# What NOT to use - Cowboy Lump



## alexhortdog95 (Mar 28, 2011)

So, as others have seen on another post, I've just made a coal basket and some other mods to my CG smoker.  The unfortunate thing I have to deal with is that there's only one place around Omaha that sells any other brand of lump other than Cowboy - and they were out.

So I had to bite the bullet.

I got the lump, and was satisfied with the burn.  When my smoker had cooled, I went to go clean out the basket, and found this:














Yes, folks, that IS a piece of METAL!!!

Thankfully, I didn't have any meat on the smoker when this happened.  So I sent Cowboy an email about it, letting them know how upset I was:

_To: [email protected]
Subject: COMPLAINT!!!
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:14:51 -0500

.ExternalClass .ecxhmmessage P{padding:0px;}.ExternalClass body.ecxhmmessage{font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;}	To whom it may concern:
 
I purchased a bag of your Cowboy Lump Hardwood Charcoal about a month ago.  I got it from a local vendor here.  The bag was not damaged, and it was full of very large pieces of lump.
 
I reviewed your lump charcoal on a website that specializes in lump charcoal.  I saw that it was rated average at best, but I still decided to try the lump since the review was very old.
 
I did a burn on some of your lump today, and found a piece of METAL IN THE LUMP.
 
I am very concerned about this, and would like to know what you are doing to resolve this?  The review on the website I read was a couple of years old, but it seemed that they had the EXACT SAME ISSUE back in 2007 with your charcoal.
 
Very Irate and Angry,
 
Alex _

_Omaha Nebraska
 
P.S. - I will be sending you photos of the piece of metal I found in my bag of charcoal.  This is very VERY UNACCEPTABLE!!!_
 
 

So then, I waited for a response.  A few days went by, and I got nothing.  So I sent this:

_*Sent:* Thursday, March 24, 2011 11:05 AM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* RE: COMPLAINT!!!_

_Dear CowboyCharcoal,
 
I still have as of yet to receive any kind of a correspondence from you about the foreign matter I found in the bag of Cowboy Charcoal.  I am awaiting a response to my inquiry.
 
Thank you.
 
Alex
Omaha, Nebraska_

The next day, I got this back in return:

_From: [email protected]
Subject: RE: COMPLAINT!!!
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:45:46 -0500_
 

_.ExternalClass .ecxshape{;}	.ExternalClass p.ecxMsoNormal, .ExternalClass li.ecxMsoNormal, .ExternalClass div.ecxMsoNormal{margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';}.ExternalClass a:link, .ExternalClass span.ecxMsoHyperlink{color:blue;text-decoration:underline;}.ExternalClass a:visited, .ExternalClass span.ecxMsoHyperlinkFollowed{color:purple;text-decoration:underline;}.ExternalClass p{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';}.ExternalClass span.ecxEmailStyle18{font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';color:#1F497D;}.ExternalClass .ecxMsoChpDefault{font-size:10.0pt;}@page Section1{size:8.5in 11.0in;}.ExternalClass div.ecxSection1{page:Section1;}	_

_Alex,_

_  _

_We apologize for your poor experience with our product. Please know that no metal should ever be in a bag of our charcoal. This is something that we will immediately address with our production staff at our plant._

_  _

_Please send me your address so we can send you a $20 rebate check for your troubles._

_  _

_Once again, please accept our apology._

_  _

_Thanks,_

_Stephen_

_  _

_Stephen Heiman_

_Sales and Marketing Manager_

_Cowboy Charcoal, LLC._

_P.O. Box 3770_

_Brentwood, TN 37024_

_(615) 661-6882_

_www.cowboycharcoal.com_

_[email protected]_

I'll let you all know if I get the twenty bucks.  All I'm going to do is spend it on some Fire King.  That piece of metal could have poisoned me and my family.


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## sqwib (Mar 28, 2011)

Looks like Galvanized to me, any rust on it?


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## SmokinAl (Mar 28, 2011)

I bought Cowboy lump 1 time & was unimpressed, I think RO is much better.


