re: charcoal type for big green egg

Just get Royal Oak. 3 paper towels wadded up, and dipped on vegetable oil is all the starter you need

quote:

---

Got the Lump Loyalist in a tizzy I see

---

1) I didn't post this, but i agree with that statement.
2) You're giving a new kamado owner bad advice. There is a reason every kamado grill manual says "DO NOT USE BRIQUETTES".
3) I didn't realize you grouped people together as "lump loyalist" or "not lump loyalist". Sounds like a weird thing to create teams for, but you do you.

quote:

---

Which part? That not all sizes of lump are the same or that they burn hotter? Literally everything I've said in this thread can be supported by a very easy Google search. Serious Eats Article

---

Neither. It's your inference that lump can't burn low and slow for long cooks. That's demonstrably false. It has nothing to do with the coal and everything to do with airflow, in terms of being able to do low and slow cooks.

quote:

---

If your brisket is taking less than 12 hours you're either A) cooking a fairly small brisket or B) not cooking low and slow.

---

The largest i can cook on my KJ was about a 15 lb brisket. I don't remember the exact size. The old rule of thumb is 1.5 hr/lb of brisket. I've NEVER been able to got that long while smoking between 225-250. Trust me, i've tried because i thought i was doing something wrong when every cook is much quicker than what the books or experts say. Why? Because of the insulation factor of the kamado.

quote:

---

Ceramic coolers retain heat incredibly well, but one of the drawbacks of that is that you end up cooking the meat from the radiant heat instead of the fire. .

---

Isn't that the case for smoking in general? You don't want to direct fire if you are smoking. Offsets are made for that reason. With a KJ, you use heat deflectors. Maybe barrel smokers are different but i've never used one, outside of an electric one i had many years ago.

quote:

---

And it's more difficult to lower the temp after you've overshot as the ceramic also needs to cool

---

My process, is i try to get my coals going first, then add my wood, then add the deflector plates, grates. If you overshoot initially thats fine, because the ceramic plates and grates have to heat up for a few more minutes. And then when you add the meat, the radiant heat readout from your thermometer may drop again.

quote:

---

Your ash catcher is meant to be cleaned out, regardless of what fuel source or type of cooker you use.....

---

No shite? Damn you're condescending.

I have a kick ash basket and i clean it out before every cook as well as occasionally do burn cleans in my KJ. I am well aware that you must clean out the catcher and even take apart the grill occasionally and get the shop vac out. However, using briquettes, a full cleanout will likely be more frequent and i've read there is credence to what another poster said about the chemicals used to make the briqs. I used briqs 1 time on my KJ and it was because i ran out of lump, A) it was a struggle to get up to temp and B) it made for a very dirty cook (grilling not smoking). If YOU want to use briqs, go for it, but i would advise the OP to not use briquettes if you don't want potential issues down the road. It's an expensive grilling setup. Why would you treat it like a kettle grill?

quote:

---

At the end of the day it's your preference. As someone who's cooked through hundreds of bags of charcoal I just gave my 2¢.

---

You are correct, it is user preference, and someone who has also cooked through hundreds of bags of charcoal, i've given my preference.

Thread i made in 2020 ranking lump charcoal based on experience and personal preference

Apologies for coming across as condescending, truly wasn't my intention. Just wanted to share what I thought was common knowledge for the pro's and con's of lump and briquettes since I think they both have their place.

quote:

---

Neither. It's your inference that lump can't burn low and slow for long cooks. That's demonstrably false. It has nothing to do with the coal and everything to do with airflow, in terms of being able to do low and slow cooks.

---

I see. I only meant that larger pieces of lump can cause spikes in temperature as they ignite unless you adjust your airflow to compensate. This is less of a concern on ceramic cookers since they act as giant heat sinks. In an overnight cook with briquettes vs lump (ie without waking up to adjust airflow) and using a temp probe to trend temps, you'll see more stable temps on briquettes at lower temps.

quote:

---

Isn't that the case for smoking in general? You don't want to direct fire if you are smoking.

---

I meant the radiant heat from the ceramic itself. I find that I get less smoke taste using my ceramic smokers since the meat will cook faster vs it cooking from the indirect smoke/heat. The excellent insulation allows it to act similar to an oven as it's incredibly fuel efficient.

quote:

---

Thread i made in 2020 ranking lump charcoal based on experience and personal preference

---

Ah - yes I remember that thread. Nice work. Even in that thread it highlights what I was originally trying to say - many people are brand loyal.

Anyways, I should have known better than to give an opinion on the F&D board.

Always used charcoal with Mesquite wood.