A Beginner's Guide To Charcoal | Lump vs Briquettes

[@tomwadek]

Did I miss a brand you like? Let me know in the comments below!

[@merrileeedgar2926]

Fellow Californian here...are there any brands available in California that you could pass along? I'm your average weekend outdoor cook, but I find Kingsford has a funky chemical aftertaste even though I'm a chimney user. I'd love to find something local that isn't mesquite and is good for low and slow use. Thanks for the great video!

[@tomwadek]

@@merrileeedgar2926 try royal oak. It’s usually at the Home Depot

[@merrileeedgar2926]

@@tomwadek Thanks!

[@captnmaim]

Try the cowboy brand briquettes. My experience is you can’t go wrong with them, however I don’t like their lump charcoal

[@jduncan459]

I've had a Weber Mid range kettle for maybe a decade. After a year of frustration, I put it in storage. Now I'm trying to get back to it and your videos are helping. Your conversational style is easy to listen to. Thanks.

[@tomwadek]

Glad I could help! Good luck and happy grilling.

[@xCaPz]

Your videos are really underrated. This is the type of video I look for when im first getting into something new. I bought an all-clad pan and the Amazonbasics Dutch oven because of your videos

[@tomwadek]

I’m glad I could help! It’s comments like this that really make it all worth it. Happy cooking

[@tomwadek]

@@lg4777thank you! I appreciate it

[@88spaces]

I've used Kingsford and B & B charcoals. B & B is much better. The coals are consistently in tack and burn much longer than Kingsford. I still like the Kingsford brand. You said it well when you stated that it's the jack-of-all-trades coal. I use the Kingsford for regular occasions but when I want to impress I break out the B & B.

[@kurtisloew108]

Just got into smoking on a Weber Kettle. Made a slow and sear basket out of the two Weber baskets. Have smoked beef chuck roasts, wings, and pork. I had a bag of all natural oak lump. Filled the basket, added some wood chunks on top of first half of lump, and lit one end. Made a couple adjustments on the vents, and had no problem holding 250 on the meat side (I added 2 thermometers, one on meat side at grate height, and one on heat side). At 400 degrees my meat side by top vent holds 250 for about 5 hrs! Cant comment on longer cooks and adding fuel as I cook smaller portions. I will say, I do not like the bigger log pieces, but they break up easy enough. Im pretty impressed with my used/like new, $50 kettle!

[@tomwadek]

Congrats! Sounds like your making some great food and having fun too. Thanks for watching.

[@MacTechG4]

The thing to keep in mind is Kingsford blue bag has some relatively nasty additives… Mineral char Pine sawdust Limestone BORAX! If you’re going to use briquettes, go for something all natural, with just hardwood sawdust and chips and a vegetable starch binder. Lump is better, it has ONE ingredient, carbonized wood chunks.

[@richardzink6026]

I have tried many different types of charcoal on my weber kettle. Without a doubt kingsford original is on of the best

[@fivelakesyj]

Woohoo! B&B! We can get B&B here (Minnesota) locally at a couple hardware stores. I've tried different brands, but this is so consistent in my smoker. I've had it keep 225 to 250 for purt near 20 hours straight. One bag, set the air intake (it's a UDS that I put ball valves on to control air intake), get to temp, add meat and walk away until it's done. The only charcoal briquettes I use are Kingsford in the blue bag. That's for the charcoal grill and any dutch oven cooking that can go quick. Otherwise for the dutch ovens I start a fire in the fire pit and burn wood to get enough coals to keep the oven hot. Side notes... Our seafood buffet was a great success. We've ordered beef ribs and a brisket from our butcher down the street, so those will be getting done soon. Prices here aren't as high as in California. The B&B lump charcoal is $15.99. Brisket is $2.49/lb and the ribs were $1.99/lb. Sometimes it's nice to live in a small town in the middle of nowhere. lol

[@tomwadek]

Glad to hear the seafood was a success. I’m super jealous, everything in CA is expensive. Have you tried FOGO. If you can snag a bag, give it a try. I feel like it has a slight advantage.

[@fivelakesyj]

@@tomwadek I don't remember ever seeing FOGO around here. I'll look for it. Thanks!

