Royal Oak Made in America

Not sure what this sorting thing is. If I ever get an XL, so help me God, I'll put in an 8 lb. bag and set the whole bag on fire. 

I just cleaned my XL after about 3 months. I use it at least 4 times a week. I just dumped a full 16.8 lb. bag of R.O in. It's a perfect fit. When it cooks down I add more on top. I never sort. After 3 months I had about 10 rocks in the bottom of the egg.

There was so much more dust in the Wallmart R.O. That I would pay the extra $2 bag So as not to deal with the mess.

I think I pulled lump out of mine once after seeing someone doing it on here. I dumped it back in a few cooks later.

I've just never understood that fascination with huge chunks! As I encounter them I throw them in a separate bag until it is full. Then I take the bag out, dump it on a screened frame I made using 1/2" hardware cloth and beat those chunks into useable pieces. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

RRP said:

Trust us...don't have a cow over ANY foreign debris you might find in ANY brand of lump! Lump making is not a hospital related operation. Rocks, bullets, barbed wire, insulation and many other substances show up in all the brands. The manufacturers are NOT ripping you off! 

While I agree that they are not ripping anyone off, I have gone through thousands of pounds of lump and dozens of brands over the years. I have not found one bullet, any barbed wire, insulation or "many other substances". A few rocks here and there and some un-carbonized wood but that's about it. 

Are you using a US made charcoal?  Kind of surprised you haven't found nails, bullets, barbed wire, etc.  Even an arrowhead shows up once in a while.  Rocks, concrete/refractory, metal banding are tough to keep out with the way it's produced, but those other items are inside the trees......especially here in Missouri.

Thrilla_in_my_grilla said:

There was so much more dust in the Wallmart R.O. That I would pay the extra $2 bag So as not to deal with the mess.

By all accounts, Royal Oak is Royal Oak (US made). Lump is brittle and the amount of dust and lump size is greatly influenced by handling during shipping. Maybe one store will consistently mishandle the bags. I tend to think it is more variable. You need a larger sample size before drawing any conclusions. 

By far the worst bag I have ever gotten for dust and small pieces was a bag of Rockwood.  Rockwood is a quality product and some praise it for little dust and good lump sizes.  One time I bought two bags. One was as expected and was the poster child of size distribution. The other was nothing but dust and tiny pieces. Pretty sure they left the Rockwood facility in pretty much the same condition. I think that someone dropped one bag off the back of the truck onto the pavement before I got it. 

stlcharcoal said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

RRP said:

Trust us...don't have a cow over ANY foreign debris you might find in ANY brand of lump! Lump making is not a hospital related operation. Rocks, bullets, barbed wire, insulation and many other substances show up in all the brands. The manufacturers are NOT ripping you off! 

While I agree that they are not ripping anyone off, I have gone through thousands of pounds of lump and dozens of brands over the years. I have not found one bullet, any barbed wire, insulation or "many other substances". A few rocks here and there and some un-carbonized wood but that's about it. 

Are you using a US made charcoal?  Kind of surprised you haven't found nails, bullets, barbed wire, etc.  Even an arrowhead shows up once in a while.  Rocks, concrete/refractory, metal banding are tough to keep out with the way it's produced, but those other items are inside the trees......especially here in Missouri.

I've found a little metal banding from time to time but never bullets, insulation,  or barbed wire yet- which is good for you since I'm 99.9% Rockwood for the past 3 years or so. I've used almost all of them over the years though. Rocks are about the most exciting thing I ever see. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

stlcharcoal said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

RRP said:

Trust us...don't have a cow over ANY foreign debris you might find in ANY brand of lump! Lump making is not a hospital related operation. Rocks, bullets, barbed wire, insulation and many other substances show up in all the brands. The manufacturers are NOT ripping you off! 

While I agree that they are not ripping anyone off, I have gone through thousands of pounds of lump and dozens of brands over the years. I have not found one bullet, any barbed wire, insulation or "many other substances". A few rocks here and there and some un-carbonized wood but that's about it. 

Are you using a US made charcoal?  Kind of surprised you haven't found nails, bullets, barbed wire, etc.  Even an arrowhead shows up once in a while.  Rocks, concrete/refractory, metal banding are tough to keep out with the way it's produced, but those other items are inside the trees......especially here in Missouri.

I've found a little metal banding from time to time but never bullets, insulation,  or barbed wire yet- which is good for you since I'm 99.9% Rockwood for the past 3 years or so. I've used almost all of them over the years though. Rocks are about the most exciting thing I ever see. 

The metal has really been cut down now that there's a big ass magnet mounted over the conveyor.  Doesn't catch everything--especially anything incased or underneath a big piece.  But it does grab quite a bit.

nolaegghead said:

stlcharcoal said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

stlcharcoal said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

RRP said:

Trust us...don't have a cow over ANY foreign debris you might find in ANY brand of lump! Lump making is not a hospital related operation. Rocks, bullets, barbed wire, insulation and many other substances show up in all the brands. The manufacturers are NOT ripping you off! 

While I agree that they are not ripping anyone off, I have gone through thousands of pounds of lump and dozens of brands over the years. I have not found one bullet, any barbed wire, insulation or "many other substances". A few rocks here and there and some un-carbonized wood but that's about it. 

Are you using a US made charcoal?  Kind of surprised you haven't found nails, bullets, barbed wire, etc.  Even an arrowhead shows up once in a while.  Rocks, concrete/refractory, metal banding are tough to keep out with the way it's produced, but those other items are inside the trees......especially here in Missouri.

