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Opened my last bag of Fogo

I know I am in trouble for posting this, but what the heck, I have a thick hide. Can anyone give me an unbiased comparison between Fogo and Rockwood as far as flavor is concerned? I keep hearing that Rockwood is very neutral, but the the reason I have a BGE is to get that charcoal flavor. If I wanted neutral, I could just fire up the gasser. And yes, I know about adding wood chunks - I have a couple of pails of different types. 

Rockwood has just become legal in the nanny state of California, where you can smoke dope but everything else causes cancer (Prop 65 stupidity). I have not seen it in stock yet, so I may have to order it. Some of its advantages are that it is marginally less expensive, is American made, and is a forum favorite. It may not have as many Yuge pieces as Fogo, but even with an XL I have to break some of them up. 

I purposely did not post this on a Friday night, although since many people are off for the holidays, this may not help much. And I would be more than happy to hear from @stlcharcoal on this subject. Even if you do own the company, your knowledge is respected and your honesty I take for granted based on my eggsperience here. 

Let the games begin!
XL BGE in San Jose, CA. Also a Pit Barrel Cooker, a Cal Flame P4 gasser, and lots of toys including the first ever Flame Boss 300 in the wild. And a new Flame Boss 500.
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Comments

  • You're going to get some different responses so my advice is to give it a try and go with whatever floats your boat. Both are very good. I like Fogo, but not nearly as much as some on here. If price is similar, it's Rockwood every time for me.
    Stillwater, MN
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    Yno said:

    And I would be more than happy to hear from @stlcharcoal on this subject. Even if you do own the company, your knowledge is respected and your honesty I take for granted based on my eggsperience here. 
    I like Rockwood better.

    Oh wait, you wanted my knowledge, not opinion.  :P
  • Yno
    Yno Posts: 529
    Well, gee, @stlcharcoal that sure makes me feel better! I am going to buy some Rockwood, as the only really important opinion (and one that is right 101% of the time) is mine! And Ynette's, of course, but she doesn't look at the minutiae of the process like I do.  

    XL BGE in San Jose, CA. Also a Pit Barrel Cooker, a Cal Flame P4 gasser, and lots of toys including the first ever Flame Boss 300 in the wild. And a new Flame Boss 500.
  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,125
    It’s just lump. Try a bag of RW and see if you like it. There’s no long term commitment; It’s not like you’re buying a car or something...
  • johnnyp
    johnnyp Posts: 3,932

    Disclaimer - This is only my opinion

    Here's my breakdown between Fogo, Rockwood, OO and other premium lumps I've tried......

    .....I can't taste a difference.

    Once you get into the premium lump tier, I just can't tell the difference.  OO is no longer available and Fogo is uber-pricey.  For those reasons, I opt for Rockwood.  Don't get me wrong, I genuinely like the product. But, pricing and availability matters too.


    Side bar:  When KJ comes to town with Costco's roadshow, I load up on their lump.  High quality and relatively inexpensive for premium lump. $21/30 lb bag


    XL & MM BGE, 36" Blackstone - Newport News, VA
  • kl8ton
    kl8ton Posts: 5,410
    Cowboy lump is not neutral.
    Large, Medium, MiniMax, & 22, and 36" Blackstone
    Grand Rapids MI
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    For me, Rockwood being "neutral" is for the smoke profile. Food still tastes like it was cooked over charcoal. It doesn't have a bias towards certain smoking wood, like Royal Oak can with hickory/oak or mesquite lump can. That is what makes it neutral and in no way does it compare to cooking on a gas grill.


  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    Some solid comments above, definitely outside the Friday profile.   As you note, try it and go from there.  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Yno said:
     the reason I have a BGE is to get that charcoal flavor. If I wanted neutral, I could just fire up the gasser. And yes, I know about adding wood chunks - I have a couple of pails of different types. 



    1000% agreement
  • Woodchunk said:
    Yno said:
     the reason I have a BGE is to get that charcoal flavor. If I wanted neutral, I could just fire up the gasser. And yes, I know about adding wood chunks - I have a couple of pails of different types. 