[@rondetorres3842]

Trying to up my BBQ skills. I grew up using Kingsford and It's my go to briquette but I've heard good things about B&B for a long burn time, better for "slow and low" smoking. I've never used lump charcoal but always wanted to give it a try. From what I gather via transit / delivery lump charcoal seems to a little more fragile causing large pieces breaking into smaller pieces and then sometimes ash. Maybe I'll try and find the smallest bag of lump and give a try for reverse searing. Thanks for posting!

[@tomwadek]

No problem. I agree, buy a small bag and give it a try

[@BbqMikeG]

Solid advice! I once pulled a trunk size chunk of charcoal out of a bag of Sonora mesquite lump wider than my chimney! Thank God for hammers. I also like how you used only one starter cube. That’s all you need. Great video!

[@tomwadek]

Yeah, I’ve had that happen lol. Thanks for watching. Happy grilling.

[@ancienttartan3509]

I use a chimney starter, a weber grill, and Kingsford original. I'm against using lighter fluid unless you are camping and your wood got damp. For low and slow, I think you should use actual pieces of wood. That's what the pros and the restaurants do where I live.

[@TheROMaNProject]

In north Houston (Spring TX) the 17.6 pound bags of Fogo are readily available at Home Depot for $24.95, about mid-way between the prices you mention. They also carry a “super premium” grade of Fogo for $32.95 which looks to be very large chunks .

[@tomwadek]

That’s not too bad at all. I wish California carried them. They were fantastic!

[@paulh6517]

If you have an Academy Sports, they also sell B&B briquettes as well as lump. Better call first because their supply is iffy. AS can't seem to keep the briquetts but usually has the lump, but not all the flavors (mesquite, Hickory and so forth) they advertise are available.

[@Tom_N._Jerry]

I saw fogo at home depot in socal yesterday. Looking online appears that ace carries it here too. About $20 for 18 lbs

[@Todd.T]

I've used a vertical bullet and I use an offset with a charcoal basket and minion plates. In the vertical bullet, I put a soup can with the top and bottom cut out in the corner and put briquettes (lets just say common stuff like Kingsford) all across the bottom with about a 60 percent fill. Then I layer the other 40 percent with charcoal (common stuff like Royal Oak) and wood chunks. Ratio of chunks to lump charcoal would be 30/70. I use the chimney to light up 7-9 briquettes and then pour them in the soup can. Grab the can with tongs and remove to start the fire. The fire moves from one side to the other in about 3-4 hours. The briquettes last longer and provide stability in temps and the lump and wood gives heat and flavor. I used an El Cheapo Brinkmann and it ran at 225 the whole time like it was it's job. When I got my offset, I use the same ratio in the charcoal basket with the minion plates.

[@danedearmond4905]

As a Midwesterner, I've used Cowboy Lump a bit and It's performance has always been hit or miss. But the flavor is always consistent and the end food always has a lovely smokey flavor. It's often got a bit of a finicky burn, but the taste is solid.

[@tomwadek]

I agree taste is usually great. Thanks for watching.

[@VillanuevaMedia]

Decided to check out your other videos. I really do like B&B hickory and their mesquite lump. Get it at ace hardware here in socal.

[@tomwadek]

Really? I live in socal too. My local ace doesn’t carry it.

[@theprinceeats]

Thanks for this! There's so much fuel out on the market and this is helpful.

[@tomwadek]

I’m glad I could help!

[@SCarter76]