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## metal man (Mar 28, 2011)

I have not tried the Cowboy lump myself yet. But i have read many bad reviews on it. That's why i have steered clear of it so far. I almost always use the Royal Oak Lump but i have in the past ( twice) dug a piece of what looked like concrete out of the bottom of my grill after using the RO. And i have a buddy that done the same thing. Looks like quality control might be a bit low with both of them.


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## stircrazy (Mar 28, 2011)

is the cowboy lumb in the US different than what we get in Canada?  I have gone through 6 bags of it and never found anything wrong with it myself.

Steve


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## rbranstner (Mar 28, 2011)

I have used a few bags and I'm not a big fan. I have never found any stuff in my bags but I have heard of similar stories to yours.


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## realtorterry (Mar 28, 2011)

I have also had to use it a few times & NOT a fan! try going to wally world they usually have RO in stock


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## rp ribking (Mar 28, 2011)

I have been getting the 20lb bags of cowboy lump lately and have not found any funny stuff in the bags.


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## irie (Mar 28, 2011)

No offense or anything but is this really that big of a deal? all things considered im sure they get the wood they process from various sources and im sure some of them do a better job sorting out crap like that than others do. Now I do not personally use cowboy charcoal so I don't know how frequent this occurs but I will say on more than one occasion I have found rocks in my bags of Royal oak lump.... I can understand being upset if you found something like that in every bag of charcoal you buy but is it really worth getting that upset about? Did it cause you any harm? Did you smoker spontaneously combust because of this???

Think about it like this, how many tens if not hundreds of thousands of bags of charcoal do they sell a year? Probably quite a few... if it was really that common of a problem im sure we would have heard about it by now. Its unfortunate you were one of the unlucky ones but crying about it on the internet isnt going to solve your problem. Just buy a different brand next time or switch to briquettes. I have a feeling its a piece of aluminum because I would assume they run this stuff under a magnet prior to packaging.


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## porked (Mar 28, 2011)

I've used both, RO beats the Cowboy brand easily. Never found any problems with the contents of either brand. Of course I just don't dump it in either, I grab some with both hands and fill the basket, so I would have seen any metal or boogeymen in there.


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## alexhortdog95 (Mar 29, 2011)

irie said:


> No offense or anything but is this really that big of a deal? all things considered im sure they get the wood they process from various sources and im sure some of them do a better job sorting out crap like that than others do. Now I do not personally use cowboy charcoal so I don't know how frequent this occurs but I will say on more than one occasion I have found rocks in my bags of Royal oak lump.... I can understand being upset if you found something like that in every bag of charcoal you buy but is it really worth getting that upset about? Did it cause you any harm? Did you smoker spontaneously combust because of this???
> 
> Think about it like this, how many tens if not hundreds of thousands of bags of charcoal do they sell a year? Probably quite a few... if it was really that common of a problem im sure we would have heard about it by now. Its unfortunate you were one of the unlucky ones but crying about it on the internet isnt going to solve your problem. Just buy a different brand next time or switch to briquettes. I have a feeling its a piece of aluminum because I would assume they run this stuff under a magnet prior to packaging.


None taken.  Let me answer....

First - they have a claim on their website that says the following:

 _"All-Natural 100% Charcoal, no coal, no fillers or chemicals!"_

Plywood, rocks, and pieces of metal are what I would call fillers.

Second - before I posted anything on this forum, the first person I contacted *was the company.  *As you can see in my email, all I wanted was an explanation of how a piece of metal from Lord knows where got into my bag of charcoal that I paid for.  I'm not saying anybody is perfect, and mistakes are made.  That's all I was seeking from the company, and I wanted them to know I wasn't happy with the product I received, as it's my very first bag of Cowboy.  In posting on this forum, I've seen many a poster pine AGAINST Cowboy....but I was willing to give them a chance.  I wasn't seeking any kind of refund, I just wanted an answer as a consumer.

Next - I choose not to wait until my smoker "spontaneously combusts," or it causes anybody any harm.  I'm putting food into my smoker.  If this were just firewood or something that would burn outside I wouldn't care, but I'm placing my food into the smoker with this stuff.  I'd like to trust that there's no foreign matter in the wood that would harm me.

