this topic has been covered well. All I can add is why not use Lump?
1. Burns longer.....heck I had a hard time doing dogs on a (sorry to admit it) Weber this week end with brickettes.
2. Lump adds flavor.....try different brands.
3. You can re-use lump..saves $$$$$ for more eggs.
4. Not much $$ difference...20lbs Royal Oak $10 at Gordons.
5. Low and slow....Try it on brickettes an you will be up all night!! [p]Just my opinion though.

Chuck/Tx,
After using lump for awhile I tried to go back cause I thought how good the briquettes smelled. Ha, could not do it. What I was used to enjoy now seemed, Ugggggggggggg.[p]To each their own, we all have different taste and need to be true to ourselves.[p]Welcome,
Bordello