I really prefer Kingsford Original briquettes for all of my 'snake method' "Low & Slow" smoking sessions on my 22-inch kettle. I place a 'dollar store' disposable round aluminum cake pan (3/4 full of hot water) in the middle, hand lay/stack the charcoal briquettes around it ("3 to 4 wide") and then light one end with 8 lit briquettes from the chimney. I also scatter smoke-wood chunks around the first 1/2 of the "snake". To me - 'store brand' briquettes seem to be inconsistent in producing (or maintaining) a constant temperature for this cooking method. I just keep the meat, and the lid holes, on the opposite side of the grill from the lit coals (check and rotate the grill every 45-60 minutes). I've been able to get a 8 to 10 hour cook done on a 'heavy' Brisket using this kettle grill & method. For my 18-inch charcoal smoker, I have found that large chunk lump charcoal lasts longer than briquettes. Temperature control is not an issue if the charcoal was originally lit in the middle of the fire pan. Of course the water pan is 3/4 full of hot water and there are 3 to 4 chunks of smoke-wood down in the fire pan. Both food grate levels (upper and lower) show fairly equal temperatures as well. For me - this smoker, with large chunk lump charcoal, is good for a 3 to 4 hour cooking session for Chicken, Ribs, Chuck Roast and/or a 'Tri-Tip'. I almost gave this smoker away last year because I was only getting about 2 hours of cooking/smoking time when using briquettes. For regular over-the-coals cooking, I prefer to use the Kingsford Original or Royal Oak briquettes but some 'store brands' work almost as well (Safeway's store brand works fairly well *and* is less expensive). BTW - Both of my charcoal cooking "appliances" are made by Masterbuilt because that is what I could afford! Maybe someday, I'll think about getting a Weber..... Hmmmmm - 🤔

[@tomwadek]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing your methods. I’m familiar with masterbuilt. I think they are a good company.

[@SCarter76]

@@tomwadek Tom - Don't take my comment wrong - I am *not* unhappy with my Masterbuilt 22" kettle grill and 18" smoker. I may consider a Weber IF/WHEN my Masterbuilt units become unusable. They are both about 5 years old. An additional bonus is that many accessories for a Weber 22-inch kettle fit my Masterbuilt. The major modification I did to my kettle was to install fire-resistant felt gasket material (for meat smokers) around the rim of the lid. That gasket/seal gives me more control of the air flow through the system, therefore it is easier to control the temperature using the lid vent alone. I leave the bottom vents wide open and control the air flow/temperature using only the lid vent when smoking or slow cooking. I also replaced the original lid thermometer with a better one and will add a second thermometer near the lid vent (opposite of the original thermometer) this year. One feature I like better on the Masterbuilt kettles vs.the Weber kettles is the ash removal system. My Masterbuilt kettle has a slide-out "mug" in the bottom-center, just below the adjustable vents at the bottom of the bowl. I just sweep the cold/spent ashes into the "mug", slide it out, and carry the ashes to my garden and/or compost pile to dispose of them. 🙂 Thanks for your video, it was great!

[@mainevids3529]

I just bought a bag of FOGO lump and wasn't that happy with it. Lots of small pieces that fell through the chimney and grates. I'll stick with kingsford . Great video though! thanks

[@tomwadek]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Can’t go wrong with Kingsford! Thanks for watching.

[@chrishernandez8768]

I got a bag of fogo a while back, literally part of a burnt fence in there complete with a couple nails

[@Dad_Lyon]

Well made video! Content was discussed well, editing is on point, your voice doesn't annoy me, and decent music. Best of luck, I'm subscribed!

[@tomwadek]

Lol, thanks for the sub! Happy cooking

[@chrisreye3708]

I recently tried Jealous Devil lump charcoal. Stuff burns wicked hot and has very consistent pieces. Ive found im using less of this stuff at most half a chimney full. Even at a quarter i was hot enough to sear with for about an hour.

[@tomwadek]

I’ll check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@kenxiong6830]

One of the best charcoals I’ve ever used was coconut briquettes. It burns so clean, hot, and long. Too bad it’s hard to find now

[@tomwadek]

There’s coconut shells by Fogo. My new favorite daily drivers. Check this video out I did. FOGO Charcoal Briquets Review kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqutf4WraNuBbq8

[@katzsteel]

Why not go with Kingsford natural for high heat searing. Love the stuff. Low and slow, Kingsford blue bag, fast high heat all natural Kingsford briquettes and much more even cooking compared to lump. Imparts a great wood flavor too.

[@tomwadek]

Oh man, I haven’t seen a bag of the naturals since covid. Great stuff too!

[@katzsteel]

@@tomwadek Check Home Depot. That’s where I’ve found it.

[@nelsoncontreras2615]

I live in California and you can get B&B in Ace hardware store. I live in Diamond Bar CA and my Ace hardware store has it. yes, it is pricey. you do great videos

[@tomwadek]

Thanks for watching and sharing. I have been seeing it more. Wish ace carried FOGO too. Happy grilling

[@patrickhenry2845]

I just recently bought the Kingsford Match Light briquettes from Walmart. I haven't used it, yet.