I've found a little metal banding from time to time but never bullets, insulation,  or barbed wire yet- which is good for you since I'm 99.9% Rockwood for the past 3 years or so. I've used almost all of them over the years though. Rocks are about the most exciting thing I ever see. 

The metal has really been cut down now that there's a big ass magnet mounted over the conveyor.  Doesn't catch everything--especially anything incased or underneath a big piece.  But it does grab quite a bit.

If you didn't remove any metal, it would probably account for 0.0001% of your lump, and I know you overfill your advertised weight.  It doesn't burn, change the flavor of the food or have any other negative effect.  But if for nothing else to shut up people complaining about it, thank you for the magnet.

We don't get many complaints, but it has reduced the ones about metal.  The only way I've ever been able to get the rocks out is floating the charcoal across a water bath.  The rocks (or charcoal with something inside), would sink.  But then it would have to go back outside to dry off......and it will never get down to the <2-3% moisture content.  So increaded costs and we're selling someone water, which makes it harder to light, more smoke, and less carbon in the bag by weight.  Plus what to do with all the dirty water.  Put that in the BAD IDEA file.....but hey, I wouldn't have to hear about rocks anymore.

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

stlcharcoal said:

nolaegghead said:

stlcharcoal said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

stlcharcoal said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

RRP said:

Trust us...don't have a cow over ANY foreign debris you might find in ANY brand of lump! Lump making is not a hospital related operation. Rocks, bullets, barbed wire, insulation and many other substances show up in all the brands. The manufacturers are NOT ripping you off! 

While I agree that they are not ripping anyone off, I have gone through thousands of pounds of lump and dozens of brands over the years. I have not found one bullet, any barbed wire, insulation or "many other substances". A few rocks here and there and some un-carbonized wood but that's about it. 

Are you using a US made charcoal?  Kind of surprised you haven't found nails, bullets, barbed wire, etc.  Even an arrowhead shows up once in a while.  Rocks, concrete/refractory, metal banding are tough to keep out with the way it's produced, but those other items are inside the trees......especially here in Missouri.

I've found a little metal banding from time to time but never bullets, insulation,  or barbed wire yet- which is good for you since I'm 99.9% Rockwood for the past 3 years or so. I've used almost all of them over the years though. Rocks are about the most exciting thing I ever see. 

The metal has really been cut down now that there's a big ass magnet mounted over the conveyor.  Doesn't catch everything--especially anything incased or underneath a big piece.  But it does grab quite a bit.

If you didn't remove any metal, it would probably account for 0.0001% of your lump, and I know you overfill your advertised weight.  It doesn't burn, change the flavor of the food or have any other negative effect.  But if for nothing else to shut up people complaining about it, thank you for the magnet.

We don't get many complaints, but it has reduced the ones about metal.  The only way I've ever been able to get the rocks out is floating the charcoal across a water bath.  The rocks (or charcoal with something inside), would sink.  But then it would have to go back outside to dry off......and it will never get down to the <2-3% moisture content.  So increaded costs and we're selling someone water, which makes it harder to light, more smoke, and less carbon in the bag by weight.  Plus what to do with all the dirty water.  Put that in the BAD IDEA file.....but hey, I wouldn't have to hear about rocks anymore.

It is called Rockwood after all. It's right on the label

I get a few rocks here and there but it's no big deal. 

Yep!!  It's mostly from recent briquette converts.  They're pay 2x-3x more than the briquettes, and I think they're trying any way they can NOT to justify it.....because the emails are often kind of snotty.  They don't understand that the briquettes are/were 30-40% less BTU/# and they were full of a LOT of rocks (crushed limestone).  It's still more expensive when you do the math, but not that much more.

Royal oak is pretty much all I use.  The stuff is great, and I see a few rocks here and there, but I cant believe people complain about that.  I've never seen a foreign object outside of rocks.  It may have been in there, but I don't inspect it.  It eventually is all ash when I clean out the egg anyway.  I've told my wife I want to be cremated in a XXL egg when the day comes.  She has instructions to use whatever charcoal is on sale.

SamIAm2 said:

If folks are so concerned about the "quality" of their charcoal, maybe they should invest in Binchō-tan.   

I think I saw some while I was over there in May.  Still not sure.

cookingdude555 said:

Royal oak is pretty much all I use.  The stuff is great, and I see a few rocks here and there, but I cant believe people complain about that.  I've never seen a foreign object outside of rocks.  It may have been in there, but I don't inspect it.  It eventually is all ash when I clean out the egg anyway.  I've told my wife I want to be cremated in a XXL egg when the day comes.  She has instructions to use whatever charcoal is on sale.

Good stuff....we are cut from the same cloth.
RO 'til I die!
Nothing against Rockwood.
The smell just brings me back to my first green eggin' high days, how egged food tasted egged, how it smelled different than Blue K, like the smell of lighter fluid at the campground.
I've tried the hot flavors of the month, always come back to RO.  Cherry wood is like that for me too, just love the smell of it burning.  JD chips, chunks are a close second.

stlcharcoal said:

cookingdude555 said:

I've told my wife I want to be cremated in a XXL egg when the day comes.  She has instructions to use whatever charcoal is on sale.

Me too on the cremation over charcoal.  I'm planning on using a Mini BGE as my urn.  I told my dad that was my plan for him too.......but he's cheap and said he'd save me the trouble (and charcoal) and try to die near the curb on trash day.  You can see where I get my sense of humor.

I want a Komodo Kamado as my urn. I'm going to try to take as much of my money as I can with me when I die.