Also, I posted this on the forum to give feedback on the project I had undertaken, and this is one of the results of that project.

Most importantly - I have a beautiful wife and two lovely daughters, and the idea of me accidently poisioning them with some kind of unknown metal doesn't sit very well with me.  Thankfully, I was testing the mods out on my smoker before hand and caught this.  I could care less if it were steel, rubber, gold, silver, or whatever - *it shouldn't be in there, plain and simple.*


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## irie (Mar 29, 2011)

I think it might be time to switch to a more processed fuel source, perhaps propane? I hate to say it but I think the presence of foreign objects in lump charcoal probably occurs far more frequently then you would care to know. Fortunately the likelihood of you being poisoned by something that survived being carbonized is probably slim to none. In fact I would go as far to say that you are more like to be killed by carbon monoxide poisoning while operating your smoker than by an over sized piece of aluminum foil that managed to find its way into your charcoal.

I respect the fact that you are concerned about your families health I just think its a bit silly to get this bent out of shape over something in your charcoal when your saturating your food with smoke and then wrapping it in more metal....


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## alexhortdog95 (Mar 29, 2011)

irie said:


> I think it might be time to switch to a more processed fuel source, perhaps propane? I hate to say it but I think the presence of foreign objects in lump charcoal probably occurs far more frequently then you would care to know. Fortunately the likelihood of you being poisoned by something that survived being carbonized is probably slim to none. In fact I would go as far to say that you are more like to be killed by carbon monoxide poisoning while operating your smoker than by an over sized piece of aluminum foil that managed to find its way into your charcoal.
> 
> I respect the fact that you are concerned about your families health I just think its a bit silly to get this bent out of shape over something in your charcoal when your saturating your food with smoke and then wrapping it in more metal....


And what brand of lump do you use?

Who said I'm that bent out of shape?  I just want to get what I paid for, and I want to ensure that what I'm paying for meets my expectations.

When you go to the local burger joint and ask for a double cheeseburger, if they gave you a single with a large piece of tomato and a piece of  ham, what would you do?


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## irie (Mar 29, 2011)

alexhortdog95 said:


> And what brand of lump do you use?
> 
> Who said I'm that bent out of shape?  I just want to get what I paid for, and I want to ensure that what I'm paying for meets my expectations.
> 
> ...


I really don't want to argue apples and oranges with you. I am not saying you are wrong and by no means am I saying its right for there to be potentially hazardous materials in your charcoal. I am just saying in the grand scheme of things, is this problem really so severe you need to let it ruin you day? I use royal oak lump because its readily available and cheap in my area, I have found a rock or two on more than on occasion but it doesn't seem to affect the q.

Happy smokin'!

Irie


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## sqwib (Mar 29, 2011)

Allrighty then.... I can see where this is going.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, so I will share mine.

Foreign materials in a fuel source such as wood or charcoal is definitely a big deal to me, maybe not others but to me it is.

[size=-1]Galvanized metal will emit zinc fumes  and cause metal fume fever. Ozone can also be emitted and prolonged exposure to ozone can cause lung damage.[/size]

I don't know if the temp in a firepit burning lump gets hot enough to emit the fumes but I would be pissed if I just got done a huge cook and found a piece of galvanized in my firebox.

I have used Cowboy once and did not find anything inside and thought it was fine.

Now I just touched on one material found in lump, what if it was a piece of rubber from a boot or some type of plastic?

I have recently been making my own lump and its no harder than going to the store to buy a bag, however it takes 24 hours.

I have to touch on a few other things as well, IMHO The OP did the right thing by notifying their customer service and making them aware of the problem and then letting his fellow smokers know of the issue. From his post, what I got out of it was "buyer beware", and I thank him for that.

Irie you are entitled to an opinion as well, but to say the man_ *crying about it on the internet isn't going to solve your problem*_*,*   is just wrong... as well as this statement
_*I think it might be time to switch to a more processed fuel source, perhaps propane*? _Totally out of line!

I thought this forum was to educate and learn from one another, not to badger each other.

