Lump Charcoal - Interesting Find

[Gonna Smoke]

So yesterday I fired up a chimney of Royal Oak lump to cook some steaks. When the charcoal was mostly ready, I dumped the chimney into my Weber and I saw this...

A piece of tongue and groove. While this may not be unusual and something many have seen before, this was my first time seeing anything other than sticks, limbs, or blocks of wood in a bag of lump. This was my second time using Royal Oak and I just found it interesting...

 

[rdknb]

Very interesting and odd.

 

[DougE]

I've seen quite a few posts of weird stuff people have found in bags of lump over the years. I'm pretty sure someone found a hunk of plywood in a bag of Cowboy lump.

 

[Brokenhandle]

No doubt what it us for sure!

Ryan

 

[Ringer]

I just get lots of rocks

 

[TNJAKE]

Found a piece of what I think is a metal band in my last bag of Royal oak

Probably off the same pallet of tongue and groove you found lol

 

[noboundaries]

I will say that is the one advantage of mesquite lump which is common on the west coast. No one is using mesquite wood for building, furniture, flooring, siding, etc.

The only detractor to mesquite lump is the size variation. The bags will contain everything from dust to 8" round trunk cuts.

 

[Marknmd]

That is disturbing. I'm trying to think of a reason this could accidentally happen and I can't come up with anything.

 

[DougE]

I'm trying to think of a reason this could accidentally happen and I can't come up with anything.

I don't expect it was an accident. They turned scraps of hardwood flooring into charcoal. As long as there was no finish previously applied, I don't have a huge problem with it as long as it's solid, unfinished wood.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Found a piece of what I think is a metal band in my last bag of Royal oakView attachment 637250

Probably off the same pallet of tongue and groove you found lol

You found it!! I was wondering what happened to that...lol. Yep, that looks like a piece of metal strapping...

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I don't expect it was an accident. They turned scraps of hardwood flooring into charcoal. As long as there was no finish previously applied, I don't have a huge problem with it as long as it's solid, unfinished wood.

My thoughts exactly...

 

[Newglide]

I haven't tried Royal Oak yet but I found all kinds of boards in Cowboy lump, some I couldn't say for sure was hardwood. I found a hinge in the last bag I had.
I since went away from Cowboy lump

 

[Ringer]

Well between all of us here, if we keep using RO and cowboy, we might be able to piece together a decent rf smoker from the extra parts they send us in the bags.

I already have enough rock to use as thermal mass if we need it.

 

[Sven Svensson]

That’s extremely common with Royal Oak and Cowboy, plus other brands. They don’t try and hide it. The only brand this far that doesn’t use “house parts” is Jealous Devil.

 

[Marknmd]

I don't expect it was an accident. They turned scraps of hardwood flooring into charcoal. As long as there was no finish previously applied, I don't have a huge problem with it as long as it's solid, unfinished wood.

Okay - I was thinking that piece looks like the lumber on my front porch deck which is likely treated, but you're right. Here is a lump database with ratings if anybody is interested: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpindexpage.htm?bag

 

[Marknmd]

 

[jcam222]

I have found what appeared to be both construction and furniture scrap in Royal Oak and Cowboy quite a few times. I switched to B&B quite awhile ago and many bags in have never found any.

 

[millerbuilds]

I have found what appeared to be both construction and furniture scrap in Royal Oak and Cowboy quite a few times. I switched to B&B quite awhile ago and many bags in have never found any.

Yep. Same here, I only use B&B Lump and B&B Briquettes. I find the quality control is much better.

- Jason

 

[Fueling Around]

I stopped buying RO lump and briquettes.
Briquettes produced way to much ash and low heat.
Lump is mostly scrap lumber.

I use Frontier lump as it it readily available in Minnesota and Florida. I go through a lot less than using RO products.

 

[bill1]

...Here is a lump database with ratings if anybody is interested: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpindexpage.htm?bag

Useful discussions here, but most reviews are pretty old and product quality can change a lot in a decade. Still, old data is better than no data.