Done with Royal Oak

Teefus · August 2018

I used Royal Oak lump for the first year or so after getting my Egg, and then the quality got spotty. A number of stinky cooks and the discovery of a local Rockwood source sent me another way. This week I decided to open one of the bags of Royal Oak I had laying around in order to use it up on a couple “low risk” cooks. For burgers I guess it’s ok, but anything requiring a closed cooker or a prolonged cook time winds up tasting faintly like burned tires. In the trash it goes. Just Rockwood for me now. I just have to figure out what to do with two bags of Royal Oak.

mEGG_My_Day · August 2018

Save it for clean burns. If you have a fire pit, it is great to get a base of hot coals going prior to adding wood to your fire.

lousubcap · August 2018

I actually buy RO when Home Depot has it on sale as I use it for hi-temp cooks like paella where all I want are BTU's. I give you credit for giving it a year but I would look at any high-heat no flavor cook and use it.

I'm surprised that the sour flavor profile lasts long after you get to the clean smoke. Once all the impurities are gone I have found it does an adequate job. Of course by that time my taste buds may have been contaminated by several adult supervisory beverages. FWIW-

510BG · August 2018

Teefus said:

I used Royal Oak lump for the first year or so after getting my Egg, and then the quality got spotty. A number of stinky cooks and the discovery of a local Rockwood source sent me another way. This week I decided to open one of the bags of Royal Oak I had laying around in order to use it up on a couple “low risk” cooks. For burgers I guess it’s ok, but anything requiring a closed cooker or a prolonged cook time winds up tasting faintly like burned tires. In the trash it goes. Just Rockwood for me now. I just have to figure out what to do with two bags of Royal Oak.

I switched to Kamado Joe XL lump from Costco road show. This was before rockwood was available in California. I might head over to my local ace and pick up a bag.

StillH2OEgger · August 2018

I'm glad I switched to Rockwood a while ago, but that experience is also one of the reasons I've yet to pull the trigger on an SRF brisket. I'm not sure I would be able to go back to normal brisket after that. My advice to anyone who doesn't want to pay a dollar a pound for charcoal to never try Rockwood so you don't know what you're missing, because I think it would be really difficult to go back.

510BG · August 2018

StillH2OEgger said:

I'm glad I switched to Rockwood a while ago, but that experience is also one of the reasons I've yet to pull the trigger on an SRF brisket. I'm not sure I would be able to go back to normal brisket after that. My advice to anyone who doesn't want to pay a dollar a pound for charcoal to never try Rockwood so you don't know what you're missing, because I think it would be really difficult to go back.

What makes rockwood so much better then other lump?

StillH2OEgger · August 2018

510BG said:
What makes rockwood so much better then other lump?

Burns clean much quicker than most others I've tried is the primary benefit for me. It's also better for things you may not want too smokey, like pizza. Have also never found insulation in a bag of Rockwood.

Acn · August 2018

mEGG_My_Day said:

Save it for clean burns. If you have a fire pit, it is great to get a base of hot coals going prior to adding wood to your fire.

I usually take a bag camping too, a pile of lump and a starter cube or two get the campfire going much quicker than newspaper and kindling.

Teefus · August 2018

lousubcap said:

I actually buy RO when Home Depot has it on sale as I use it for hi-temp cooks like paella where all I want are BTU's. I give you credit for giving it a year but I would look at any high-heat no flavor cook and use it.
I'm surprised that the sour flavor profile lasts long after you get to the clean smoke. Once all the impurities are gone I have found it does an adequate job. Of course by that time my taste buds may have been contaminated by several adult supervisory beverages. FWIW-

It’s the most obvious on chicken and pork loin chops. The problem is that with a “low and slow” the clean burn takes forever to get to. I’ll probably use it up on burger cooks and the like. We have cookouts at work (burgers and dogs for 200) that will be a good place to use it up.

lousubcap · August 2018

StillH2OEgger said:

I'm glad I switched to Rockwood a while ago, but that experience is also one of the reasons I've yet to pull the trigger on an SRF brisket. I'm not sure I would be able to go back to normal brisket after that.

