BBQ Lump coal choices!

[Molalla1]

Sorry bout that... yeah charring your own 'sweet' wood is the best! If I can ever retire I could see it as yet another time consuming hobby! Hope you are faring well these smoky days. We are getting just about enough smoke in the air here that I don't need to use my Traeger!

Just hang the meat on the back porch for awhile. :laughing:

 

[dragoneggs]

Just hang the meat on the back porch for awhile. :laughing:

No kidding! Jeez is it ever brown outside. Was just outside staring straight at the sun and can barely make it out. Worse than the Beijing in the winter when they are burning coal for heat. Never thought I would see something as bad as that and now it is here in my own backyard!

 

[Molalla1]

No kidding! Jeez is it ever brown outside. Was just outside staring straight at the sun and can barely make it out. Worse than the Beijing in the winter when they are burning coal for heat. Never thought I would see something as bad as that and now it is here in my own backyard!

You are lucky that you can see the sun, can not see it here . . . but I am sure that I can hang some meat outside and it would be smoked to perfection. :licking:

 

[Molalla1]

Evidently Porland and Seattle are swaping places for the worst air on our planet.

 

[CADplans]

I did not think anything was better than Kingsford,, then,,

for my birthday, (this past July) my daughter picked up a bag of hickory chunks at Walmart,,
She spent almost $20, on that little bag, pieces of hickory between golf ball and tennis ball sized..
I added three pieces to my next grillin',,,
WOW, everybody commented about the hickory flavor,, it is dramatic,, on steaks, or even burgers..

They worked so good, I had to go find a downed hickory tree, so that I could make my own.

From what my daughter paid Walmart, I estimate I have about $400 worth of hickory to get me through the winter.

BUT, that is just a side note,, since I have DIYed the hickory, I have decided to DIY the charcoal, also.
There must be a hundred YouTube videos showing how to DIY charcoal.

COST? an old barrel, a little chainsaw fuel, and a little time.

SURELY, DIY charcoal would taste better than any of the store bought??

You know it is pure oak charcoal, you put it in the barrel.
Some of the videos show them makin' a LOT of charcoal, in a little time,,:thumbsup:

 

[Ford850]

I think the lower cost options are more likely to have smaller pieces and crumbs. I was at Menards last night and noticed they were out or Royal Oak but had Frontier brand in stock. They carry either/both here, and they cost the same at $5.97 for 10 lbs. With their constant 11% rebates that get's the price down to $0.53 per lb and a great deal for someone who wants to take the first step experimenting with lump.

 

[Ford850]

I use lump occasionally but rely on Kingsford briquets most of the time. But I add cherry or hickory wood chunks, just one at a time and rarely more than 2 for any one meal. When cutting firewood I save a hickory and cherry log occasionally. Then I cut a few disks off each log, maybe 1 1/2" thick. I store them inside so they are nice and dry, and split them into small chunks to have ready as needed. A single 1" or 2" chunk tossed on the hot coals when I put the meat on the grill smokes heavy for a bit adding plenty of flavor. If the BBQ is lower and slower, I add a second chunk a half hour into the cook and add another layer of smoke.

 

[5030]

Briquets have way too many 'other ingredients' in them, some are detrimental to your digestive system too.

B&B for me or Walmart house brand and take the 'crumbs' from the bottom of the sack and spread them on the burning chunks after they get dumped out of the chimney starter. Being a purist I only use that and a couple sheets of wadded up newsprint to light the lump charcoal.

I too 'recycle' the unburt charcoal. Doing elk backstraps this evening btw.

 

[Molalla1]

Briquets have way too many 'other ingredients' in them, some are detrimental to your digestive system too.

B&B for me or Walmart house brand and take the 'crumbs' from the bottom of the sack and spread them on the burning chunks after they get dumped out of the chimney starter. Being a purist I only use that and a couple sheets of wadded up newsprint to light the lump charcoal.

I too 'recycle' the unburt charcoal. Doing elk backstraps this evening btw.[/QUOTE]

:licking: the best . . .

 

[alexebdra453]

Thank you for this message. I've been using Royal Oak for years, and needless to say, I've always liked it. I haven't been able to find it here lately, so last time I bought the Hickory B&B Premium. I found the big chunks that caused me some worry, but in the long run, it burns better and gets hotter than the Royal Oak. I light mine in the Weber chimney thingy, and it wasn't a problem.
actually I am looking for electric smoker bbq stories.