Briquettes or lump: My thoughts

[billg71]

First of all, mods feel free to move this if this isn't the appropriate forum.

I'm am(or maybe was) a KBB fan, I learned how to cook on it, it's consistent and repeatable. I played around with a bag of Cowboy lump a year or so ago, wasn't happy with the results. I found this site and went back to KBB and Comp based on Meathead's recommendations and my experience.

One thing I've never liked about the Kingsford: if I left the basement door or window open was the smell I got from the Kingsford in the lighting process. It burns cleanly once fully lit but it absolutely stinks until most of the coals in the chimney get burned to grey. Which is OK for grilling, I just need to keep the basement door and windows closed until I start cooking.

Inspired by CeramicChef 's recommendations, I got a couple bags of Fogo lump. The first thing I noticed was that I didn't break out into a coughing fit if I walked outside while the coal was coming up to temp. I got a hint of wood smoke and that's about all. No bilious clouds of white foul-smelling smoke, just some nice sweet wood smoke smell.

So I thought(always a dangerous process): If the Kingsford stinks so bad when burning off the binders, what effect does it have on my food when I'm burning it in a low-and-slow cook using the Minion Method or Soo's Donut? In both of these methods the charcoal is being continuously ignited and giving off that nasty white smoke in the process, right? Maybe it's not as much as when lighting a full load but it's still new briquettes getting started and burning off the binders.

So I'm thinking I'm good with briquettes for grilling when I can get the coals fully lit before the meat hits the grill but I'm starting to think twice about using briquettes for smoking, maybe lump would give a cleaner taste. ????

I know most of you cook low-and-slow with briquettes and are happy with the results but did you ever experiment to see if you could do better?

Inquiring minds want to know. What are your thoughts?
Bill

[kingdarb]

Actually I find that briquettes have a "cleaner" taste with low and slow, as lump seems to impart more wood-smoke flavor the the food. I have noticed that kingsford blue does have a bit of a strange smell when lighting, however I have tried a few different brands of briquettes now and they aren't all like that. Lately I tried maple leaf hardwood briquettes, and they have no chemical smell whatsoever. YMMV.

[Thunder77]

I don't find that I have any off flavors with KBB during low and slow. I think David Parrish explains that somewhere. I believe that it's because the new charcoal is ignited at a higher temp in the SnS than if you start it in a chimney. I really can't say too much about lump, because I have limited experience with it. I have heard that some use both. They use mainly lump, but fill in the gaps with KBB.

I do agree about the smoke when you light that stuff, though! I hate to ask this, but are you keeping your KBB good and dry? I know when it gets damp it smokes more.

[Jerod Broussard]

I have not been able to do a comparison with B & B Briquettes and B & B Lump. I've used both, but I haven't compared apples to apples. By comparison I mean cost - comparison. What I pay per pound and what I get per pound out of a cook.

Until then I roll with the hardwood briquettes for long cooks and KBB for short grilling cooks.

[boftx]

I use KBB for grilling because of the consistent, predictable burn. But I use mesquite lump and splits for the smoker because there is far less ash buildup. Also, I do think lump burns hotter in the smoker, but I would agree with others that is because of better airflow more than anything else.

[Huskee]

In a low & slow setting like the fuse & such with KBB you don't get that billowing off flavored smoke since the oxygen is so limited in that context. That thick blueish-white smoke is due to the abundant oxygen in the initial burn. I've done side by side cooks with KBB low & slow in the SnS and all wood on my stick burner and the end flavor is shockingly similar. When I'm lighting a chimney of KBB though, yeah, it stinks.

[billg71]

That's what gets me as well, Guest . If I forget to close the basement door when lighting a chimney of KBB or Comp, I'll know it 5 minutes later when I come down the stairs. And that's with the storm door closed.

Maybe it id the high-oxygen burn, hadn't thought of that.

[CeramicChef]

Have we all forgotten that briquettes are nothing but an amalgamation of whatever charcoal Kingsford can source? Kingsford grinds up lump charcoal from who knows where, throws in a binder and water, and presses the mixture into briquettes. On a pound per pound basis, given that Kingsford has an inert binder, I'd say lump gives you more BTUs.

I use FOGO. I've burned a ton of KBB in my day. I'll take FOGO any day. I've never had any off odors or flavors, even in the initial stages of the fire.

[billg71]

According to Meathead's article http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_tech..._charcoal.html , Kingsford makes their briquettes from sawdust and chips.

Just sayng...

[Strat50]

I've cooked with, and over, just about anything that burns. Within the materials limitations, all are good. If I(for example) were to use a fuse type situation, I'd go for briquettes for their consistent burn. This, in my opinion, is one place where briquettes shine. When "just" grilling, I love the flavor of lump. Don't get me wrong, briquettes are great too, but this is what I prefer, which doesn't make me right. In my experience, there is no panacea when concerning one's grilling and smoking fuel.