[@richardzink6026]

Don't use match light it puts a bad taste to the food. Get a charcoal starter put the charcoal in light the bottom it will get the coal hot

[@boohoohoohoo]

10:02 if initial ignition of any new briquet produces smoke that makes meat acrid, then how could one avoid acrid smoke doing a slow cook via snake method on a kettle grill?

[@tomwadek]

Check out my more detailed video on smoking. A Complete Guide To BBQ Smoke and Wood Flavors kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZTaXnR8h7yhi6M

[@ChrisPollard]

I tried the original Kinsgford briquettes and REALLY wasn't impressed. I found they burned out very quickly and left massive piles of ash behind. Almost felt like there was more ash after than charcoal to start with. So I spent way too much money on a bag of Jealous Devil XL briquettes and man, the difference! Yeah, twice the price, but it burns hotter, burns much longer, and doesn't produce near as much ash. I can normally do two full cooks on a chimney. I'm a fan of the Jealous Devil XL lump too. Lots of really large pieces, not a lot of crushed/dust bits in the bottom. But also pricey. On a really good sale it's still like $2/lb around me. I haven't been using charcoal for a long time, and still experimenting with different brands, but I've been consistently very happy with Jealous Devil in both lump and briquette forms. Experimenting is half the fun. :)

[@tomwadek]

I have to agree, experimenting is half the fun lol. I’m glad you found a brand you like. I’ll have to check out the jealous devil. Thanks for pointing me that way

[@rods6741]

Nice video and great info! Any brand of charcoal burns ok in my Kamado Joe, so I go by availability and price. While it's true FOGO has more nice big chunks, I plan to burn it up anyway. If I'm going to spend more, I'd rather put it into the food.

[@markwainwright1103]

Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, called charcoal burning, often by forming a charcoal kiln, the heat is supplied by burning part of the starting material itself, with a limited supply of oxygen. The material can also be heated in a closed retort. Modern charcoal briquettes used for outdoor cooking may contain many other additives, e.g. coal. Charcoal (wooden coal) is a solid substance resulting from the dry distillation of wood without oxygen. It is used in the production of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, activated carbon, and also as a household fuel. [1] The history of wood charcoal production spans ancient times, rooted in the abundance of wood in various regions. The process typically involves stacking wood billets to form a conical pile, allowing air to enter through openings at the bottom, and igniting the pile gradually. Charcoal burners, skilled professionals tasked with managing the delicate operation, often lived in isolation to tend their wood piles. Throughout history, the extensive production of charcoal has been a significant contributor to deforestation, particularly in regions like Central Europe. However, various management practices, such as coppicing, aimed to maintain a steady supply of wood for charcoal production. The scarcity of easily accessible wood resources eventually led to the transition to fossil fuel equivalents like coal. Modern methods of charcoal production involve carbonizing wood in retorts, yielding higher efficiencies compared to traditional kilning methods. The properties of charcoal depend on factors such as the material charred and the temperature of carbonization. Charcoal finds diverse applications, including metallurgical fuel in iron and steel production, industrial fuel, cooking and heating fuel, reducing agent in chemical processes, and as a raw material in pyrotechnics. It is also utilized in cosmetics, horticulture, animal husbandry, medicine, and environmental sustainability efforts, such as carbon sequestration. However, the production and utilization of charcoal can have adverse environmental impacts, including deforestation and emissions. Illegal and unregulated charcoal production, particularly in regions like South America and Africa, poses significant challenges to environmental conservation efforts.

[@PeteNathanPod]

Great video man! I'm kinda new to Charcoal Grilling game but this helps me to understand which charcoals to use for the type of cooking!

[@tomwadek]

Glad I could help!

[@patricia4127]

Thank you; this was very helpful, as well as informative!

[@tomwadek]

I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@AnubisDaJackal]

Couldnt you put a 5050 mix of lump and briquette and just have the best of both worlds whilst cooking?

[@tomwadek]

Ofcourse. The beauty of charcoal and its versatility

[@jko0526]

Growing up and for years when I grilled I used charcoal lighting fluid. Terrible mistake!! I bought a chimney one Fall on close out sale and I never went back to lighter fluid. I light the chimney with paper and it works just fine.

