new types (to me) number one - Fire King

zaphod · July 14

One of my team recommended Fire King Charcoal. He is from Kazakhstan, close to turkey and as far as I can tell, this stuff is only sold in Turkish Mediterranean delis. Expensive - $16 for 3kg, but I emptied the fire bowl and filled it up. Nice big lumps, will likely light up later this week.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/qy/l6tad7ckc552.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/7g/rtxfajebn05h.jpg

zaphod · July 16

Gave this one a try tonight. Lights very easily, catches very fast, and after 5 to 10 minutes of the fire getting established I closed the dome and the temperature shot up to 350F pretty much instantly. Yeah, it's a warm day outside, but that was fast. dropped in the plate setter and the temp dropped fast came up very slowly to 420F.

interesting.

Did the fries at 420F for about 35 - 40min. Fair bit of smoke and the vents had to stay pretty open. pulled the plate setter, put in a CI grate and a half plancha on the fire ring. This is how I typically do fries/wedges and burgers - 35min at 420F indirect for the fries (or wedges) and then direct at 500F for the burgers.

I never got hotter than 450F. It had all the behaviour of a fire running out of fuel, and only able to keep the ceramics where they already were. After I shut down the vents, the egg cooled quicker than expected for a hot summer day, quicker than usual.

I'll know when I clean the egg, but I suspect very little charcoal left over in the basket. So very quick light, very fast to temperature, but no lasting ability for a long burn.

zaphod · July 17

cleaned up the egg from the Fire King burn - about as expected. Here is the undisturbed lump - no black, all ash grey. Look at the pictures above for what I started with - a full fire basket.

a few knocks with the ash tool gave me basically nothing - everything left was ash

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/z5/zd3uccyfypqj.jpg

This is what is left from a full fire basket after 420F for 40min and then 10min at 450F. Normally I would have at least half a basket for the next burn.

Disappointing. Sure it lit easy and got hot fast, but burnt up just as fast. It is the Roy Batty of lump. Must be made from some fairly soft wood.

I dumped the second half of the bag into the basket. I won't be expecting any long burns from it.

GrateEggspectations · July 18

Interesting read. Was very surprised to read that you went through that much lump in quite such a short timeframe.

Apologies if you’ve shared this elsewhere, but I don’t recall what size Egg you’re running. I often run an MM, and even with its relatively limited capacity, I don’t think I’ve ever gone through such volume within such a short period.

Bet that lump would be horrible for low and slows. Would probably fade early-to-mid cook.

Thanks for sharing.

zaphod · July 18

my egg size must have fell off my signature - i'll put it back on, but I have a Large. keep thinking MMX, but someone I married is more sensible and prudent.

GrateEggspectations · July 18

I wouldn’t have seen it anyway, as I’m exclusively on mobile.

Wow. Can’t believe you ran through a whole load in a large. Not a great endorsement.

zaphod · July 18

The only (only) upside was the laughs I got when I saw the remaining ash covered "lump" evaporate into pebbles of actual lump when I knocked them with the ash tool. It was like a magic trick.

I have another full basket (rest of the 8kg bag) ready for wok time tonight. Hot, fast, no duration. Sounds like perfect lump for the wok.

GrateEggspectations · July 18

@zaphod

Fingers crossed that they make it though the cook.

zaphod · July 19

all good, hot and fast. did some future-use zucchini slices on the SS grate at 400F and then wok'ed a couple of dishes (still 400F). Lit the fire at 4:15, snuffed a couple of minutes after 5:00. Tomorrow morning when I clean we shall see what is left from a full basket.

new types (to me) number one - Fire King

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