I've bought Royal Oak, Basques, Natures Own and Maple Leaf(mostly Canadian brands as I'm in Canada)What brands have you bought?
Royal oak, BGE and FOGO have all been fine for me.
Same here. The random chunks of virgin and kiln dried wood crumbled away before I got it in the kettle after starting in chimneyThat's why I gave up on lump and went back to briquettes eons ago.
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I wish lump was that cheap here. Up here a 17lb bag costs about $25...I don't like the cost of lump, though in California mesquite lump can be had for 30-40 cents a pound. Problem is the bag has everything from dust to hunks as big as your thigh. Tasteless briquettes work fine for me.
I have learned to feel around on the bags to figure out if it's all busted up.
Can't find it anywhere locally now, and nowhere for the price I paid. I should have ordered a couple pallets of it when I had the chance!