The TRUTH about LUMP vs. BRIQUETTE charcoal

[@elderhiker7787]

Well, that was fun. Before I commit to an opinion, I would like to see a repeat of this test using different meats such as burger, steak, chicken. The sausages are held together by a casing which, in my opinion, is the best compilation of taste imparted by mild smoke of charcoal. This is why to smoke meat, small chips of hickory, mesquite, apple or cherry wood are used in smokers. Briquettes are made by intensely compressing sawdust and other wood products into small briquettes. So, they are compressed wood products of indeterminate origin, but may contain some chemicals too. There are briquettes that are infused with quick starting chemicals containing petroleum products. They may impart a petroleum smell and tasted. Lump charcoal is pure hardwood that is partially consumed by a low, indirect fire with very limited oxygen which causes the hard wood to burn, but not flame and to become charcoal rather than ash. The benefit of lump charcoal is it will burn much hotter than briquettes. Much hotter. But, not all lump charcoal is made with quality control consistency and inside the bag you may find vastly different sizes as well as many lumps that have not completed the process of becoming useable charcoal pieces. They will still burn of course, but flame up easily and burn as wood would. For lump charcoal, it is important to know and trust the source. For briquettes, don’t buy the ones with chemical additives. As far as cooking is concerned, I find it is easier to control the heat with briquettes because of their uniform size and consistent heat dispersion. When baking bread and biscuits in a cast iron Dutch oven, briquettes are much easier to deal with. But if I’m cooking a big batch of ribs for a tailgate crowd, then the lump charcoal is a better choice because of the high heat generated and excellent flavor imparted. Also, lump charcoal is a better choice for use in a Green Egg or Kamado Joe because of the high indirect heating needed to heat up the 360 degree ceramic plates that radiantly cook the food rather than direct flames. But, ultimately, use whatever you’ve got…it’ll get the job done. It’s not a high-tech endeavor.

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

Well said! :)

[@waterfordrs22]

I use both in my kettle. That said, I have trouble using the setup shorn with lump if I need a decently long burn. I prefer the flavor of lump with a chunk or two of hardwood, but it lends itself to shorter, hotter burns. A kamado style grill such as a BGE, is a much better setup with lump. If I do a whole butterflied chicken indirect, a bit over an hour cook time, with briquettes, it’s more of a set it and forget it kind of deal. I add a bit of mesquite often, if the coals are lit properly, I’m guessing the mesquite is adding most of the nuance. Sometimes, if I want a good initial sear, I’ll get some briquettes going nicely, then add lump over top for a nice, hot sear, then over to indirect and the lump can do what it likes. Haven’t tried the snake or minion methods. There’s a device called a Slow’n Sear, something along those lines would be my go to for a low and slow kettle setup up. A Kamado with lump would be my first choice for sure.

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

A lot of good points you've made! We think a lot of it comes down to personal preference / style, so we encourage people to experiment with different equipment / setups as much as possible.

[@gondwanatravels8834]

Thanks for putting me into two minds😂

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

It's always good to have options haha

[@Mick_Au]

Have you guys used the Weber briquettes? Any thoughts? Also where did you get the burn torch from? Cheers!

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

G'day @Michael_Au The Weber briquettes are great and available at most Aussie supermarket chains. Useful if you're running low before a big cook! The butane gas lighter is a Scanpan Chef's Torch amzn.asia/d/j8WlXhN

[@Mick_Au]

@@smokeanddaggerbbq Thank you kindly :)

[@liuying3688]

Awesome mate, love the smoking video :P

[@libsrcrazy9634]

Love the ac dc shirt. Regarding a kamado grill, can’t you clean out the extra ash from a briquette periodically while still cooking?

