Charcoal brand?

[inkjunkie]

Would walk....make that run away from Royal Oak....I prefer Lazzari Mesquite. Neither of us can tell the difference between one wood type or another. The Royal oak I have used was full of fines and dust.....not to mention "non burnable" junk. Have found fiberglass mat material in damn near every bag. The white bag Lazzari....just opened 2 40 pound bags....filled about half of a 5 gallon bucket of fines and dust. Many of the pieces were the size of 1 gallon plastic milk jugs. Would much rather have to split up the big chunks than deal with all the fines and dust of RO. In the dozen or so bags have found zero trash in the Lazzari. And at fifteen bucks a bag it is a "smoking" deal....

 

[ristau5741]

I prefer frontier lump charcoal if I had to pick. Most lowes handles that also. I'd recommend getting bag of both and find out what you like.

I stopped using Frontier when I started finding rocks on my bags of lump.  Moved on to Royal Oak, much better product, so far. More recently I've moved back to briquettes,  now using a combination of briquettes to start the fire, wood to get the heat up in the smoking chamber on the offset, and adding lump as needed to keep up the temps during the smoke.

 

[joe black]

ristau, you might want to try your method in another order sometime. I put lump in my basket to a level that will get a good bed of coals going. I light about 1/2 to 2/3 chimney of briqs and put them on top of the lump. When the lump is fully involved, I keep the heat and coals going with wood. When the lump is ready for wood, that's when I add any smoke flavor wood that I'm going to use. If you have any trouble with your wood, you can add some lump to refresh the bed of coals, but you will enjoy the satisfaction of burning a good wood fire. Give it a try. And BTW, I'm sticking with my Royal Oak all the way. Good luck, Joe

 

[gary s]

Really Good, that way you can add already lit and burning charcoal when needed

Gary

 

[magnus]

 
Cheap charcoal = stinky ingnition due to crap like binders and coal. Lump charcoal = much cleaner start-up, but unpredictable chunk size. Consider using a "charcoal basket" (look that up in the Search) so you can load more charcoal at the start, and not have to refuel as soon. If you load too much and there's still some left when you're done cooking, you should be able to close all vents and smother the coals, for later use.

Accurate and well-said.  Essential information. 

 

[bakeray]

Local restaurant supply store has Lazzari. Good stuff. 

 

[magnus]

 
Local restaurant supply store has Lazzari. Good stuff. 

Where is Lazzari found besides the local restaurant supply store?

 

[inkjunkie]

Where is Lazzari found besides the local restaurant supply store?

only place I have found the 40 pound bags is Cash & Carry. Was there today, they had gotten a pallet plus of another brand...think it's Auy Carbon or something like that. Burns as hot as the Lazzari....and the amount of fines/dust is actually less. Talked to an employee there, he said that he has not seen any Lazzari in a few weeks.

 

[inkjunkie]

http://aycarbon.com

Had the spelling wrong. I like this as much as the Lazzari

 

[bakeray]

I have also found Lazzari at Safeway

 

[inkjunkie]

I have found the small bags of it in several different places. Only place I have found the 40 pound bags is Cash & Carry

 

[alamojoe]

I recently discovered B&B Oak Lump Charcoal and I'm really impressed with it. HUGE chunks of actual oak limbs.  I don't think the OP's question/issue is necessarily due to charcoal brand, though.  I'm not really sure what specific advise to give except that I've cooked over all kinds of charcoal - briquettes, lump, cheap stuff, good stuff . .and I've never really had a problem reaching or holding temperature.  I think the OP just needs to experiment a bit .. and try searching for your particular brand of smoker/grill . .you might be able to find some youtube videos or something and see how guys are using it.  Good luck!  And, if you get the chance, try B&B lump charcoal.

 

[rabbithutch]

@food dancing

Yes, a chimney starter is great and they work very well. You can start charcoal without petroleum lighter fluid. Load your chimney with as many briqs as you want, crumble newspaper in the bottom and light it through the holes in the side. Let the newspaper burn. It will light a few coals. Let it sit until the coals are all - or mostly all - lit. Pour what you need into the grill.

I use a slightly different technique that is faster an just as 'green.' I pour a jigger or two of regular rubbing alcohol in an empty tuna can and light it with a butane lighter. Then place the chimney with coals briqs over the lighted alcohol in the tuna can centering as best you can. You will have hot coals in 10 minutes or less, depending on how many briqs you put in the chimney. I've been using a gallon jug of isopropyl alcohol that I found at a salvage house for $5.00. Bought it 8 or 9 years ago and still have about 2" in the bottom.

HTH

:sausage:

 

[joe black]

Alcohol....good idea. I had been having some problems keeping my newspaper lit, so I bought some of the Weber lighter cubes and they work great. I also use briqs in my chimney simply because they are a more consistant shape. When lit I pour them into a valley in my lump. When the lump is fully involved, and a good bed of coals are cooking, I switch over to splits for the rest of my cook. This works for me, but everybody has their favorite method. I'm still sticking with my Royal Oak. Joe

 

[chef jimmyj]

Alcohol....good idea. I had been having some problems keeping my newspaper lit, so I bought some of the Weber lighter cubes and they work great. I also use briqs in my chimney simply because they are a more consistant shape. When lit I pour them into a valley in my lump. When the lump is fully involved, and a good bed of coals are cooking, I switch over to splits for the rest of my cook. This works for me, but everybody has their favorite method. I'm still sticking with my Royal Oak. Joe

Joe, You already have the Weber Cubes but, I drizzle a Tablespoon of Veg Oil or even Bacon Grease on my Newspaper, place it in the Chimney and light it. Burns a long time and the yard smells like French Fries or a Pig Roast...

...JJ

 

[rabbithutch]

Another advantage with alcohol, there is no paper ash to deal with. It's almost as cheap as newspaper, too, because you only need to use a very little to start a whole chimney. Buy the 70% solution. It's cheaper than the 90/99.5%.

 

[pink flamingo]

How does Royal Oak compare to Lazzari?

 

[joe black]

How does Royal Oak compare Lazzari?

You have done it now....... Briqs or lump, foil or not, wood or electric, etc, etc. You have just taken this thread to at least 5 more pages.

 

[hank2000]

Some people never learn. Lol but it is a good question

 

[inkjunkie]

How does Royal Oak compare Lazzari?

Ford vs Chevy vs Mopar