@S@StillH2OEgger If you have ever dined on a restaurant meal that was "off the chart" and you thoroughly enjoyed-did you then feel the need to eat there every night?? While we would all like to enjoy that luxury few of us can. Where am I going here?? If you really enjoy brisket then you should give the SRF black grade a go. It is a treat and definitely appreciated by those who have cooked and consumed their product. You can temper your follow-on buys and occasionally enjoy a true beef banquet. FWIW-

(BTW- no affiliation with SRF)

dharley · August 2018

510BG said:

StillH2OEgger said:

I'm glad I switched to Rockwood a while ago, but that experience is also one of the reasons I've yet to pull the trigger on an SRF brisket. I'm not sure I would be able to go back to normal brisket after that. My advice to anyone who doesn't want to pay a dollar a pound for charcoal to never try Rockwood so you don't know what you're missing, because I think it would be really difficult to go back.

What makes rockwood so much better then other lump?

You'll have to spend the $25 and see for yourself. You'll be glad you did. Believe that.

DoubleEgger · August 2018

Light your fire pit with the RO. That’s all I’d use if for.

Teefus · August 2018

510BG said:

StillH2OEgger said:

I'm glad I switched to Rockwood a while ago, but that experience is also one of the reasons I've yet to pull the trigger on an SRF brisket. I'm not sure I would be able to go back to normal brisket after that. My advice to anyone who doesn't want to pay a dollar a pound for charcoal to never try Rockwood so you don't know what you're missing, because I think it would be really difficult to go back.

What makes rockwood so much better then other lump?

It’s fully carbonized. Burns super clean and without off flavors. Also no shingles or construction debris. (Not kidding much)

steel_egg · August 2018

StillH2OEgger said:

I'm glad I switched to Rockwood a while ago, but that experience is also one of the reasons I've yet to pull the trigger on an SRF brisket. I'm not sure I would be able to go back to normal brisket after that. My advice to anyone who doesn't want to pay a dollar a pound for charcoal to never try Rockwood so you don't know what you're missing, because I think it would be really difficult to go back.

My family encourages me to buy SRF. Ruined them for everyday choice brisket.

lousubcap · August 2018

@steel_egg you could definitely be in the reverse world. Seek out a good prime cut and you may be able to find a happy ground. But if I were able to fund SRF when the family said "Now" I would not hesitate.

Better to be lucky than good any day!

Scantron · August 2018

This is off topic, but @lousubcap are you recommending SRF black over gold? I haven't tried one but obviously the gold is more expensive.

DoubleEgger · August 2018

Scantron said:

This is off topic, but @lousubcap are you recommending SRF black over gold? I haven't tried one but obviously the gold is more expensive.

I can’t speak for him but many of us prefer the Black over the Gold. The points on the Gold are too fatty for many people’s taste.

StillH2OEgger · August 2018

lousubcap said:
@S@StillH2OEgger If you have ever dined on a restaurant meal that was "off the chart" and you thoroughly enjoyed-did you then feel the need to eat there every night?? While we would all like to enjoy that luxury few of us can. Where am I going here?? If you really enjoy brisket then you should give the SRF black grade a go. It is a treat and definitely appreciated by those who have cooked and consumed their product. You can temper your follow-on buys and occasionally enjoy a true beef banquet. FWIW-
(BTW- no affiliation with SRF)

Appreciate the sentiment. Honestly, it could just be a coping mechanism for me to justify not opening the checkbook for SRF. The comparison is also a little weak, because I will use Rockwood on every single cook and smoke brisket more rarely. Having said that, I'm sure like so many accessories for the BGE that I didn't think I would ever need or want and yet somehow broke down and purchased, I will take the SRF leap at some point. Plus, I feel like the Costco quality has taken a small but noticeable step back in the last 6-8 months.

lousubcap · August 2018

In the long game I prefer the Black as mentioned by @DoubleEgger above, better value for the $$ in my estimation. However, I find that the Gold is a great treat especially for National Brisket Day, Tuesday, May 28, 2019. So plan ahead and gear up for next May

SGH · August 2018

Scantron said:

This is off topic, but @lousubcap are you recommending SRF black over gold? I haven't tried one but obviously the gold is more expensive.