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

Yep, you could slide out the ash catcher if you wanted to

[@MrJBARRON]

Loved the video. "Lump charcoal IS ancestral, goes back to cavemen and that's why I keep the tradition alive." Priceless 😂

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

Glad you liked it! We'll be sure to keep acting like cavemen haha :)

[@rodidj]

Hi from Montréal, Canada! To me, the lump charcoal in your video didn't hit high heat because you had super big chunks :) Crush 'em up a little, redo the test and it will beat the briquettes, and you'll have a more consistent heat too. Cheers! Up here, we use sugar maple wood lump charcoal ;)

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

G'day from Australia! That's a good observation, we might need to re run the test soon :)

[@apistosig4173]

In your BBQ - Kingsford sized briquettes everytime. In an Hibacchi Grill or similar - the lump

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

Always a good idea to choose the right fuel for the right BBQ :)

[@ebrente]

Lump is the only way to go! And you CAN do snake method with it. Just takes some extra time to assemble the snake with the right sized chunks. That lump wasn’t lit all the way, likely due to chunk size. It always gets plenty hot, keeps me warm after the sun sets and the Canadian winters get real!

[@patrickhenry236]

Both have their use and time to shine, and both are real charcoal. Briquettes are made from what is simply powdered lump charcoal (carbonized wood) pressure formed into a uniform size. Of more importance is quality of the product brand when it comes to making your selection.

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

Yep - there is no substitute for quality :)

[@jayess6219]

Lump for the natural taste

[@TWC6724]

I’m team briquettes! Consistency is king.

[@gitbox6924]

Lumps wins in this case. No babysitting , time with your friends and a few pints!!!

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

Nothing beats time with your friends and a few cheeky pints!

[@cammarshall5557]

Great video! I choose Briquettes!

[@jensenbeachjay]

AUS is to Bunnings, as USA is to Rural King.

[@scottevans9155]

Is that Goulburn Bunnings

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

Nope - this one was filmed in Western Australia :)

[@Chris3460]

Depends what I'm cooking. If I'm doing something quick like burgers or sausages, briquettes are good. If I'm doing something low and slow, it's lump all the way. I once did a whole turkey with Kingsford briquettes. The meat looked absolutely beautiful, but that's when I discovered I couldn't do slow and low with briquettes, because it tasted HORRIBLE! If it's something that's going to take more than an hour, it's lump all the way.

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

Very interesting! Always good to experiment with different fuel sources from different charcoal brands to see what works best for your setup and taste palate.

[@larsvegas1505]

Interesting.. if im doing somting quick i take charcoal cause it lights faster in a chimney and u can put it out and save a third for next time.. briquettes takes more time to get white/hot... I would do briquettes if i was with like 10 people and wanted to be grilling for 2-3 hours.. charcoal wouldve died by then... but for taste/fastness/slowcooking/tradition, its charcoal for me.

[@karl4834]

@@larsvegas1505 nailed it!

[@davewilliams-gx8yr]

cool video,i'm goin both double the bbq

[@2litrepeter.]

Lump with a block of pecan or apple wood for smoke.

[@smokeanddaggerbbq]

Pecan is always a great choice :)

[@peetsnort]

Unless you want to spend all your money rather go smaller. I just use the chimney with a tiny amount of lump. When cooked just put the whole thing in a snuff pot. That's what the Japanese do. You're going to have to stop the air in bottom of the chimney by nestling in sand. I'm older and wiser. Smaller is better

[@geoffreydowen5793]

Weber bricks al the way, love from a pom

[@rodneyodell8959]

Briquettes have a chemical taste in my opinion. Lump every time for me.

[@jakesestero658]

What about the ones that do not have fire lighter fluid on them

[@JohnSmith-oe5kx]

If they have a chemical taste you are using garbage briquettes

[@kwikflikzyakadventures3795]

Don’t eat them then!!

[@rodneyodell8959]

@@jakesestero658 I never used those, but since I have made this post I have found the new Fogo briquets do not have a heavy chemical flavor.

[@rodneyodell8959]

@@kwikflikzyakadventures3795 hahaha, you got jokes

[@spacecowboy_1962]

Briquettes for long, slow cooks and lump for hot and fast cooks