Charcoal preferences?

[JCAP]

Hey all,
I've always used the original Kingsford briquettes for my charcoal adventures and never really had any issue with it. My past two smokes produced more ash then I've gotten used to seeing, despite being the same rough times. Anyway this got me wondering what brand of charcoal people prefer for longer smokes. I've never really been a lump user except for quick things on the kettle.

Thanks!

 

[mike243]

Kingsfird has always done good for me, i have read lump leaves less

 

[cfarley]

I prefer lump charcoal. Rarely ever buy briquettes. They burn completely up. Leaving minimal ash.

 

[Hawging It]

I was a die hard Kingsford Blue Bag smoker for 20 years. Last year there was a post on SMF comparing Kingsford and Royal Oak. Their test stated RO burned hotter and longer. I am a skeptic so I did my own test. My test showed RO burned hotter, longer and less ash. For many months now I only use Royal Oak Premium Classic. You can buy it at Walmart and Lowes most of the time.

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

I was a die hard Kingsford Blue Bag smoker for 20 years. Last year there was a post on SMF comparing Kingsford and Royal Oak. Their test stated RO burned hotter and longer. I am a skeptic so I did my own test. My test showed RO burned hotter, longer and less ash. For many months now I only use Royal Oak Premium Classic. You can buy it at Walmart and Lowes most of the time.

This!

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

I usually just stock up on whatever is on sale. The twin packs of 20lb Embers briqs are on sale for $7 at many Home Depots for Labor Day. I've read that it is RO in different packaging. I've used it and it seemed fine to me so I'll swing by my local store to grab some more.

I do like to run lump in my drum. Waiting for the Western 30lb bags to go on clearance and I will grab as many as I can.

 

[chopsaw]

RO burned hotter and longer.

You use less also . Half a full size chimney combined with the left over in a kettle is perfect for average cooks .

 

[Hawging It]

You use less also . Half a full size chimney combined with the left over in a kettle is perfect for average cooks .

You are correct sir!!

 

[motocrash]

Type Royal Oak in the Search box on here,ye shall be enlightened.

 

[gmc2003]

I'm a converted Oak user also.

Chris

 

[radioguy]

Used Kingsford for years....now using Royal Oak, hotter longer less ash

RG

 

[krj]

Royal oak, or the off brand version of it which is Embers. If you'd like more information on why, we could say the Charcoal Nerd's name three times.

@noboundaries
@noboundaries
@noboundaries

 

[JCAP]

Awesome. Thanks for the replies everyone. I guess I'm going to have to pick up some RO now!

 

[Odysseus]

I also used to buy exclusively Kingsford. A few years ago, they were out of it so I bought Royal Oak instead. It was immediately apparent that it was better in every way. It lasted longer, the food tasted better, and it cost less. I've tried Kingsford a couple tomes since then and was disappointed now that I've been spoiled by cooking with Royal Oak.

 

[SouthernSmoked]

I've used nothing but Kingsford briqs for decades. But I'm changing to RO. Thanks
for the recommendation.

But I really like these. This 4 lb bag was about $5-$6 so it ain't cheap

 

[PolishDeli]

Guess I'm the odd mad out on this: A vote for KBB here.
RO is fine too, especially when you score it on a good sale; but in my experience, it burns faster and kicks up more sparks than KBB.

I stopped using lump because (1) inconsistent size = inconsistent cooks and (2) some of those “lumps” clearly had previous lives as lumber. I like to think it wasn’t pressure treated, but who knows. Then again, like @Richard Foster said; Briquettes are made from industrial waste. So, maybe I shouldn't care about (2).

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

I used to get oak flooring scraps in cowboy but never got flooring in the Royal Oak I used.
Everything you ever needed or wanted to know about lump charcoal can be found at
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm

Keep in mind that a bunch of the reviews on nakedwhiz are over a decade old. Changes to the product could have been made during that time

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

It's not like charcoal is a rapidly evolving new technology or anything.

Sure the tech might not change, but several other factors can like the supplier of the wood and the manufacturing process.

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

It's hard to imagine any significant advances in charcoal production. Burning wood in the absence of oxygen to make lump charcoal has been done for what maybe since shortly after the the dawn of mankind itself?

BTW lump has been around since then while Henry Ford invented charcoal to use industrial waste products generated in his River Rouge plant to make model Ts so while briquettes are way more recent, I wouldn't call them improved in any way.

I didn't say that the process of making the charcoal has changed. I was talking about the manufacturing process. For example if a company is getting the wood from a supplier that includes construction scrap then that is a problem. They can change the supplier. If a company is getting feedback that their lump is broken down into pieces that are too small then they can make changes necessary to prevent this.

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

True but thats what that database site is all about. They break down a bag, dpsort it by size and quality and even how much rocks and rubbish they find in it.

Which leads back to the point of this digression. If they haven't updated their review on a company in over 10 years then there is the possibility that the company has had changes during that time.