As we head into the Memorial Day weekend the "official" start of cookout season, I thought I'd ask what you guys all used in your charcoal grills and smokers?

I'm a big fan of Stubb's All-Natural Briquettes, but they seem really hard to come by this year for some reason. Lowes usually has skids piled with the stuff, but this year so far very little and I only managed to find one bag of it after going to multiple locations. It's a little pricey compared to plain old blue bag Kingsford, but it burns nice and hot and makes minimal ash where the Kingsford makes a lot:



I use lump charcoal too and like this PA-produced lump called Humphrey's. Unlike some brands of lump where I'll find a million golf ball sized pieces and rocks and other junk, this stuff is clean and nice sized chunks usually:



So, what do you guys like?

When I dutch oven cook I use Kingsford. Cooking in the grill, it's lump, usually what ever lump I can find.

I am old and set in my ways and still use Kingsford.

Amazon has it at $28 a bag , Walmart dot com shows discontinued, however my lowes shows 21 bags in stock, $7.99 a bag.

https://www.amazon.com/Stubbs-...iquets/dp/B006OD7E06

Kingsford briquettes, in a classic Weber, work well for me.

I may try the Weber briquettes this year if the Stubbs continues to be hard to find and I'll be dammed if I'm paying $28 for a bag of it from Amazon when it's $9 at Lowes.

Kamado Joe Big Block. It's made of Quebracho and Mistol from Argentina.

Kingsford Blue has worked for me for decades. I can always find it on sale close by. Lowes usually has 2 18 lb. bags on sale for $10 just before a holiday weekend. I have about 60 lb. on hand so I haven't checked it out for this weekend.

Jim

LUMP:

Wicked Good lump is awesome. Hot, clean, low ash, and very litte fines. Available thru Ace Hardware, and better BBQ suppliers.

Grove brand lump is almost as good as Wicked Good, and less expensive. Downsides are more variety in sizing, making packing a charcoal basket for a Minion Method more challenging, and it's possibly more difficult to find outside of the Midwest.

Cowboy lump HAD been the butt of many jokes over the years, for foreign material in the bags, TONS of crushed fines in the bags, and off flavors as well as lots of sparks and pops during lighting. That said, they've REALLY upped their game in the last couple years, and I don't hesitate to use it anymore.

B&B lump is another widely available, consistently decent product.



BRIQUETTES:

Stubbs was great, but 1) Walmart stopped carrying it, 2) it's gotten a little more ashy and stinky over the years.

Kingsford Blue Bag uses fillers and binders, and has an off smell unless it's totally ashed over. I'll use it for quick grilling or for a base in my stickburner, but not for reverse sears, Minion or Snake Method smoking. Their better K-Comp is great, but expensive.

Weber 100% Natural Briquettes are also great, but expensive.

Trader Joe's had/has a pretty decent 100% hardwood briq.

Royal Oak has a 100% hardwood briquette now that's cheap and readily available. No off flavors, and a good consistent burn. I use it fairly often.

My favorite briquette is Royal Oak Chef's Select 100% Hardwood Briquettes. $23 for a HUGE 40# bag thru Do-It-Best hardware stores; free ship to store.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Kingsford Blue has worked for me for decades.

It's changed over the past couple years; the briquettes themselves have gotten smaller and lighter and they produce way more ash. I'm hearing on BBQ forums and FB pages that it may be due to Kingsford trying to use more filler in their briquettes than actual ground charcoal to save money.

Another vote for Wicked Good lump charcoal. I get it at Ace hardware. Stuff is awesome in my Big Green Egg.

i make my own in the old country smoker.
When I finish smoking a brisket I load the top rack of the fire box with oak log rounds[3 inch biscuits ].
Fill the thing up as much as possible[5 gallon bucket full].
Takes several hours and I have to spray water occasionally to kill fire.
All damper are closed so it just smolders for hours.
When cool in a day or so its put in a bucket for the next cook.

any sort of lump product is what I'll buy. I used to get the kingsford competition stuff if it was all I could find.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Kingsford Blue has worked for me for decades. I can always find it on sale close by. Lowes usually has 2 18 lb. bags on sale for $10 just before a holiday weekend. I have about 60 lb. on hand so I haven't checked it out for this weekend.

Jim

on sale now at Lowes and HD

Royal Oak lump

It's nothing at all like the Kingsford and similar briquet crap I had used for decades. I wouldn't use it to start a leaf fire now.....

Last time I used Royal Oak Lump, I found a large piece of the corner of a roofing shingle and two large pieces of furring strips.

quote:

Originally posted by k5blazer:
Last time I used Royal Oak Lump, I found a large piece of the corner of a roofing shingle and two large pieces of furring strips.

That's hilarious. I've had some pieces drop out that are as big as a pizza box or still a round log, but never that!

I buy the Egg brand. It's a little spendy, but I like it and it works.

I've considered making my own lump, but oak is a little hard to come by around these parts.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
I buy the Egg brand. It's a little spendy, but I like it and it works.

I've considered making my own lump, but oak is a little hard to come by around these parts.

I use the Big Green Egg lump as well. Have been using it for 18 years and it burns even and is dependable. I have tried a couple other brands with mixed results.

I went from:
BGE -good stuff but I don't like the price.
to Lazzari- pretty good but I have to cross town for it.
to Full Circle- carried at my local place but in only 8.8 lb bags.
They also now carry Cowboy which, as someone else mentioned, has improved their game.