When I first got into grilling in the early 80's, I just used a hibachi with whatever fuel I could find. All the fuels tasted great, but I gravitated towards the lump flavor. There was a certain "something" that I liked when using lump. This flavor started me on my journey of bbq, and associated methods, which transcended cuisine boundaries and brought me to where I am today.

On the briquette side, I used a ton of different briquettes while home cooking. Even the cheap crap was fine if I tossed a "foil pack" of chips onto the fire while grilling, etc.

In short, it's not the rig. It's not the components, but the cook that matters. The rest is BS.

[JeffJ]

KBB works and it works quite well for low/slow. I know exactly how it's going to perform for low/slow because it's consistent. I like lump and I use lump. I also use KBB. A lot. It's a tremendous value when it can be acquired for $9.88 for a 2-pack of 18.5 pound bags.

[CeramicChef]

Where is the science that briquettes burn more consistently than other fuels. I see this stated as if it came down from the mountain writ by the finger of God, yet I find no scientific basis. Where is this? Could it be that this is the fuel equivalent to the stall being the rendering of fat and connective tissue instead of evaporative cooling?

[Beefchop]

CeramicChef I've never had that kind of consistency with lump, but then again I've never tried that high falutin FOGO charcoal either!

[CeramicChef]

Beefchop - we'll be discussing fuels in the Kamado Thread of Grills & Smokers in short order. Come on over and join the conversation; we'd value your input and who knows, we might even convert you!

[Beefchop]

CeramicChef Will do!

[dpsphotos]

In a low & slow setting like the fuse & such with KBB you don't get that billowing off flavored smoke since the oxygen is so limited in that context. That thick blueish-white smoke is due to the abundant oxygen in the initial burn. I've done side by side cooks with KBB low & slow in the SnS and all wood on my stick burner and the end flavor is shockingly similar. When I'm lighting a chimney of KBB though, yeah, it stinks.

This still puzzles me. If the off smell is due to the binder being burnt off what would more or less oxygen have to do with it in a fuse/donut method? At some point those briquettes are "igniting" and the binders are being burnt off whether its at a high heat, low heat, more oxygen, or less oxygen. Sure, the binders may leave less vapor "residue" at different heat or oxygen levels, but they are still being burnt off at some point.

I have a feeling the strong smell from the initial lighting is because we are igniting so many coals at once. Where once the low and slow begins, 1/4 of one corner, of one briquette is being ignited at a time.

Now let me say, I only use KBB, and I too hate the smell of them getting started. I also have recently run into problems on my PBC where I cannot let the entire coal basket ash over. It way overshoots temps and is a pain to get down to low and slow temps. This has left me with using the donut method and a few people have commented on the smell even long after the initial light. I have been playing with the idea of trying lump, but Royal Oak is all I have locally and the first bag I bought had some strange pieces in it. I never used it. No one has complained about the taste, just the smell. LOL

[billg71]

I'm pleasantly surprised with the Fogo lump. It doesn't look like lumber mill scraps and(so far) I haven't encountered any foreign objects. But I'm still working on my first bag.

[Huskee]

That's just it dpsphotos, lighting a whole bunch at once, vs a little at a time in a fuse/Minion. The point is, like you've acknowledged, the taste of the end product. It tastes good if you follow the correct procedures, like anything.

[Jon Solberg]

Car keys

[boftx]

I go through the checklist and go to the store the day before cooking anything and hang my keys up when I start cooking.

[JeffJ]

"Lump has burned just fine for me and I can control temperature to within +/- 10° with lump for over 20 years."

Think about that for a second. 20 years. You can't assume that others have the same level of experience that you have, CeramicChef. The problem with lump is the quality is all over the place. My last bag of lump sucked. It had a TON of tiny pieces and a few huge chunks. I was able to manage it because I was doing a hot fast cook but it would have been difficult to do a low/slow with that kind of mix.

I like lump and have had a lot of success when I've used it. However I do understand why some are turned off by it.

[CeramicChef]

JeffJ - I understand. It's exactly some of those points above I'm trying to address in the Kamado Series Thread. I'm also fortunate enough after burning a LOT of lump to know really good stuff from crap. My point is still this: where is the scientific evidence that briquettes are more consistent?

[Lost in China]

They're easier to use for non-experts. I think that's the point here. You find lump easy to use because you're an expert. The rest of us...not so much.

[JeffJ]

This doesn't count as scientific evidence but I am going to offer up a scenario where I could see lump being less consistent.

That scenario is low/slow where oxygen is in short supply. because of how lump is shaped if it were to Tetris or jigsaw the fire would really be starved for oxygen I would think.