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Lump in a Jumbo Joe

Powak
Powak Posts: 1,391
Taking my ole Jumbo Joe to a ZZ Top show next week and am doing some serious tailgating. I’m grilling up 4 one pound ribeyes. I usually use briquettes in kettles but was wondering how some RO lump would do in the Jumbo Joe? The bowl is not particularly deep compared to other Webers but I figured the BTUs from lump could be good with steaks.

Comments

  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    Yep, either works.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • tenpenny_05
    tenpenny_05 Posts: 286
    I was never a fan if using lump in my webers. Kingsford and a weber is a match made in heaven.
    Kansas City, Kansas
    Second hand Medium BGE, Second hand Black Kamado Joe Classic, Second hand Weber Kettle, Second hand Weber Smokey Mountain
  • Brisket_Fanatic
    Brisket_Fanatic Posts: 2,884
    Works fine.

    NW IA

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

  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
    edited June 2018
    It works. Check out Stubbs briquettes. Lowe’s and Walmart. Good stuff.
  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262

    @Powak  i use lump in my kettles

    Phoenix 
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    I was never a fan if using lump in my webers. Kingsford and a weber is a match made in heaven.
    I concur.
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    edited June 2018
    I notice the difference when using the KBQ, by lighting a chimney of lump to establish a bed of coals.  Lump burns out so fast, usually half the chimney is gone in 15 min.  Grayed over briqs get plenty hot for a good sear, and will stay hot for the tailgate session.  Lump will work, I just prefer the consistency in the elements, and longer burn with briqs in a kettle.
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • cookingdude555
    cookingdude555 Posts: 3,188
    Now I have ZZ Top stuck in my head, while I am sitting here stuck in a meeting here at work.  At least my head is in a good place.  I would say there is nothing wrong with briquettes in the jumbo joe, I do it all the time.  I have used lump too, and it works fine.  But to be honest I would use briqs in everything if it wasn't for the ash buildup in the kamado.  I only use all natural briqs now, so they aren't the chemical pillows they used to be (unless you like that, the blue kingsford has it, and some people still love the odor).  Briqs give a consistent burn, and they burn as hot as you need.
  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    I use lump all the time but I use the charcoal basket and zones. Both will work fine if you are just doing steaks use what you have.
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    For steaks, briquettes will do the job, lump works too and IMO can be a tad hotter, even if you don’t need the extra heat. 
    I use the smaller Smokey Joe to sear all the time powered by Kingsford Comps or blue bag, whichever is on sale. Stubbs is good, just harder to find in my area. Briqs travel well and are easy to start and handle when dumped into the kettle. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • Sparking and popping lump during startup would suck.
    Gittin' there...
  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    My advice is practice with the Lump or don’t change it up 
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    When using lump in any kettle I recommend getting a second fire grate and installing it perpendicular to the original to create smaller openings for the lump to fall through. I wire them together. Lots of YouTube vids and pics of this hack. 
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    What about the Kingsford Competition that claim to be all wood? I think they changed the name to Kingsford Professional.

    https://www.kingsford.com/products/professional-charcoal/#hd0SCyHu5SbYkEzf.97



    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • Powak
    Powak Posts: 1,391
    For steaks, briquettes will do the job, lump works too and IMO can be a tad hotter, even if you don’t need the extra heat. 
    I use the smaller Smokey Joe to sear all the time powered by Kingsford Comps or blue bag, whichever is on sale. Stubbs is good, just harder to find in my area. Briqs travel well and are easy to start and handle when dumped into the kettle. 
    Stubb’s sounds good. I gotta find some. Is the Kingsford comp all natural?
  • littlerascal56
    littlerascal56 Posts: 2,104
    What about the Kingsford Competition that claim to be all wood? I think they changed the name to Kingsford Professional.

    https://www.kingsford.com/products/professional-charcoal/#hd0SCyHu5SbYkEzf.97


    I might pick up a bag today...Home Depot stocks it for $9.88/bag.  Will throw some in the Weber kettle this weekend, and cook some ribeyes.
  • Powak
    Powak Posts: 1,391
    Just outta curiosity, how does two zone cooking work in a kettle? I’ve been outta the loop heavily, egging the last couple of years and never tried to do two zone cooking in kettle in my previous 8 years of kettling.
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    edited June 2018
    When using lump in any kettle I recommend getting a second fire grate and installing it perpendicular to the original to create smaller openings for the lump to fall through. I wire them together. Lots of YouTube vids and pics of this hack. 
    Great tip!
    All of my WSMs have gotten this add-on, as well as my brother's and cousins' 3 WSMs, and 2 Jumbo Joes.  A must do mod IMO. 
    The baskets work much better than the charcoal rails on the kettles.