It’s simply preference and a matter of personal taste. Everything that SRF offers is of exceptional quality. Far better than what you will find in any chain grocery store.
Above Cap and DE recommend the Black Grade because it suits their particular taste. With that said, I prefer the Gold by miles. It has a very unique taste that I like. I honestly can cut small pieces off of a Gold grade brisket and eat them raw.
A note on the fat in the point of a Gold grade brisket. Above DE and Cap mentioned it was a tad to fatty for them. I understand this perfectly. However the fat plays right into how I cook so it’s an advantage to me. I cook them in my Vault over about 5 gallons of water. With that much water in the Vault I have to run it real hard to keep the temp in the 275 degree arena. This causes a huge convective flow that is two to three times the amount of running it dry. I turn the point straight into the flow and as such the Gold grade renders down extremely well for me. Depending on how and what you cook on, you may prefer one over the other yourself. For me and my style of cooking, Gold is the hands down winner.

distanceman · August 2018

I’ve tried all kinds of lump...RO, RW, BGE, Cowboy, B&B...and cooked with Kingsford Blue Bag for many many years on my Weber Kettle. Maybe I’m crazy, but the palatable to cost difference between RO and RW was not enough to cause me to jump ship.

GoldenQ · August 2018

I agree with distance man. If I could afford it I would always use Rockwood and the very best meat but due to budget $ I usually buy choice or HEB Prime 1 on sale and have not found enough taste difference betweenRO and RW for the extra cost. However I do let my XL stabilize well and get to clean burn at about 275 before putting meat on. I have tried Brisket at many of the best places in Texas and do not find it any better tan when my brisket is S&P plus Redeye Express and sits a while before doing with a modified Travis method that keeps meat above the liquid level.

StillH2OEgger · August 2018

I agree with all who think Royal Oak is good for the price (I had better experience with red bag over green bag variety). I would use it again, especially for grilling, but will opt for Rockwood if it's a available every time.

steel_egg · August 2018

lousubcap said:

@steel_egg you could definitely be in the reverse world. Seek out a good prime cut and you may be able to find a happy ground. But if I were able to fund SRF when the family said "Now" I would not hesitate.
Better to be lucky than good any day!

I’ve searched for prime in Pittsburgh. Nothing yet. Don’t cook a ton of briskets. It’s more for a special occasion so I can justify the occasional purchase.

TEXASBGE2018 · August 2018

I usually buy a bag of RO and a bag of Rockwood and use one then the other. I can def tell the difference when using the Rockwood. It’s way better especially for meals that I care about like Briskets or Ribs for extended family. But I don’t find the RO so offensive as to not use it. I would say if you don’t mind the extra cost and can swing it get the Rockwood every time. I cook way too much on my egg to use only it all year round.

YukonRon · August 2018

Rockwood is my favorite versus all others. I use it year round and on every cook. It is that important to have a high performance lump to cook with, when using my BGEs.

Great food is worth a great cook.

You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes.

Stubby · August 2018

I use both RO and Rockwood also. I like the way RW lights and burns very neutral. I will use RW for more slow cooks. I will use RO when I can't get RW. So it depends on my cook's as to what I use. I use Rockwood when I have it. I also clean all ash and leftover lump when I cook my pork and chickens and cook with RW..

Mattman3969 · August 2018

I’m lucky and have a good supplier for RW. I pick it up on sales travels 2hrs from Homeand I can pick up RO within 10mins of Home. That said even tho RW cost more than RO my time is worth something. The longer I have to wait for a clean burning fire is time wasted until everyday is Saturday.

bucky925 · August 2018

I've had a couple of bags of roal oak in the garage for a while. I've been using Rockwood with great results for a year or more. In any case I decided to pour a bag of RO in and do some chops and then wings. The temp was all over the place, and I used much more that with RW. Not very scientific but I'm sold on rockwood!

SaintJohnsEgger · August 2018

I have some RO as well as some of that CharBroil Center Cut lump. But my go to is RW. It seems quicker to get to temp and clean smoke with no weird taste.

stlcharcoal · August 2018

Last call for Ace Hardware's sale.....ends on 8/31

Done with Royal Oak

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