Upgrading to better lump charcoal?

[radshop]

I didn't want to hijack the thread started by Michael_in_TX , but the comment SmokeyGator made about Fogo got me thinking. 90% of the lump I've used has been Cowboy from Costco, and the other 10% Royal Oak from Walmart. I still use briquettes sometimes, too, but I've come to prefer lump (at first I typed "lump has grown on me" but that sounds like a whole different thread for a whole different forum).

Anyhow... I'm now considering the upgrade to get more consistent sizing, less powder, and fewer rocks. I checked it out, and there's a BBQ Galore a mile from me that has Fogo Premium ($1.14/lb) and Fogo Super Premium ($1.70/lb). They also have their store brand ($1.35/lb). And then they have Big Green Egg lump, but they don't list the price of that online.

Compared to less than $0.75/lb for Cowboy, there's definitely a step up in price. But it won't break the bank for a bag or 2 to try it. Anyone have thoughts on the pros/cons of any of the varieties listed? What would you try first? What should I expect?

[Mr. Bones]

I'm lookin forward to both th answers ya receive, an yer results...not experienced with lump, much; only some partial bags that come with CL cooker purchases...

But, learnin is what my brain does best, so, let's roll!

[Attjack]

Bad lump is bad news. I have not used a lot of high end lump but I do appreciate the decent stuff. I don't buy cowboy any more.

[FireMan]

I don’t use a lot of lump, but when I do I use Jealous Devil. It does all the right things right. Not as much mess in the bag, the size is ok, no huge chunks, lights fast & low ash. Have used Cowboy, no more. Ditto on Royal Oak. The JD is about 33 a bag, but you can get two 20’s for approx 54 dinero on Zon.

PS. Harry Soo likes the stuff too.

[fzxdoc]

I've used B&B Lump from Walmart once in my WSCGC in kamado mode. I had a tough time keeping the temps solid (certainly compared to Weber or KBB briquettes) , but figured it was just my learning curve. The quality of the lump, though, was really nice. Not too much powder and no scary stuff at the bottom of the bag. My local Walmart started carrying B&B lump last year.

Kathryn

[Attjack]

I got a bag of B&B recently and really liked the quality.

[JeffJ]

I've used Royal Oak, a couple of brands that I can't even remember the name of, Western, B&B and Kamado Joe big lump.
Of that group I'd put RO at the bottom. Too much powder. I've heard good things about B&B and found it at Walmart for $12 for a 20 pound bag. I picked up 2 bags and am not impressed after a couple of cooks. It's not bad by any stretch, it just doesn't separate itself from the others. The Kamado Joe big lump did impress. Very much so. The problem is it's $25 for a 20 pound bag. From what I've read FOGO is the Rolls Royce of lump charcoal.

[Oak Smoke]

I use Rockwood or B&B lump. Good lump is light weight, 2 pounds is a fair sized pile. I'm paying about a dollar a pound for good lump. If it cost me 2 or 3 dollars for a long cook I'm good with it. There is a noticeable difference when you use well carbonized, decent sized lump compared to the cheap stuff. If I see Fogo super premium in a store I will try it.

[rharman]

Keep trying different brands, I went through all sorts before I settled on Dragon's Breath. It has good heat and works quite well. Still has some rocks, but buying the expensive stuff doesn't always work. I tired one (don't remember the brand) and found half a brick in it.

[OmegaDog12]

I guess that I'm the outlier, but I've had good success with Royal Oak XL (the large lump RO sold at WallyWorld). To be transparent, I also got a Kick Ash Basket. It might be the basket, it might be the RO XL. I tried Cowboy Charcoal and IMHO, I agree with all said about it on this thread. Try The NakedWhiz.com for some good reviews . Good Luck!
The OmegaDog

[JoeSousa]

I am a big fan of the Kamado Joe Big Block XL. Some of the chunks are huge and most are medium size or above. All the Cowboy I have used has always had way to much dust and shards in it and not enough usable pieces.

Whenever there is a Kamado Joe roadshow at Costco I pick up a couple bags. I think it is $20 for a 40 lb bag? Something fairly reasonable like that anyway. Here is a schedule of the roadshows: https://www.costco.com/kamado-joe-schedule.html so you can see when there is one in your area.

I don't use a lot of lump charcoal but I do like having some around for the times I want to use it.

[mountainsmoker]

I'm with Mr. Bones. After all my years of smoking and grilling I have little experience with lump, so am waiting for your results. My experience is that it does burn hotter and is less conform in size. Other than that nothing.

[Chuck in Charlotte]

I used to use Royal Oak almost all the time because it was inexpensive and most of the bags were OK. Now that I've started using B&B I won't go back. B7B has way less ash, burns hotter and has better sized pieces. It takes longer to light, but that's rarely an issue for me. I also love the Kamado Joe lump and Rockwood, but they're both too expensive for every-day use.

[SmokeyGator]

Big green egg buys their lump from royal oak. The larger chunks go to BGE, everything else is royal oak.

As for Fogo, both the premium and super premium are from the same place. El Salvador. The super premium are the larger chunks, the premium is everything else. You will still get dust and tiny pieces, there is no way to completely avoid that. But you get less of it than other brands and (so far) no rocks. And no chunks that look suspiciously like scrap lumber, complete with router cuts for tongue and groove joinery. Frontier lump. I’m looking at you.

Anyhow the super premium will have LARGE chunks. So fewer lumps per bag, but they burn hot (larger chunks means more airflow) and they burn a long time. But the regular premium is good stuff too. I get either, depending on what is in a 17 pound or greater bag. Lately that is the super premium, the place I go to only stocks the smaller bags of fogo premium.

The difference you will notice (besides monster size chunks) is a long burn time. Less refilling of the firebox. More cooks per bag. No rocks. That sort of thing.

[radshop]

That's some astute and funny analysis there - thanks!

[radshop]

This is great info. I worked all day and scrambled to get to the grocery and back to cook dinner for some friends coming over, so I never made it the ONE WHOLE MILE to the BBQ Galore. Maybe tomorrow - hope springs eternal. I did check online and found that Walmart around here does not stock the B&B that a lot of folks like.

[leol2]

I get Blues Hog lump from big poppas for $27 a bag. Buy $75 worth and shipping is usually free. Nice mix and not too much dust.