I try to use the experiences from others to make my experience with smoking the best I can, and so far it has been a great ride.

My apologies to *anyone* that takes offense to this post.

Sincerely

SQWIB


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## fpnmf (Mar 29, 2011)

Thank you SQWIB

When I get moved in to the new place I am getting a WSM and start making my own charcoal.

Do you have your method postered on your site??

I have seen several..

Thanks

 Craig


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## alexhortdog95 (Mar 29, 2011)

SQWIB said:


> Allrighty then.... I can see where this is going.
> 
> Everyone is entitled to an opinion, so I will share mine.
> 
> ...


Again, none taken.  Also, I don't want to come off as getting in a pissing contest with irie.  Everybody is entitled to their own opinion.  I just know that I take pride in the food I serve, being new to this.

I did the smoke to practice my long, low and slow cooks.  I also did it to see if my charcoal basket would hold up as well, seeing as how I'm a computer programmer by trade...and not a craftsman.  This has become a bit more than a hobby for me, as I've spent the money on extra parts and tools (like others have as well).  I made sure I got materials that wouldn't throw chemicals into my food.  I've researched, asked questions about it, etc.

I've also got people here at work asking me questions about smoking meats, so I want to make sure I give the most informed answers I can, because frankly, the guys here on this post, the guys over at BarbequeWeb.com, Deacon J. Dillard (one of my fellow church members) along with others have helped me along the way in all of this, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

It would only be wise for me to pass forward the knowledge and experience I gain to others to help them out.  Someone helped me along the way.

As far as making your own lump, that sounds exciting!  How many times did you have to practice it before you got it right?


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## fpnmf (Mar 29, 2011)

Here is one method for making lump.

Saw another similar that used a propane burner instead of wood.

Seemed like a better way...

  Craig

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/makinglump.htm


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## sqwib (Mar 29, 2011)

alexhortdog95 said:


> Again, none taken.  Also, I don't want to come off as getting in a pissing contest with irie.  Everybody is entitled to their own opinion.  I just know that I take pride in the food I serve, being new to this.
> 
> I did the smoke to practice my long, low and slow cooks.  I also did it to see if my charcoal basket would hold up as well, seeing as how I'm a computer programmer by trade...and not a craftsman.  This has become a bit more than a hobby for me, as I've spent the money on extra parts and tools (like others have as well).  I made sure I got materials that wouldn't throw chemicals into my food.  I've researched, asked questions about it, etc.
> 
> ...


3 times

Here's a post on how I make my own

Making Lump Charcoal


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## sqwib (Mar 29, 2011)

fpnmf said:


> Thank you SQWIB
> 
> When I get moved in to the new place I am getting a WSM and start making my own charcoal.
> 
> ...


Yes

Craig here's the Lump Post

Making Lump


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## sqwib (Mar 29, 2011)

Not to derail this thread....

Here is a vid on the gassification process (carbonizing the wood)


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## SmokinAl (Mar 29, 2011)

All I gotta say is this thread is getting out of hand. I know there are purists out there that consider any kind of charcoal that's processed as bad, but I'm on a fixed income & I can get Blue bag for cheap. I would prefer to spend my money on a better cut of meat than expensive lump, and lump is expensive around here. I've seen earlier videos of Myron Mixon & The BBQ pit boys using briquettes & starting the fire with lighter fluid. OMG!!! If I could afford it I would definitely use lump, but I have to say that I bought a bag of Cowboy lump a few weeks back & I like the Blue bag better! We can get RO in 10 lb. bags for $8 and I do use that for steaks on the kettle because I like to sear them ( love those grill marks ). It does burn hotter & like I said if it was economically feasible I would use lump all the time.


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## turn4fun (Mar 29, 2011)

I tried Cowboy once a few years ago and will never use it again because it was all scrap lumber.    You wouldn't knowingly put adhesives, finishes or pressure treating chemicals in your fire, so why risk burning lump made from plywood, OSB, flooring scraps and 2x4's?  Yes, those were all clearly identifiable products that were in my bag.


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## alexhortdog95 (Apr 5, 2011)

FYI, all.  Still waiting on the check, LOL.

