What charcoal/lump do you prefer?

[Gonna Smoke]

I've looked and did not find a thread specific to these questions, maybe I didn't look hard enough, but what do you prefer, lump or briquettes? Which brand? I saw these questions posted on a fishing forum that I frequent and since I'm a "newbie", was curious as to what the gurus here think.

Personally, I'm a lump person and like Jealous Devil and Harder Charcoal. Royal Oak is a fallback as it's readily available. No briquettes for me whatsoever...

 

[TNJAKE]

I use royal oak or b&b lump

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

I use to use royal oak when I could get it, or embers. Lately I’ve been using GFS briquettes and it’s great for the price. Leaves a little more ash others but I don’t mind it. They make limo also but I haven’t tried it!

 

[Sowsage]

Depends on the vessel.....i use lump in my UDS and Briquettes in my grill or weber kettle.

 

[whistlepig]

I’ve tried Royal Oak and B & B lump. Recently got some B & B Char-Logs and like the the longer burn time of the Char-Logs

 

[thirdeye]

Depends on the smoker/grill but B&B (original and mesquite), and Royal Oak for lump and Kingsford Long Burning for pucks. Some bags of B&B will have big pieces and I like that for certain cooks.

 

[yankee2bbq]

Briquettes and lump charcoal are two different animals. Lump charcoal burns hot. Fast. Briquettes charcoal burns not as hot and slow.
Each are good. All depends what you are cooking. Lump charcoal I would use for grilling a steak, hamburgers, hot dogs...etc. Hot and fast.
Briquettes charcoal I would use it for pork butts, ribs, brisket..etc. Low and slow.

 

[SmokinEdge]

B&B mesquite, Royal oak(always at my Walmart) and the Cowboy lump is good too.

 

[jcam222]

I only use B&B lump. I find it to be superior to anything else I’ve tried. I have never found any scrap in it. It burns hot and clean. I usually use the Oak lump but sometimes the hickory.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

Jealous Devil.

Second to that Kamado Joe Big Block.

I've used B&B, FOGO, Royal Oak, Cowboy, But Jealous Devil IMO tops them all. Some by a long shot.

I don't burn briquettes at all and haven't now for a few years.

 

[Weaversbbq]

Pancho villa Mesquite lump charcoal if i need to . .

 

[TuckersBarbeque]

Kingsford Briquettes, blue bag, for long cooks. They are wicked cheap and available everywhere. Most importantly, they burn low and slow and are so consistent that I can count the number I need to dial in a temperature with super reliability. The problem with lump is that it burns really hot and fast, and due to the different densities and sizes, it isn't as consistent. Also, Kingsford doesn't try to add flavor, and I like that.

I'll use lump for short barbeques like burgers, kabobs, chicken, etc...

 

[Chasdev]

For lump I use Fogo and KJ jumbo lump.
For briquettes (burgers, steaks, spatchcocked birds) I use Kingsford Pro Comp. it's by far the best.
It burns very hot, lasts a long time, is re-usable and leaves very little ash.

 

[Brewandque]

Kingsford for briquettes.
For lump I've only ever used RO but I picked up a bag of jealous devil this fall that I haven't broke into yet. Then found my local Lowe's sells Komado Joe big block for $20 a bag so have some of that on deck too.

 

[phatbac]

I pretty much stick to royal oak lump or briquettes unless the store is out of royal or there is a really good deal on another brand. there is some kiawae lump i would like to try just never gotten around to buying a bag

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)

 

[Sowsage]

Not to derail the thread but has anyone played around with prime6 charcoal. Seems like intrsting product.

 

[Chasdev]

Interesting...wonder how close it comes to Japanese Binchotan Charcoal .
I would love to try some but it's way spendy for my purposes.
Anyone seen the show/s about how Binchotan is made and used?
A piece of it broken in half looks like black glass, it's really out of this world.

 

[TuckersBarbeque]

Not to derail the thread but has anyone played around with prime6 charcoal. Seems like intrsting product.
View attachment 482257

I've seen it, but can't wrap my head around the claims... 4 hours of consistent heat from a single "tube"? 1 lb of tubes = 3 lbs of charcoal?
They're pretty big! I can see why a single piece lasts longer....

Definitely interesting, I'd like to see more "large charcoal", but at that price it seems more like the next fad that will die out. At $50/22 lbs, I can't imagine it taking off in the backyard.

 

[Hamdrew]

kingsford original briquettes over here so while i can't help ya i am intigued.

i usually burn down some hickory in the chimney after i dump the first one (chimney), tho

 

[JWFokker]

Not to derail the thread but has anyone played around with prime6 charcoal. Seems like intrsting product.
View attachment 482257

They're like heat beads. More dense than your average briquettes, burns longer but not as hot, needs to be started in a chimney starter. Also you have to break the sticks down into a proper size.