    SS hose clamps work great for this.


    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • milesvdustin
    milesvdustin Posts: 2,882
    You can get some of the kettle charcoal baskets and do two-zone 

    https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/cooking/charcoal-briquettes-and-accessories/7403.html

    2 LBGE, Blackstone 36, Jumbo Joe

    Egging in Southern Illinois (Marion)

  • Powak
    Powak Posts: 1,391
    You can get some of the kettle charcoal baskets and do two-zone 

    https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/cooking/charcoal-briquettes-and-accessories/7403.html
    Yes I’ve got a couple of those. When set up like that with coals on one side can you do a sear and then roast/roast and then sear cook?
  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262

    For lump or briquettes, the slow n sear is a game changer.  


    Phoenix 
  • Powak
    Powak Posts: 1,391
    blasting said:

    For lump or briquettes, the slow n sear is a game changer.  


    Wow that’s a cool lookin rig. Is that a custom made? I’ve got the good ole Weber ones with the round holes all the way around 
  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    blasting said:

    For lump or briquettes, the slow n sear is a game changer.  


    Did you see babyback maniacs youtube video about the 2.0?

    https://youtu.be/yRKsTjvn72I
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
    Hans61 said:
    blasting said:

    For lump or briquettes, the slow n sear is a game changer.  


    Did you see babyback maniacs youtube video about the 2.0?

    https://youtu.be/yRKsTjvn72I

    Yes, I sure did.  I think they've made an improvement, but only a minor one.  I've got one in my 26.75 as well as the 22.  They are a terrific product.


    Phoenix 
  • Powak
    Powak Posts: 1,391
    blasting said:
    Hans61 said:
    blasting said:

    For lump or briquettes, the slow n sear is a game changer.  


    Did you see babyback maniacs youtube video about the 2.0?

    https://youtu.be/yRKsTjvn72I

    Yes, I sure did.  I think they've made an improvement, but only a minor one.  I've got one in my 26.75 as well as the 22.  They are a terrific product.


    That looks like a great product! Is there a common cheap workaround people used to separate the hot from the indirect section in a kettle? I have the Weber baskets but those won’t create a good wall.
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    Powak said:
    blasting said:
    Hans61 said:
    blasting said:

    For lump or briquettes, the slow n sear is a game changer.  


    Did you see babyback maniacs youtube video about the 2.0?

    https://youtu.be/yRKsTjvn72I

    Yes, I sure did.  I think they've made an improvement, but only a minor one.  I've got one in my 26.75 as well as the 22.  They are a terrific product.


    That looks like a great product! Is there a common cheap workaround people used to separate the hot from the indirect section in a kettle? I have the Weber baskets but those won’t create a good wall.
    You can take two split firebricks and put them on their sides and overlapping slightly, creating a Z pattern barrier...works great.
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
    Powak said:
    blasting said:
    Hans61 said:
    blasting said:

    For lump or briquettes, the slow n sear is a game changer.  


    Did you see babyback maniacs youtube video about the 2.0?

    https://youtu.be/yRKsTjvn72I

    Yes, I sure did.  I think they've made an improvement, but only a minor one.  I've got one in my 26.75 as well as the 22.  They are a terrific product.


    That looks like a great product! Is there a common cheap workaround people used to separate the hot from the indirect section in a kettle? I have the Weber baskets but those won’t create a good wall.

    Like Focker said, bricks can partition off your coals in the same fashion as the s&s.  I've always used regular red bricks without issue.  
    Phoenix 
  • Powak
    Powak Posts: 1,391
    blasting said:
    Powak said:
    blasting said:
    Hans61 said:
    blasting said:

    For lump or briquettes, the slow n sear is a game changer.  


    Did you see babyback maniacs youtube video about the 2.0?

    https://youtu.be/yRKsTjvn72I

    Yes, I sure did.  I think they've made an improvement, but only a minor one.  I've got one in my 26.75 as well as the 22.  They are a terrific product.


    That looks like a great product! Is there a common cheap workaround people used to separate the hot from the indirect section in a kettle? I have the Weber baskets but those won’t create a good wall.

    Like Focker said, bricks can partition off your coals in the same fashion as the s&s.  I've always used regular red bricks without issue.  
    I gotta try that and maybe some better coal too. I just seasoned up the new grates on my jumbo joe and Smokey joe last night and that dang ole regular kingsford ashes right up and hides the heat.
  • Powak
    Powak Posts: 1,391
    Got some Kingsford Professional going tonight in the Jumbo Joe for a test run. Man that coal is a game changer. Burns clean and HOT!