I bought a bag of Cowboy and am going to go through it this weekend sometime to see what kind of stuff is in there.  I'll take pictures and post them on here.


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## reardenreturns (Apr 5, 2011)

I've been using B&B charcoal here in texas and have found it very good and long burning. I try to stick with it when I can get it.


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## meatball (Apr 10, 2011)

I just bought a bag of lump I had never seen before - called True Cue. It was $7.99 at Home Depot. I used it last night to grill a London broil and I was very impressed. Lit easily, burned nicely and gave a nice flavor to the meat. I'm not sure if this is a Home Depot brand or what, but seeing how Home Depot is a national chain maybe you can find it in Omaha. Had some nice big chunks in it and you could tell just by looking at it that it was pure hardwood. I'll try to post my experience next time I use it.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 10, 2011)

My two cents (or less):

Everybody knows I have two MES wattburners, but I also have a Weber "Q" for gas grilling.

Then I have a little bitty charcoal grill I use on special occasions for Me & Mrs Bear.

Being like Al, in the fact that I like to spend my money on better meat than better charcoal, I have always used the blue bag.

Except right after I joined this forum, I heard all about "Lump-wood charcoal", so I figured I'd try it.

I got some "Cowboy" brand, because it was the only thing Home Depot had.

Got a load of those babies going real good, but it was a good thing I was paying attention.

The fireworks was phenomenal !  I had hot sparking, glowing pieces flying all over the place, bouncing off my wood deck!

I had sparking pieces bouncing off my chest, while I was carrying the little grill 30' from my deck, to keep from burning my deck & house down.

I still have that whole bag, except for one chimney's worth, in case any one wants it------FREE to anyone who doesn't have anything flammable within 30' of their grill. 

Never again,

Bear


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## porked (Apr 10, 2011)

Bearcarver said:


> My two cents (or less):
> 
> Everybody knows I have two MES wattburners, but I also have a Weber "Q" for gas grilling.
> 
> ...


I have to chime in here. I can understand Bear's concerns, you do have to be careful when playing with fire. However, if your smoker is in a safe area far enough away from any building I think you'll be okay. I have used Cowboy lump and have seen some sparks also. I normally light a chimney on my gas grill side burner and then dump it in the charcoal basket via minion method. Royal Oak lump is the best I've seen, it burns really well, has flavor, and extremely easy to use. It does not have much ash and creates fabulous coals in which to smoke with. Like alot of things, you get what you pay for. I am picturing Bear running down the steps of his deck with a lit grill and yelling out some choice words. That had to be a classic. LOL.


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## justpassingthru (Apr 10, 2011)

I'm with Porked, I'd pay money to see Bear running with his BBQ!!!

I would also like to compliment the members that posted for handling this in an adult manner, every family has differences once in a while, but we're still family and we can resolve our differences calmly like adults, it's the camaraderie like this that makes this one of the greatest sites on the net.

Thank you  SMF and all it's members for an _enjoyable_ BBQ site.

Gene


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## Bearcarver (Apr 10, 2011)

LOL---Bear wasn't laughing at the time. It's only a little grill--not much bigger than a Hibachi, but I had to go down the steps with my eyes closed because this was a lot more than a few sparks. Seemed more like a Mekong Delta Fire-fight!

Luckily I always have my fireplace gloves nearby!

Bear


Porked said:


> I am picturing Bear running down the steps of his deck with a lit grill and yelling out some choice words. That had to be a classic. LOL.





JustPassingThru said:


> I'm with Porked, I'd pay money to see Bear running with his BBQ!!!


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## jirodriguez (Apr 10, 2011)

Just be glad it wasn't Lazzari Bear. Lazzari makes Cowboy look like a dud firecracker..... lol. I have watched large pieces of Lazzari get lifted up because the ones below explode.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 10, 2011)

JIRodriguez said:


> Just be glad it wasn't Lazzari Bear. Lazzari makes Cowboy look like a dud firecracker..... lol. I have watched large pieces of Lazzari get lifted up because the ones below explode.


The problem is, like every deck I ever built, I always put geofabric on the ground first, and then at least 3" of mulch.

