Let me start by saying that I am a die-hard lump charcoal user. I have a stack of 25 bags of Royal Oak piled next to my house that my family affectionately refers to as "Mount St. Charcoal". I love the flavor that it imparts on the meat, and love the aroma as it smokes. I had used briquettes for a while as a novice griller, and since moving to lump charcoal, I hate the burning 2x4 smell of Kingsford blue. It always makes me wonder if I'm cooking, or if my house is on fire.
However, I religiously use briquettes at the bottom of my charcoal basket to provide a little bit of insurance over the course of a long smoke. Since they burn slower and more consistently, they are a great safety net. I also occasionally start my fire with briquettes because it is easier to dump the nice, even briquettes into my firebox, where the lump sometimes ends up scattering to the wind (and usually, all over my deck).
So, after my impassioned rant, my question is this...are there any briquettes out there that don't smell like someone started a fire in a truss factory? Is there a brand that will, at least, not make me gag, or that may even be a viable option for those coming cooler months when I am trying to keep my heat nice and even?
However, I religiously use briquettes at the bottom of my charcoal basket to provide a little bit of insurance over the course of a long smoke. Since they burn slower and more consistently, they are a great safety net. I also occasionally start my fire with briquettes because it is easier to dump the nice, even briquettes into my firebox, where the lump sometimes ends up scattering to the wind (and usually, all over my deck).
So, after my impassioned rant, my question is this...are there any briquettes out there that don't smell like someone started a fire in a truss factory? Is there a brand that will, at least, not make me gag, or that may even be a viable option for those coming cooler months when I am trying to keep my heat nice and even?
