Briquettes VS Lump

[David Parrish]

David Parrish, nothing unusual about the cook. Three breast halves pounded to about 3/4" thick, salt and pepper, and garlic powder. Cooked to 162 IT and pulled. Weber Performer 22 with a half chimney of the KLB. Fully ashed over, and grill temperature 350 in the indirect zone. Fully ashed over coals. I did not have any white smoke at all. One piece of chicken did get flame-kissed for about a second.

Almost all of the chips are in a coating on the outside of the charcoal as best as I can tell. If the coals were ashed over there probably wasn't any wood smoke left. I'm not convinced the problem with the cook was the charcoal.

[Thunder77]

So you are saying the problem with the cook is the cook, then?? 😜

[ecowper]

They don't mix the mesquite chips in the entire briquette? That's silly, what's the point?

[Thunder77]

Perhaps I just am not a big fan of mesquite. As I noted in my original post, I liked it very much in a 50/50 mix with KBB.

[RonB]

Thunder77 - how are you with bitter foods/beer? You may have the Bitter Gene, (I do). If you have it, you do not like bitter foods at least to some degree.

[Thunder77]

Can't stand IPAs. The worst beer in the world to me. 👎🏻👎🏻

[Potkettleblack]

Amen on the IPAs.

[RonB]

There is a way to measure the bitterness of beer. It's called the International Bitterness Unit and it goes from 0 to 100. I prefer 20 or less, but can drink beers that go up to 30. I'll drink water before I drink an IPA.

[David Parrish]

Perhaps I just am not a big fan of mesquite. As I noted in my original post, I liked it very much in a 50/50 mix with KBB.

Nah I'm not saying it was the cook or the mesquite that was the problem. I know you're a good cook and your description of what you did sounds fine... and I have really never noticed the mesquite doing much of anything as far as flavor.


Possibly it's because you cooked chicken. Chicken can be oversmoked pretty easily. And it could have been charcoal smoke.

I'd like you to try the Kingsford Professional out and see what you think. It's the same as the lump but without the wood chips.

[Thunder77]

I will try the Professional briquettes if I can find them.

[Medusa]

So, I just picked up a bag of RO to add some lump to the KBB for a Pizza bake. I will be doing a small brisket flat ( 2lb) on Sat. Rig is a 22.5 Weber with SnS.

I've always used KBB and have very good temp control, but I'd like to see if I'd like cooking with lump, too. Traditionally I start off with 12 lit coals and fill the SnS basket wtih a chimney of unlit - like instructions say.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

--Ed

P.S.

I just decided that I'm going to run a calibration

[Medusa]

I just decided that I'm going to run a calibration

Well I started clocking the grate temp at 0639. Feel pretty confident I can put the cooker at any temp range and keep it under control. Nothing beats a dry run to really find out what's really going on with your cooker. Should be pretty much set and forget tomorrow. I'm going to follow Aaron Franklin's instructions and see what it takes to push it through the stall. Since this is only a 2 lb flat that I'm cooking up for later on, I don't have any time frame for serving. Going to keep it at the 230's to 250's but can push it up into the 270's if needed. Couldn't find unfinished butcher wrap on the shelves in Kroger or Publix - hmmm?? I can always ask my butcher directly, tho.

Happy Cooking to All!

--Ed