This keep the weeds from growing, but if flying sparks fall between the deck boards, and land in nice dry mulch, I might not even know it when I go in for the night, and then the fire spreads without any warning. When I used to smoke, I once dropped a cigarette in mulch, and it smoldered for at least an hour, before I knew it, and that didn't have deck boards over it yet.

Bear


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## garyinmd (Apr 10, 2011)

I have no idea where I found this

but rates the lump

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm


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## justpassingthru (Apr 10, 2011)

LOL, way back when I was an apprentice carpenter the County Building Inspector would descend my stairs with his eyes closed, said if he fell he wouldn't sign off the framing and I better not be around when he got back up, ...looks like your stairs passed too!
 


Bearcarver said:


> LOL---Bear wasn't laughing at the time. It's only a little grill--not much bigger than a Hibachi, but I had to go down the steps with my eyes closed because this was a lot more than a few sparks. Seemed more like a Mekong Delta Fire-fight!
> 
> Luckily I always have my fireplace gloves nearby!
> 
> Bear


Hey SQWIB, Nice video, I also checked out your site, with the wife's nephew in charge of the dump my source of wood is inexhaustible, I might look into trying that.

Gene


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## alexhortdog95 (Apr 10, 2011)

You guys are hilarious, LOL!

I actually have been looking around online for the best LOCAL place to get charcoal here in Omaha, because, quite frankly, folks here don't seem to care that much about BBQ 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





At times, I feel like the Little Red Hen making her bread....LOL.

Most folks around here are impatient so they use propane as their fuel source, which is why when I started smoking, I made *lots *of friends, LOL.  For that reason, the predominant lump around here is unfortunately Cowboy.  There's a place here called Menards (kinda like a local Lowe's) that sells Royal Oak Lump, but the bags don't look to be in the best condition.

So I went on my online qwest, and happened across this site:

http://www.firecraft.com/

I must say, after perusing them, I'm going to use them as a regular supplier.  They've got Ozark Oak Lump charcoal (rated by the Naked Whiz as "Highly Recommended") for quite cheap.  So I ordered two ten pound bags four about 20 bucks (which is how much I paid for the Fire King I found here locally when it's available).  They're on thee way.

Once I get those here, I'll do my inspection of the Cowboy bag of lump I have left too.  Sounds more like it'd be better suited for use in fireworks charcoal :-)


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## rondar (Apr 10, 2011)

Thanks for the info thats another reason I won`t use Cowboy,I`ve read reviews and didn`t find many good ones.I`ve used Royal Oak Lump not impressed with it at all it crackled and popped when it was burning in the charcoal chimney,and burned fast.What I use is Wicked Good Weekend Warrior Blend Lump.This stuff burns slow and you don`t need to use that much for long smokes.You my have to check the website for locations they don`t sell to the big retail stores.I get mine from a supplier here in Michigan,wickedgoodmichigan.


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## sqwib (Apr 11, 2011)

JustPassingThru said:


> LOL, way back when I was an apprentice carpenter the County Building Inspector would descend my stairs with his eyes closed, said if he fell he wouldn't sign off the framing and I better not be around when he got back up, ...looks like your stairs passed too!
> 
> 
> Hey SQWIB, Nice video, I also checked out your site, with the wife's nephew in charge of the dump my source of wood is inexhaustible, I might look into trying that.
> ...


Thanks.

Yield is about 30% using Ash, hopefully you can make your lump on a larger scale than me, I usually make a batch every time I have a fire in the yard.


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## papad (Apr 12, 2011)

alexhortdog95 said:


> I actually have been looking around online for the best LOCAL place to get charcoal here in Omaha, because, quite frankly, folks here don't seem to care that much about BBQ


I'm a little late to the party here, but maybe I can help. I'm over here in C.B., if you haven't checked yet, you should look at Sam's Club. They usually carry Frontier Brand, which I have been using the last couple of years and I really like it. Lately they have also been carrying Best of the West which I haven't tried yet, but my son bought two bags a couple of weeks ago and said he liked it . (Really BIG pieces of real trees rather than used lumber).

