Bad bag of B&B???

[Finster]

Doing a wing cook with the vortex..
Full chimney of B&B. Took over 30 minutes to light. Not getting nearly as hot as I would like. 30 minutes into the cook and dome temp is only 450. If I was using Cowboy like usual, the thermometer would be pegged

edit: briqs not lump

[Chuck in Charlotte]

I've had a few bags that were mostly dust, but never had coals that wouldn't get hot. I'll be interested to see other replies to this.

[Jerod Broussard]

Charcoal not lump?

[Finster]

Briquettes, yes

[Jerod Broussard]

They are inherently a bit "harder" to light compared to standard KBB. It takes a bit more to get them going but that seems excessive.

[Jessterr]

The times I’ve cooked using the Vortex on my 26” kettle, that’s right about where the temperatures have typically been. I’ve never used Cowboy briqs on a Vortex cook as yet, but I did do some quick comparisons of Weber versus B&B versus Cowboy briqs in standard grilling situations in the past, and saw some interesting results. Of the three, B&B burned the least hot, Cowboy was the hottest, with Weber in between. If you normally use Cowboy in your Vortex, then I can see where your temperatures with B&B would be lower.

[HawkerXP]

They are inherently a bit "harder" to light compared to standard KBB. It takes a bit more to get them going but that seems excessive.



+1

[Panhead John]

I’ve found the same with B & B briquettes, they take a little longer to get going than the others, but I found them better suited for low and slow. Since I’ve been using B & B, that’s all I use them for, usually. Cowboy or Kirkland brand I use for grilling.

[Purc]

+1

[Steve B]

Interesting. I’m finding just the opposite. I feel the B&B lights a little faster and burns much hotter than KBB. Also I don’t get the heavy smoking that is let off by the KBB when lighting. I now use B&B exclusively when not using lump or wood.
Haven’t used Cowboy briquettes so I don’t have any knowledge about them.

[DaveD]

Any chance the briqs got wet? I had a load that got damp recently and it took a lot longer to get going than usual, but it was a hot & fast cook, so few data points. I would have thought that once they got going, they'd burn normally though...

[Finster]

It's possible they could have gotten damp. They were at the bottom of the metal trash can i keep on the patio. It was a partial bag that I don't remember when I last used it. It's been awhile since I used B&B so maybe my expectations were off. I'll use the rest for a low and slow at some point

[cgseymour]

Has anyone noticed a difference between B&B Oak briquettes (older version / formula) and the newer B&B Oak and Hickory?
Was curious if this was just marketing or is there a difference?
Thank you

[Murdy]

I pretty much use B&B for low and slow and whatever's cheap for grilling (often Kingsford Pro from Costco).

[fzxdoc]

I always pour a chimney of KBB over B&B briquettes to get things going faster.

Kathryn

[Lynn Dollar]

I've used B&B Oak in my 26 Kettle with the Vortex for 2 or 3 years now. I don't pay much attention to the dome gauge. Its usually positioned over the edge of the Vortex, so it runs way hot.

I use my Thermoworks Smoke with the digital probe at grate level. Cooking temp can vary and I can't explain it, it can run from 400 to 450 at grate level. The 400* cooks are an outlier but they cook the wings just as good as 450.

The reason the B&B ignite slowly is there's nothing added to them to speed the process. They're all natural. And much rather prefer that than some chemical addition. Notice that they don't put off all the white smoke when igniting in the chimney.

I put a chunk of pecan on the grate over the Vortex. It burns hot enough to ignite the wood into flame and makes for some nice thin blue smoke.

This was a wing cook I did last Feb on the 26 with a Vortex. Its typical of what I get with B&B . I line the charcoal grate with foil to keep the bottom of the Kettle cleaner, but I also think it directs air right up through the Vortex, creates a little more convection.

[Lynn Dollar]

When I asked Grok if B&B Oak were all natural, this is the response .............

Yes, B&B Oak charcoal briquettes are considered all natural, with no chemical additives or fillers. They're made from a blend of charred oak hardwoods and bound together using only a vegetable starch binder, which is a natural component.

This composition ensures a clean, longer burn suitable for cooking, as confirmed by the manufacturer and various product reviews. While the vegetable starch acts as a binder, it's derived from natural sources and aligns with claims of being additive-free in the context of avoiding synthetic chemicals.

[Lynn Dollar]

One more thought, the temp variations could be due to the amount of oxygen the coals get. Maybe the ash catcher is filled with ash and there's not a much air getting into the Kettle. Or its windy and its cutting off air entry. Or maybe the ash sweeper blades aren't all the way open.

I like to think that my foil lining redirects more air to the coals. Maybe it does, maybe not.

And I'm not always real careful to place the ambient probe in the same spot for every cook. The closer its set to the Vortex, the more radiant heat its going to measure. If I put it way out on the edge, it will run cooler. I try to put it where my wings are gonna set, and I try to get them as far from the radiant heat of the Vortex as I can.