    1000% agreement
    Handle checks out...
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • FOGO is great stuff. Amazon.ca had large bags for <$1/pound CDN a few years ago, bought three before they raised the price to >$4/pound CDN. 
    No Rockwood up here, but I have burned a couple of bags I picked up in the USA. Still for $18 for 8Kg (about $14US), Maple Leaf is pretty hard to beat. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • @johnnyp nailed it. Not much difference IMO.  Also, basque maple leaf is good if you can get it.  At that point it's availability and price. 
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,452
    edited December 2017
    FOGO is great stuff. Amazon.ca had large bags for <$1/pound CDN a few years ago, bought three before they raised the price to >$4/pound CDN. 
    No Rockwood up here, but I have burned a couple of bags I picked up in the USA. Still for $18 for 8Kg (about $14US), Maple Leaf is pretty hard to beat. 
    agree ML is hard to beat, but if you want FOGO in GWN, this place in TO carries it, shipped anywhere coast to coast (yes even Yellowknife) for flat rate $10/ 2 bags.  Free shipping on Canuck BF, US BF and Boxing Day. 
    http://www.dicksonbbq.com/fogo-super-premium-charcoal.html
    canuckland
  • jlsm
    jlsm Posts: 1,011
    Thanks for this. I used a SA product for years and loved it. My supplier closed, and I ordered Rockport when shipping started. Because of the concerns you voiced, I'll never go back. 
    *******
    Owner of a large and a beloved mini in Philadelphia
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    @stlcharcoal - thanks for the insights into the industry.  Very informative and enjoyable read.  As I mentioned in another thread, learn something new here dang near every day.  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Stlcharcoal - Great stuff! Thanks for all the knowledge you bring to this wonderful site and for producing a marvelous product.
    Stillwater, MN
  • Bowne1
    Bowne1 Posts: 20
    That was an excellent write up. Rockwood for me for 3 reasons. First, it is the best out there in my opinion. Second, it is 100% American Made. Last, they are an small business and we should always help to keep them moving forward. I run 2 different small business and appreciate all the business I can get and I am sure Rockwood does as well. Thanks
    Large, Med and a Yoder YS480 . 1 Beautiful Wife, 2 Dogs and always looking for a MM 
  • tml1230
    tml1230 Posts: 237
    sticharcoal, really interesting and informative response...made me proud that yesterday I bought bag 3  and 4 of rockwood ..actually ordered it ...at babes hardware in Venice Florida (not Italy)... Bringing a bag up to a fellow egg person in the frozen tundra of western North Carolina.happy new year to u and family!
    Sarasota Fl. and  Lake Toxaway N.C. (and Novembers on the island of Kauai) (and April in France.... Don't hate on me for that)
    BGE  medium and minimax
    HOW  BOUT THEM GATORS !
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    @Bowne1 - Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.
    What hasn't been said here is that in addition to being active and extremely helpful on the forum @stlcharcoal is a great ambassador for his company and forum charcoal knowledge provider.  
    When Firecraft changed their business model a few months back and exited the mail order lump charcoal delivery business, Rockwood stepped up and is now directly providing that order fulfillment.  I am always one to try a new product to see how I like it but I keep a few hundred pounds of Rockwood around as the main-stay.  (My snow storm bread and milk equivalent I guess-but it doesn't spoil ;)  FWIW-
    No affiliation here.  

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • bboulier
    bboulier Posts: 558
    I had very good luck with Fogo until the last bag I purchased in early December from Amazon.  It was very smoky with a terrible off-flavor.  I thought that it might be fire management, but I had the same problems on my medium BGE and a KJ Classic.  When I replaced it with Rockwood, there were no problems.  It appears that I got a bad bag of Fogo.  I will probably try again, as I did not have any previous problems and the lump sizes were quite large.  My first purchase of Rockwood was the last bag in the store and the lump sizes were very small.  By the end of a 5-hour cook in the KJ Classic (equivalent to a large BGE), there was not enough left to maintain a temperature of 300 for a turbo-butt.  Had to move it inside to foil in the oven.   On the plus side, the Rockwood did give a nice clean burn without any off-taste.