These both come in 40 lb. bags for $14.95. I think that's a pretty decent price. Certainly worth checking out rather than ordering online and paying for shipping and having to wait for delivery.


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## alexhortdog95 (Apr 13, 2011)

papad said:


> I'm a little late to the party here, but maybe I can help. I'm over here in C.B., if you haven't checked yet, you should look at Sam's Club. They usually carry Frontier Brand, which I have been using the last couple of years and I really like it. Lately they have also been carrying Best of the West which I haven't tried yet, but my son bought two bags a couple of weeks ago and said he liked it . (Really BIG pieces of real trees rather than used lumber).
> 
> These both come in 40 lb. bags for $14.95. I think that's a pretty decent price. Certainly worth checking out rather than ordering online and paying for shipping and having to wait for delivery.


Thanks for the info.  I haven't tried the Frontier Brand of charcoal yet.  I do see it at Sam's on a regular basis, however, but haven't tried to purchase any.  40 lbs is a looooot of charcoal, but I've read reviews on the Frontier and it was marked as Average/Below Average due to burn time and ash production.

When I first got into this, I didn't know I'd be looking for the Holy Grail of Charcoal, LOL...


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## Bearcarver (Apr 13, 2011)

LOL----"Cowboy" brand lump in my chimney starter:







Just kidding, but not far from that.

Bear


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## alexhortdog95 (Apr 14, 2011)

Bearcarver said:


> LOL----"Cowboy" brand lump in my chimney starter:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


LOL - You probably could use it for fireworks char.


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## alexhortdog95 (Apr 15, 2011)

So, all...

Just got my shipment of Ozark Oak Lump.  I'll probably tear into it next week - it's decided to rain this week.

I did take a couple of pictures of the bag of Cowboy Lump I had, though.  It was a bag full of dust and chips, with a few medium sized chunks.  I put the larger sized ones in a box at the house and threw the dust/chips away.

I found a couple of rocks and some pieces of plywood in there.  No metal as of yet.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 15, 2011)

alexhortdog95 said:


> So, all...
> 
> Just got my shipment of Ozark Oak Lump.  I'll probably tear into it next week - it's decided to rain this week.
> 
> ...


Any M-80s in it?


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## alexhortdog95 (Apr 15, 2011)

Bearcarver said:


> Any M-80s in it?


Not as of yet, but I'm at work.  If I get home and my house is a pile of burning cinders, I wouldn't be surprised, LOL


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## fife (Apr 15, 2011)

Would have been better if it was a diamond.


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## alexhortdog95 (Apr 25, 2011)

So, I did a low and slow overnight brisket with this Ozark Oak. 

Have to say, I am extremely happy with the Ozark Oak lump, I won't use another for low and slow cooks.

It burns forever, and it has a nice applewood smell to it when you light it.  It doesn't produce a bunch of ash either.

Very very happy.  Extremely.

If you wanna check out my Q-View, here's a link to vids I posted:  http://s949.photobucket.com/albums/ad331/alexhortdog95/

Still waiting on the check from Cowboy, btw, LOL.


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## master_dman (May 11, 2011)

I'm kinda late to this party, but I have to chime in on the fine looking brisket.  It's always good to see pics and vids of smokers/mods/food.


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## garand555 (May 12, 2011)

[quote name="alexhortdog95" url="/forum/thread/104830/what-not-to-use-cowboy-lump/20#post_618068"]


Thanks for the info.  I haven't tried the Frontier Brand of charcoal yet.  I do see it at Sam's on a regular basis, however, but haven't tried to purchase any.  40 lbs is a looooot of charcoal, but I've read reviews on the Frontier and it was marked as Average/Below Average due to burn time and ash production.



When I first got into this, I didn't know I'd be looking for the Holy Grail of Charcoal, LOL...


