Quick question about lump coal.

BGE brand is the same as Royal Oak American. You can find quite a few lump reviews on the Whiz's site. http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm

Where are you located? In southeast Louisiana 9 KG is closer to 20 LBS than it is 5 LB

$55 for a 9kg bag? Are you in North America? That bag should cost about half of that, at least in Canada. A 20lb bag of Royal Oak costs about $15 here and $17 for the same sized bag of Maple Leaf charcoal.

pitrpan, I know you are from the land down under and here is what I suggest, get 100% natural lump charcoal at the lowest price and see how it works. Than post a call out to all the Ozzie's here on the forum and ask what they are using and where to get it. It's either that or get more BGE lump and call out the Ozzie's for some info. Good luck hunting lump in the land down under. Tim

Andy this is for you. I don't make my own lump nor did I read the nakedwiz write up on the subject but, I found something for you to research. Tim

How To Make Your Own Lump Charcoal

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/makinglump.htm

sigh.

HOW MUCH IS LEFT IN THE EGG?

you do not need to throw out the lump that is left in the egg.

Glad I could help.

pitrpan, It's fine with me if you don't like to cook with chunks of lump that was left over from a previous cook but, I want you to know most everyone here on the forum cook with lump that has been burned from a past cook. I'm not saying we reuse the tiny pieces but, we will stir the ash off the used lump and add some more to the top and away we cook. Tim

every time you light the egg, you wait for the smoke to burn clear.

if you did a long indirect cook of pork butt, you likely didn't have any drippings into the fire anyway, but into your drip pan or whatever your indirect barriers was.

you are more likely to encounter drippings when having done something like chicken direct. lot of chicken fat dripping into the fire. still, the fact that it is direct, anda higher temp, means much of that type of fat burns off during the cook anyway. the next night, light the egg, and while it is getting to temp and clearing (anywhere from 20-30 minutes, while you prep the food), the fat will burn off.

although i have had some fat in the lump from the previous cook (or even lingring inside the egg surface simply from fatty smoke), i have never had that smell hang around during a SUBSEQUENT cook, causing it to taint the new food.

i'm wagering you never replaced the ceramic bricquettes that are included in a gas grill. they would have been covered in drippings too.

anyway, give it a try. i would wwager that you are among the very few (if there are any others) who throw out the unused lump. 99.99% of us top off the old lump with a little new, then stir to combine (a little) and to drop the older ash. and that's it.

give it a try, otherwise you will spend more on charcoal than you did for the egg.

your first story about using two-thirds of a bag reminded me of my first overnight. i too added most of the bag. i cooked a pork butt for about 18 or 19 hours. my buddy tossed on a brisket that finished cooking for another 8 hours. the next night i cooked a chicken, and following that, a pair of steaks (if i remember correctly) the following night.

i still had lump left, but did need to add a little more for the next cook.

no one throws out their unused lump.