    Weber Kettle, Weber Genesis Silver B, Medium Egg, KJ Classic (Black)
  • ROlin
    ROlin Posts: 25
    After reading the above article about south of the border lump, I thought I would share my 2 cents worth. I burn Jealous Devil Paraguay axe breaker lump. Why? Because it rocks Rockwood and any other USA lump. Its super hard, does NOT break apart if you drop it, its not full of water, & its not uncarbonized. Burns hotter than any USA lump and longer. Its made in hand built brick kilns. Just like it's been done for 1000's of years. So if that's bad then I guess I'm bad. It also has a unique smell that I love. It ships out of CA. Give it a shot and see if I am right. You be the judge. If regulations are too strict here then maybe its time to move south. If you cant beat them, join them.
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    ROlin said:
    After reading the above article about south of the border lump, I thought I would share my 2 cents worth. I burn Jealous Devil Paraguay axe breaker lump. Why? Because it rocks Rockwood and any other USA lump. Its super hard, does NOT break apart if you drop it, its not full of water, & its not uncarbonized. Burns hotter than any USA lump and longer. Its made in hand built brick kilns. Just like it's been done for 1000's of years. So if that's bad then I guess I'm bad. It also has a unique smell that I love. It ships out of CA. Give it a shot and see if I am right. You be the judge. If regulations are too strict here then maybe its time to move south. If you cant beat them, join them.
    Yeah, they're also good at stealing copyrighted graphics off our website and ignoring our cease & desist letters.

    Glad you like their product.  Did you get a free bag by leaving them a 5-star review on Amazon?  

    JD promotional email from 1/27/17......


  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,125
    ROlin said:
    After reading the above article about south of the border lump, I thought I would share my 2 cents worth. I burn Jealous Devil Paraguay axe breaker lump. Why? Because it rocks Rockwood and any other USA lump. Its super hard, does NOT break apart if you drop it, its not full of water, & its not uncarbonized. Burns hotter than any USA lump and longer. Its made in hand built brick kilns. Just like it's been done for 1000's of years. So if that's bad then I guess I'm bad. It also has a unique smell that I love. It ships out of CA. Give it a shot and see if I am right. You be the judge. If regulations are too strict here then maybe its time to move south. If you cant beat them, join them.
    Yeah, they're also good at stealing copyrighted graphics off our website and ignoring our cease & desist letters.

    Glad you like their product.  Did you get a free bag by leaving them a 5-star review on Amazon?  

    JD promotional email from 1/27/17......



  • ROlin said:
    Burns hotter than any USA lump and longer.
    Not trying to pick a fight or anything, but how would you possibly determine this? Also, is there a reason I should care how hot any particular lump charcoal will burn when the lowest high-end temp is still far hotter than anything I will ever want for cooking?
    Stillwater, MN
  • I’d love to have a beer with you guys and have @stlcharcoal be the keynote speaker. 

    The gang at work got me me a bag of jealous devil for my birthday. Now I’m even more intrigued than before to try it out!

    im down to my last bag of Rockwood... 
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
    FOGO is great stuff. Amazon.ca had large bags for <$1/pound CDN a few years ago, bought three before they raised the price to >$4/pound CDN. 
    No Rockwood up here, but I have burned a couple of bags I picked up in the USA. Still for $18 for 8Kg (about $14US), Maple Leaf is pretty hard to beat. 

    @Skiddymarker My folks just arrived for the winter, and I'd asked my dad to bring me a bag of the Maple Leaf.  I've only tried it once, but it seemed like high quality, clean burning lump.  Very neutral and comparable to Rockwood.  Sparked a little more on start up, but not significantly.  

    Interestingly enough, high quality lump is the one thing I've found that is cheaper in Canada vs. the US.  On everything else, you guys seem to get the shaft.
    Phoenix 
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    blasting said:


    Interestingly enough, high quality lump is the one thing I've found that is cheaper in Canada vs. the US.  On everything else, you guys seem to get the shaft.
    Good stuff and nice company.  I always stop and talk to them at the HPBExpo.  They're over in Quebec......north of Maine I believe.  
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    I’d love to have a beer with you guys and have @stlcharcoal be the keynote speaker. 
    Meh, charcoal will get boring quick.  I'll regale you will stories of my previous career as an air ambulance and TV/news helicopter pilot.  Lots more interesting content there.