Does lump burn hotter than briquettes?

[jjdbike]

Looking for the hottest burning fuel. Does lump burn hotter?
Thanks in advance.
JD

[Bkhuna]

The Limp Burns Hotter; sounds like an ad for an ED drug.

[barelfly]

I mean…..right???

[LA Pork Butt]

In my opinion, yes, but I am unaware of any studies that validate or invalidate that opinion.

[WI Bubba]

All other variables being equal, lump will burn hotter than briquettes.

[Finster]

Not necessarily

https://amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/grill-and-smoker-setup/how-charcoal-is-made/

[realdocBBQ]

I think most people's experience (from what I've gathered) is that lump burns LONGER and more CONSISTENTLY than briquettes. I don't know about hotter, though.

[Henrik]

Hmm, are you sure? I would strongly argue that it's the other way around. Briquettes take longer to light up, but hold temps way longer than any lump I've tried.

[realdocBBQ]

I dunno, that was what I had thought other people thought - I am pretty new to smoking with charcoal though, I've always used pellets or the stickburner. Just got my kettle last year and only used it mainly for brats. Not until just recently have I begun using charcoal in any quantity, so I am definitely new to the game. I could have had the wrong impression.

[Mosca]

I’ve measured a cast iron pan, in a Weber Kettle, over B&B charcoal briquettes, at 710°. That’s plenty hot, unless I’m planning on smelting ore.

Meathead reports that lump burning hotter than charcoal is a myth, citing a study done by Cooks Illustrated. (CI study link is in the article.) CI ran the test 11 times; measured by volume, lump and briquettes burn equally hot for half an hour, then briquettes hold heat longer. Dr. Blonder says that arrangement of coals is more important. If you think about it, that makes sense. At the most basic level, they’re the same fuel, partially carbonated wood, just packaged differently. Briquettes are denser, so assuming equal volume they should burn just as hot, but longer.

I think the difference between testing and experience can be reconciled, though. Most of us don’t meticulously measure our charcoal. Myself, whichever I choose, I use “enough”, as in, “I ain’t refilling this 8 hours from now.” So whatever temp I set it to run, it will be “enough” fuel. If going for max heat, I still use “enough”. Same amount. BUT. If that’s measured by MASS rather than VOLUME, and the basic fuel is the same, and briquettes hold their energy longer, then the inverse must also be true: lump releases it’s energy faster, ie burns hotter. Just not as long.

I’ve gotten lump charcoal over 900° pit temperature in my BGE, but there are a couple caveats to that:

1) That’s using the BGE dial thermometer. It’s a Tru-Tel, but it is only marked to 700°. 900° is from my extrapolating around the dial an extra 45° of arc. 1a) There’s no way of knowing how accurate a Tru-Tel is outside it’s marked range (or even at the extremes within its range). All I know is that it’s accurate from 32° to 212°, I check and calibrate all my thermos in the spring.

2) Pit/air temp isn’t the same as surface temp. The 710° was an open air measurement with a heat gun. I wouldn’t want to see how high I could get a Weber Kettle, a 900° lid would be pretty dangerous! Anyhow Kettle pit temps are regulated by the vent size. I can take the top vent off of a BGE and turn it into a forge, but the most I can do on a Kettle is open the three holes on top.

I could take that cast iron temp over lump; maybe I will (but probably not). But for me, 710° is beyond useful range. I define useful range as from -20°f (the chest freezer) to 600°f (searing meat). Everything outside of that range might as well be “deep space” and “surface of the sun”. (If you’re thinking pizza, you’re thinking air temp, probably. Can you put a pizza on a 700° piece of cast iron? I don’t know, I don’t make pizzas. But what I’ve read, everyone talks about OVEN temp, not SURFACE temp. I’m ready to be enlightened on this.)

That should be clear as mud, no?

[jjdbike]

Thanks everyone,
You saved me from running out and buying a bag of lump. I have leanly of briquettes.
Best regards!
JD

[Oak Smoke]

I’m late to the party but here’s what I think I’ve learned. I won a PK 360 here (smile) and hadn’t used a grill like that in years. I’ve been using lump ( we old guys don’t talk about limp much) left over from kamado cooks. At that short distance from the charcoal to the cooking grate the lump is almost too hot. I’ve been considering getting a bag of B&B briquettes to try instead.

[jfmorris]

My personal experience is that for GRILLING, lump (for me) does burn hotter. Almost TOO hot. I poured 20 pounds of Cowboy lump into the charcoal pan for my offset once years ago, and it pretty much ruined the July 4th grilling experience for me one year, compared to briquettes on the same cooker. Burgers were bursting into flame almost instantaneously when they hit the cooking grate...

[Jerod Broussard]

Which briquettes? Kingsford or hardwood such as B&B?

[jfmorris]

Jerod Broussard I can say much hotter than KBB. I've not compared lump to the B&B briquettes. B&B briquettes do seem to burn much cleaner and produce much less ash than KBB.

[yakima]

Lump in a BGE melted an aluminum grill grate. Which is about 1220 degrees F.

[Oak Smoke]

There are videos on YouTube of using lump and a blower to make a forge to melt metal.

[Spinaker]

As for this long time argument…..I have come to the over all conclusion that they both burn plenty hot enough for any type of cooking. When you are searing a steak, anything over 600 is total over kill, IMHO. I’m sure I’ve had KBB and lump well over that and they both seem to work fine.

The key is a good clean burn with all the oxygen it can get.

[mrteddyprincess]

I don't like the ash that briquettes leaves behind. I quit briquettes because I don't like the ash. I love lump because it has way less ash. I don't care what temp they burn.

B

[Henrik]

Good question. I haven't seen any tests or facts to back either case, but in my experience both burn pretty darn hot. Hotter that you ever need when cooking anyway.

[Lynn Dollar]

America's Test Kitchen compares lump to briqs, they say lump does not burn hotter

https://youtu.be/VqQk6RhuoOE?si=mHU4dqSYLS2VLJ3q