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Have to try new lump- any experience

Have been using BGE lump since 2012 when I bought the egg but like others on here, my local dealer hasn’t had it recently. My wife picked these up today. FOGO $29 is the alternative my dealer had and the Royal Oak $9 from Walmart. No doubt there’ll be a difference but was wondering if anyone has experience with either?



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Comments

  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,326
    I've used a lot of Royal Oak over the years and never had any real problems with it. Have never used Fogo.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    I have used both and for the price the fogo isnt worth the difference. Royal oak and BGE are made by the same people.
  • Royal oak is significantly less expensive than BGE. Interesting that they’re made by the same facility. Good to know. Thanks. 

    What if anything is noticeably different?
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,174
    Hit the search function here and you will be bombarded with more lump info than you can burn.  BTW- lump discussions get hotter than religion or politics even in today's environment.  FWIW-
    @danlbrown - to answer your question...The price.  
    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.
  • RyanStl
    RyanStl Posts: 1,050
    I'm an equal opportunity lump user that likes to keep money in the wallet. If RO is available I get that, otherwise whatever Sam's has or grocery store brand.  I've never found anything weird, but a friend texted me the other day he found a piece of hardwood flooring in a bag of RO.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,674
    royal oak is bge lump in a much less expensive bag, just make sure its royal oak made in the usa which your bag is
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    RyanStl said:
    I'm an equal opportunity lump user that likes to keep money in the wallet. If RO is available I get that, otherwise whatever Sam's has or grocery store brand.  I've never found anything weird, but a friend texted me the other day he found a piece of hardwood flooring in a bag of RO.
    I highly doubt it's "hardwood flooring".  It's mill slabs, just like any other charcoal manufacturer in the US.  They are the pieces too knotty, warped, or short to be made into hardwood lumber.  So they get sold to charcoal companies, mulch and chip companies, etc.  It's never been treated or anything, just has 90 degree angles from where they cut it at the mill.

    Now if you come across plywood, molding, etc, thats another story.
  • KiterTodd
    KiterTodd Posts: 2,466
    danlbrown said:
    Have been using BGE lump since 2012 when I bought the egg but like others on here, my local dealer hasn’t had it recently. My wife picked these up today. FOGO $29 is the alternative my dealer had and the Royal Oak $9 from Walmart. No doubt there’ll be a difference but was wondering if anyone has experience with either?
    I usually have both of those on hand, along with others I come across. You'll probably notice the FOGO burns hotter, cleaner, longer and is a higher quality product. I tend to use RO for a lot of my cheap quick midweek cooks (chicken, pork, burgers, dogs) but will use the FOGO for most of the longer cooks or meat I care more about (smoking, steaks, briskets, seafood). I will use both interchangeably, but that's how I string any of the more expensive lump along a bit longer.
    LBGE/Maryland
  • Thanks everyone. Sounds like I may have unnecessarily spent a lot of money on BGE lump over the years. Fuel was never a variable I cared to mess with, as a believer of, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” .
  • TideEggHead
    TideEggHead Posts: 1,338
    Yep, I've been using RO with no problems.
    LBGE
    AL
  • The one and only bag of FOGO I will ever own had a piece of nylon rope in it. Its just far too expensive for that. For the price of Royal Oak, I can accept a rock now and again. I like Rockwood too but cant find it nowadays...
  • GMAC1
    GMAC1 Posts: 20
    Maple Leaf Forever!!!
  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,052
    I have never had any issues with Royal Oak.  Found 30 pound bags at Walmart this week for $17.

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

  • poster
    poster Posts: 1,167
    GMAC1 said:
    Maple Leaf Forever!!!
    Ya, getting almost impossible to find around here now though
  • kmac1036
    kmac1036 Posts: 12
    RyanStl said:
    I'm an equal opportunity lump user that likes to keep money in the wallet. If RO is available I get that, otherwise whatever Sam's has or grocery store brand.  I've never found anything weird, but a friend texted me the other day he found a piece of hardwood flooring in a bag of RO.
    I highly doubt it's "hardwood flooring".  It's mill slabs, just like any other charcoal manufacturer in the US.  They are the pieces too knotty, warped, or short to be made into hardwood lumber.  So they get sold to charcoal companies, mulch and chip companies, etc.  It's never been treated or anything, just has 90 degree angles from where they cut it at the mill.