[/quote]

Frontier has two different kinds.  One is South American hardwoods and the other is made from US hardwoods.  The South American stuff (all I've seen around here) is the stuff that gets the average rating.  The US hardwoods gets a recommended or highly recommended, but I haven't been able to get my mitts on any yet.  I've used a few bags of the SA hardwoods and have found that you can get decent results with it, so long as it wasn't unloaded and stacked by jackbooted thugs.  The last three bags I got I didn't feel up properly and wound up with one bag that had been pulverized.  I mean open-the-bag-and-get-black-lung pulverized.  Talk about a fireworks show when lighting those little pieces up.  The next bag made up for it though.  All of the chunks were friggin' huge and lasted forever.  

I picked up 6.6lb bag of the Best of the West for $4 that I found at the supermarket last week and tried it out.  I figured it was worth $4 to see how it was and it turned out OK.  I didn't get any huge chunks, but if I am at the supermarket getting other stuff and need 6 or 12 lbs of charcoal, it'll do just fine.


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## rowdyrawhide (May 20, 2011)

I made a post about my experience with Cowboy a few months ago and just finished it up about a month ago.  I ended up using it for grilling because I had trouble with it holding temps on overnight smokes.  any way I got to the bottom of the bag and found a rusted piece of metal in it.  Obviously not galvanized so not near the concern as you had. It also had some rocks in it, all I use right now is the RO in red bag from Wal mart, might try some of the Sams club stuff, but very happy with the RO.

Here is the link to my post as well 

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/98013/cowboy-lump-charcoal#post_536615

Bears account is here as well although not quite as colorful.  ;)


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## ryanhoelzer (Dec 18, 2011)

I've read a few of these complaints over the years and never paid much attention because I had never used Cowboy.  I got some a while back because I couldn't find any Royal Oak and wish I would have checked the bag.  Last week I fired up a mix of Kingsford and Cowboys in my chimney and when I dumped it in the grill there were 2 AAA batteries on the ground and a piece of a circuit board stuck in the chimney..  In the heat of being pissed off I just threw them away and didn't take any pictures though..


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## alexhortdog95 (Dec 19, 2011)

Batteries and Circuit Boards?!?!

Oh wow. 

I've moved on since then - the only lump I use is the Ozark Oak that I get from Firecraft.com.  In fact, I just ordered 20 lbs of it on Friday and it should be here within the week, hopefully.

I never got a check, either.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   Guess whatever they used the money on was in your bag of crap, probably an iPod for the kiddies.


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## michael ark (Dec 19, 2011)

I love Ozark oak.It's made here in AR.I can get it for $7 here.I also like the best of the west from Sam's.


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## cactusjosh (May 1, 2012)

I'm sure all these manufactures have screens and magnets in the packaging line to prevent this, Cowboy I know does for sure, perhaps the metal came from something else. I also know a story from many years back that a live 30-06 shell went off in someones grill using Kingsford Lump.   Charcoal is produced in batch systems by all manufactures, there will be variances in each batch, some will be better some worse, there are seasonal variances, when the trees were harvested, how long the tree sat before it was milled.  I know for a fact both Cowboy and R.O. (BIG GREEN EGG CHAR)  Purchase and repackage material from Parkers in Jamestown TN. Exact Same charcoal different bags and people still say this ones better than that one and vice versa and look like complete tools to those in the know.


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## dragonmaster194 (Jun 22, 2012)

Hello all, very interesting coments on lump.  I have never used it before, but after reading comments in other forums decided to try it.  The only lump I have ever seen here I just found at Lowe's.  It is Frontier Brand, and it seems from comments here it should be ok.  I plan a brisket and some ribs for July 4.  If I can figure out how I will put pics on.  Steve


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## Sal Barsanti (Jul 2, 2019)

Anyone mind if I resurrect this thread on lump coal?

I ordered some B&B through my local Ace Hardware store today. The basic Oak lump coal.

They also had Rockwood Lump Coal in the store, though I didn't buy it. Wanted to read up first.

And they had Blue Hog lump coal. Does anyone have experience with Blue Hog?

Thanks for the input!


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## JWFokker (Jul 19, 2019)

Tried some Cowboy "Southern" lump charcoal from Lowes. One bag had a lot of small bits, probably just beat up in transit. The other had a pretty big rock in it that weighed a good 3lbs. Bigger than the head of a sledgehammer. But the charcoal was pretty good, so there's that.


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