Lump charcoal question

[pheinzman]

I'm using lump charcoal for the first time today and I notice when I had it in the chimney starter and it was flaming up, this black tar-like goo was oozing out of one of the holes.

After I'd put the coals in the smoker, it looked like one of the lumps had stuck to the hole.

Is this normal?

 

[someguy]

NO that's not normal. what type of lump did you use?

 

[pheinzman]

I got it from GFS. I wonder if there was a hunk of plastic in there. Whatever it was, it stayed in the chimney starter.

 

[pheinzman]

I looked and everything seems ok. It could even have been something stuck to the newspaper I used to start it, I suppose. The ash it left behind had an orange appearance and was very fragile. The smoke smells fine.

 

[travcoman45]

Nope, not normal, sounds like yall got a piece a plastic in yer bag, I'd just kinda keep an eye out fer anymore as ya use it up. Long as the smoke smells fine yall should be ok.