    Now if you come across plywood, molding, etc, thats another story.
    Dad had this issue several years ago with Cowboy brand. It was like 2x4s and trim. Wasn’t even all the way charred. Apparently they got enough complaints they changed their ways some time back. I bought a huge bag of it at Costco this summer and it wasn’t terrible! It was like twice the size of that Royal Oak for like $20. I just emptied the bag yesterday.
  • kmac1036
    kmac1036 Posts: 12
    Dad burned a lot of Royal Oak in his day. Not much issue with it. He did get the kick ash basket several years ago that solved the airflow issues he was having. Switching to that basket & using RO he could get it to 600-700 in no time for steaks!
  • Exclusively royal oak for me due to the price and ease to get. Never had an issue 
  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,741
    I have used Royal Oak and Fogo, though neither since I switched exclusively to Rockwood. I would use both in a pinch, but there's no way Fogo is worth three times the cost of Royal Oak.
    Stillwater, MN
  • rifrench
    rifrench Posts: 469
    #1 Rockwood, #2 Basque's maple, #3 Royal Oak.  One bag of the discontinued
     ????? Oak, saving for a last meal, lol.
     1 LBGE, 1 SBGE, 1 KBQ and a 26" Blackstone near Blackstone, Virginia
  • carrda04
    carrda04 Posts: 83
    I started much like you, with the bag of BGE the dealer gave me on the way out of the door. Smelled nice and woody. All good. Luckily I read here that RO was the same so when it was time to re-up I bought that and saved. Still smelled nice, burned well. All good. 

    Then I realized one day that my cooks all had a very similar flavor too them, even when cooking different animals with very different rubs/sauces, etc. I had read of others talking about the BGE taste you can get that some people don't like. I wondered if this was it.

    So I tried what is most folks' fan fave around here--Rockwood. Could it possibly live up to the hype and higher cost than RO? It absolutely has. Sure, my car didn't have same mesquite adjacent smell on the way home from ACE, but man do I notice a difference in the cook flavor. Whatever wood you add, or rub you are using, shines right through. 

    I still have an unopened bag of RO next to the four Rockwood. And I'd never hesitate to use it, but I just would prefer Rockwood. If you love the flavor you are getting with the RO, probably not reason to change. If you ever think things taste a little to charcoal-y, just give Rockwood a try. 

    And if you love the Fogo and think it's worth the money, stick with that! I say to trust whatever your tastebuds and wallet enjoy!
    LG BGE
    Camp Chef 2xburner

    Twin Cities, MN
  • JohnEggGio
    JohnEggGio Posts: 1,430
    Timely - heading to my local Ace right now.
    Maryland, 1 LBGE
  • JohnEggGio
    JohnEggGio Posts: 1,430
    2 bags B&B oak, $19.99 each.
    Maryland, 1 LBGE
  • frazzdaddy
    frazzdaddy Posts: 2,617
    edited August 2020
    2 bags B&B oak, $19.99 each.
    Academy has been running that here for 12.99 for 20lb. Works fine.
    Xl bge ,LG bge, two 4' crusher cone fire pits. Weber Genisis gasser and 
    Two rusty Weber kettles. 

    Two Rivers Farm
    Moncure N.C.
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    danlbrown said:
    Thanks everyone. Sounds like I may have unnecessarily spent a lot of money on BGE lump over the years. Fuel was never a variable I cared to mess with, as a believer of, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” .
    Not necessarily.  I'd used RO because that's all I could get here.  A new grilling store opened and I finally had a source for Rockwood.  The first time I tried it, I was amazed at how quickly the smoke cleared/went light blue, and I was always cooking much sooner since I switched.
    Does it end up paying for itself?  No idea.   
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,174
    It pays for itself if it meets your needs and nothing else can.  Besides the owner (Rockwood) is active here and always willing to offer enlightening scientific information regarding lump and various characteristics. 
    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.
  • MasterC
    MasterC Posts: 1,360
    Our platinum dealer here is now stocking rockwood and cowboy along with bge. I primarily use bge due to the bags supplied by my hungry friends. 
    Fort Wayne Indiana 
  • CtTOPGUN
    CtTOPGUN Posts: 612
     I have found that I do need to let Royal Oak "gas off" longer than Rockwood. But if I am patient enough to wait I have no complaints of the taste of the product. When I first started using RO I put meat on too soon and did have an overly/bad smoke taste. For the price and availability I usually use RO. I do have a couple bags of Rockwood  usually for chicken or things I want less smoke intrusion.
    LBGE/Weber Kettle/Blackstone 36" Griddle/Turkey Fryer/Induction Burner/Royal Gourmet 24" Griddle/Cuisinart Twin Oaks/Pit Boss Tabletop pellet smoker/Instant Pot

     BBQ from the State of Connecticut!

       Jim
  • Anyone have any idea where I could get Rockwood in Canada....specifically Eastern Ontario?

    As for Royal Oak, we of course get the Canadian version which is what I usually use.  Tried some Fogo but didn’t see much difference to pay twice the price.  
  • bubbajack
    bubbajack Posts: 1,088
    It all burns.....some are just better than others.
    I drink cheap beer so I can afford good bourbon.

    Salisbury, NC...... XL,Lx3,Mx2,S, MM, Mini BGE, FireDisc x2. Blackstone 22", Offset smoker, weber kettle 22"


  • Ok so I opened the Royal Oak and dumped some in the egg. Immediately noticed much smaller pieces and unprocessed chunks which I can say, for what it’s worth,  I’ve never seen in the BGE lump. Not sure what difference it made, but I’d notice more “dirty” smoke. Letting the smoke clear, there were no complaints at dinner.