Charcoal Consumption....just curious

[7x57mm]

So a friend of mine asks me how much charcoal I use in a year. I go through about 8 to 10 Home Depot 2 pack, 18+ pound bags per year (I'm on track this year to blow that number away thanks to the ARPC ) Said friend was astounded that I go through "so much" charcoal. My guess, I use very little by comparison to the hardcore smokers and grillers on this site. How much charcoal do you big league-rs go through?

[RonB]

I never tried to figure how much I use, but my consumption has gone waaaay up since I joined the Pit.

[DWCowles]

Maybe 2-3 bags this year since I used the Lang more than the kettles.

[LA Pork Butt]

I only use lump on my Kamado, and I guess I have been through 4 1/2 15 # bags since April. I cook two or three times a week, and this includes 4 - 12 + hour cooks an a half a dozen 4 - 6 hour cooks. The rest has been a combination of 10 to 20 minute grilling and 1 hour plus roasting.

[Jerod Broussard]

No idea. I would like to drive over to B & B and pick up a pallet of their hardwood briquettes to get a better idea of my consumption rate.

[Histrix]

I only use about 5 bags of lump and 5 bags of Kingsford each year. Hardly a "big league" bbq-er.

However, since I got my Karubecue a few months ago I expect my charcoal usage will show a dramatic decrease going forward.

[ecowper]

From Father's Day until now I've been through 4 bags of KBB and 2 bags of Kingsford Professional.

[David Parrish]

Dozens?

[JeffJ]

A lot.

[Huskee]

I seem to use a big bag a month, give or take. I cook an average of twice a week- some weeks 4 times, some weeks none. I use the SnS, which helps considerably cut down the amount of charcoal used (one chimney's worth on a typical rib cook, and about 2 on a typical brisket cook.) Some larger cooks (or when I feel like it) I use my stickburner and I use about a half chimney there to start the fire. I think folks who use the PBC or WSMs regularly will go through much more charcoal.

[ecowper]

Totally agree Huskee ... Actually, I've been cooking solely on a Hasty-Bake for about 6 years now ... Which means I've been the guy looking for sales on charcoal bags and buying lots of bags when on sale. That said, I want to know how many bags a month Paul from the RibsList buys!

[Huskee]

ecowper I think that equation involves exponents....

[ecowper]

Pretty sure Paul uses more bags in one day than I use in one month.... And that's saying something

[JeffJ]

I probably average 2.5 weeknight dinners per week in the kettle plus a low/slow once every 3 weeks or so. For the low/slow I am either using a kettle (22 or 26) + SnS or a 14.5 WSM. All 3 are charcoal misers so I really get bang for the buck on long cooks.

[7x57mm]

I hear ya! Most of my cooks are roasting...fish, chicken, steak, pork etc...I eat a lot of chicken When it is hot outside, I will grill every night as I hate to heat up the house with firing up the oven....and, I just like the smell of smoke on my clothes

[ecowper]

7x57mm I hate heating up the house on hot summer nights. And I like to pretend that my charcoal costs less than running my stove

[ecowper]

I think my normal usage is 4 of the 18.6 lb bags of Kingsford every month on average. A bit less in the winter, a bit more in the summer, but I run through about 80 pounds of charcoal every month. And I am just cooking for my family, mostly. Nothing extravagant like Paul the Ribs List guy

[Obi-Dan]

That's a lot of charcoal. I will use this as a reference point when my wife complains about how much I'm buying when is on sale.

[ecowper]

But it is pretty when you are burning charcoal, right?