Why lump?

[rickgregory]

I've wondered this for a while but I regularly see people talking about using lump charcoal. Now, I get why you'd use it in hot and fast stuff, especially direct grilling. But... do you all use it for low and slow (I'm classing anything under 300F as low)? If so... why? I've always used briquettes for that since they feel more predictable.

Also, why yes, I am avoiding yard work. For a while at least...

[Texas Larry]

I use lump exclusively in my Kamado due to reduced ash buildup. I use it for both hot/fast and low/slow. Works great in that controlled environment. I generally use briquettes in my kettles. FWIW.

[scottranda]

But why male models?

[Andrrr]

Was that a zoolander reference??? That part of the movie is so good

[Andrrr]

I knew it!

I’m a hand jockey mama. Not like you face and body boys...

[scottranda]

But, I agree with Texas Larry

[scottranda]

Not that you can’t use briqs in a kamado, but the ash builds up so much, it can reduce airflow.

[Polarbear777]

Only thing I believe is less filler so less ash.
In some cookers, that is important.

Otherwise for low and slow I’ve always seen worse performance. The small pieces and dust tend to clog things up and the fuel is so light, much less fits in a given volume.

I’ve actually gone to char -logs which last the longest at any temp setting. And I still stick with briqs for hot and fast because I just hate dealing with the varied sizes.

[smokin fool]

I've used both in my kamado and yes there is a bit more ash.
I have a problem with Kingsford briqs, there's a funk that comes off them while smoking that I don't seem to get using other brands.

[Old Glory]

I think lump adds some smoke flavor to the party and burns cleaner with less ash. It certainly smells better than briq.

[rickgregory]

Huh, I'd not thought about the ash buildup. I've got an older Weber kettle with SNS so while the ash is there, it's not been a problem. I think. Maybe.

[Andrrr]

Hence the nice part of the ash sweeps with a kettle or WSCG, couple swipes and you’re back in action. As far as I can tell (never used one) removing the ash mid cook from a ceramic kamado isn’t all that easy hence the desire to produce as little ash as possible paired with the fancy baskets designed to keep airways open.

[STEbbq]

Lights faster and gets up to temp quicker combined with less ash.

[ecowper]

If you are going to try lump rickgregory, try the good stuff. The crud at the grocery store is pretty crappy. Just order a two pack of Fogo from SNS. Good stuff.

[Dr. Pepper]

ecowper Or, order directly from FOGO. https://www.fogocharcoal.com
I have been playing with their various products: Eucalyptus, quebracho, super premium, premium. Free shipping.

[ecowper]

Dr. Pepper yep, can do that too :-)

[Wedunne]

I've never used lump yet, but I've got a bag of Fogo (black bag) that I want to try out one of these days. Do you light them the same way as briquettes? (e.g. chimney with a starter cube)

[SmokeyGator]

No. I fill the fire box and then light one side using either a propane torch or better yet the $10 harbor freight heat gun. The heat gun works very well, it will light a fire AND also stoke the coals, for a good blaze fast. The torch is if I am too lazy to get the heat gun, plug it in, and so on. I use a Primo XL, so it works different from a kettle. You start with a small fire and let it build slowly, or else you risk starving it of air when you close vents off.

[Argoboy]

That is what I use a heat gun to start my charcoal in my Primo XL as well and it works good. It does not take very long to start a fire, I start it near the air inlet.

[au4stree]

I prefer lump when I want a hot fire, steaks, pizza, etc. However, the little pieces in lump have always bothered me. Doesn’t matter the brand, they all have them, just depends how well they were handled before arriving at mà casa. For that reason, I seek out B&B briqs or Jealous Devil briqs, they get get pretty darn hot without the fuss of broken lump pieces.

[Dadof3Illinois]

I agree that briquettes clog my SnS XL on long cooks in my 26” and I need to stir it to get the ash to drop out. But I like the temp control I get using them. The char logs from B&B last a LONG time but also produce a lot of ash.
I have a pork butt to cook tomorrow so I’ll give some lump another try with my kettle and pit viper fan / Fireboard combo and see how it works.

[LA Pork Butt]

I think both lump and briquettes have their advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on what you are cooking on, at what temp and what you are cooking. Low and slow on my Kamado with lump can easily go 20 hours without adding charcoal or clogging with ash. I don’t think I can say that for briquettes. While I haven’t tried lump on my kettle with slowNsear, I think grilling with briquettes is a better choice.

[Dewesq55]

Burns hotter, less ash - a lot less.

[Attjack]

Yeah I use it for LnS in my kamado because it produces very little ash and is easy to snuff out and relight for the next cook. If I load my Primo XL up I can get many cooks off of one load. Plus it's a cleaner charcoal than briquettes (which I use in kettles).