Best of the West: anyone have experience with this lump charcoal?

[forluvofsmoke]

I don't recall seeing this brand before, and I'm wondering what your thoughts are, as I'm considering using this mesquite lump instead of briqs for certain smokes (butts and other stronger flavored meats).

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/nav...867&pCatg=1795

For the price, and what I'm reading about lump user's results, I'd really love to give it a shot. Kingsford blue bag has major ash build-up, and my understanding is that lump has a hotter burn and far less ash.

Please, let me know, good bad or indifferent...

Thanks

Eric

 

[chefrob]

for the $$ it is decent.......i have found small rocks in the basket when done but like i said for the $$. there were some pretty big pieces and they were round branches from a tree so i actually liked it better than RO.

 

[rbranstner]

Check out www.nakedwhiz.com for all kinds of info on lump wood. It looks like it gets a pretty good rating.

 

[keithace]

i can get a 20lb bag for 8.99 at albertsons...good price for 40 lbs...

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Cool! Thanks, I did check out the reviews on nakedwhiz...it scored a bit low, but for the money I decided I'll go ahead and give it test run.

My next day's off work, I'm hoping to have a butt or 2 and a nice brisket to burn on the SNP...my wife's gotta have more burnt ends, of course! LOL!!!

The review stated a good amount of mesquite odor while burning, and a few pieces that were not fully carbonized, so I'll check it out when I get ready for a burn...if it's like they said, I'll just skip the smoke woods and find out where it takes me.

I've not had the opportunity to burn lump yet, so it should be a fun ride, anyway! If this works out well for me, I'll be burning Briquettes only when I don't want a mesquite flavored smoke. Then, if I can find a source for other hardwood lump...OK, wait...I may be able to get my hands on cottonwood to make lump with...hmm...I've already checked out methods for carbonizing woods. I think I'm about to embark on another fun adventure!

Thanks again!

Eric

 

[chefrob]

i don't always agree with those reviews.........dump out the 40# bagin a wheelbarrel and see what you get. that's what i do.........

 

[pit 4 brains]

I didn't see a price in the link but I get the same bag at Smart n Final here in Az for about 15.00 a bag. I like it alot. It does spark when it is lighting and adding it during the cook can add alot of white stuff to the cooking chamber. When i do have to add, I like to have it pre-lit... Good coal imho though.

 

[skwerl]

Stay away from cotton wood, crap wood, stink smoke.

 

[thunderdome]

It's good mesquite and well worth the price.

Hard to manage this on the UDS for me because of the size, but works flawlessly on my stick burner.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

After burning a brisky and 2 butts, and having eaten on the leftovers off and on since then, I have noticed a strong smoke flavor from the mesquite lump. My wife mentioned it right away, but I didn't notice it until a few days later. I did burn up about 2/3 to 3/4 of the 40# bag on this smoke in my modded SNP, and I do like mesquite on occasion for my primary smoke wood with butts or beef, so the flavor is nothing new, it just was rather strong.

Ash content is very low compared to briqs, so it was pretty easy to keep a hot fire burning. Also, the size of the pieces had a very broad range (1" to 3-4lbrs, and everything between), which I think is actually a good thing, so no complaints from me on that.

I think this would be a great lump for grilling, or to use for smoke as a supplement for mesquite wood, otherwise it does give a strong flavor when burned as the sole fuel for a long smoke as I did here:
http://smokingmeatforums.com/forums/...ad.php?t=91225

I still have a lot of smaller pieces of lump left from that smoke, and will use them in conjunction with briqs sometime soon for a grilling session...I know that will make for very good eating.

Overall, I think if this were used to add smoke flavoring with oak lump or charcoal briquettes, say about 15% or less of the total fuel burned, then that would be right on the money.

I'll play with it some more for sure, as just the ash reduction in the SFB is a major plus, and I think for grilling, especially with briqs, would be a dynamite combination.

Thanks for the responses, folks!


Eric

 

[coyote]

for the price I stock up on the stuff. and mesquite does burn a little hotter.
I like to look the stuff over as it comes out of the bag to ensure there is no F.O.'s in it. a friend found a glass bottle in a bag. heck if they make a brazillion tons of lump and find a couple F.O.'s in it, not bad.

it's much easier then tearing apart oak pallets.lol.