[@tomwadek]

That’s wonderful!

[@Vladpryde]

It's funny, when I was growing up in the 90s, we used lighting fluid too. I had never even heard of a chimney until a few years ago lol.

[@davisssss69]

is webber briquette any good

[@tomwadek]

Not bad but I find the Kingsford a bit more consistent and cheaper

[@robinjohnson2749]

Could you please try to answer my question about if it safe to eat

[@tomwadek]

That is something you will need to talk to your doctor about. I would not eat it

[@bassxpro]

PK 4 life!!!

[@sactocivic679]

Can’t believe how many times you showed Sonora Mesquite lump and didn’t say a word about it. It’s about my fav lump mesquite out here in CA, and it’s cheap.

[@tomwadek]

I’ve used it before and it’s great for the price. I feel like California is really limited for some reason. I was at a home depot in Arizona and the whole isle had like 10 different brands.

[@mariacaterinabruciapaglial1051]

I did not know I have been inhaling bad smoke all this time. Thanks for the smoke advice!! Gonna be more aware of it know, and ask for a chimney as bday gift lol

[@tomwadek]

I’m glad I could help. Funny story, when I first started BBQing as a teenager, I was used to my parents propane grill. I was invited to a friends bday party and he asked me to grill. I had never used a charcoal grill before and I remember soaking the charcoal in lighter fluid and then igniting it. A huge fire ball formed and the coals started to ignite. Unfortunately, the grill was right next to his bedroom window which was opened. No one realized until it was too late but the smoke was being pumped into his room for the full 30 mins. That room stunk of charcoal for a month! Lol

[@SCarter76]

Maria - Once you use a chimney (with newspaper or 'tumble weeds' to light the coals) you will never go back to the charcoal lighter fluid! There will be a major difference in how your food tastes. I feel like I can really tell if the person used charcoal lighter fluid on their charcoal grill when I eat their grilled food. Happy Grilling!

[@michaelshaw9740]

Great video, thanks.

[@tomwadek]

No problem. Thanks for watching

[@S1L3NTG4M3R]

Thanks

[@userperson5259]

Super helpful.

[@tomwadek]

Thanks for watching

[@nebraskaryan9308]

Can you use Fogo premium lump charcoal (black bag) in a Weber master touch kettle grill?

[@tomwadek]

You can use any charcoal in any charcoal grill.

[@nebraskaryan9308]

@@tomwadek ok the reason why I was asked is bc I wasn’t for sure if the lump coal tore up the insides of a Weber grill

[@tomwadek]

@@nebraskaryan9308 the Webers can handle a lot of heat. Happy grilling

[@darkscholar7]

moral of this story: don’t live in california 😂

[@LJfootball14]

Rule of thumb that always works for me is Lump for longer smokes and briquettes for when I’m doing more faster cooks for example steaks. Anytime I want a good smoke flavor I always always use Lump.

[@robinjohnson2749]

Do you know if it harmful to eat cowboy lump charcoal or wood 🪵 charcoal leave me a message

[@tomwadek]

Yes

[@donaldbiddle]

Charcoal to control bad odors

[@robinjohnson2749]

Lump charcoal have you ever heard people who eat charcoal and coal dust is it safe to eat this woman who eats it is the cowboy lomp charcoal can you Leave me a message

[@donaldbiddle]

For trash can😊

[@stillwater62]

I no longer do business with Amazon for that same reason. I purchased an item that was the exact same thing bring sold at several other sites but was twelve dollars cheaper on Amazon. Amazon confirmed the order, confirmed it had shipped and the very day it was to arrive, Amazon canceled the order and said it was no longer in stock. The next day there were plenty of this item in stock BUT at twelve and fourteen dollars higher. Amazon is a BIG POS and I will not be doing business with them again. Amazon lied about the shipping, lied about the availability, and do not deserve my business. The thousands I had spent with them , they killed over twelve dollars.

[@varun009]

Seems like California has nothing.

[@mikebird5148]

Communist state.....

[@ginocapone7783]

Hey kid im from texas dont use hard wood stay away from it its not natural. Use lump misquite. Its healty for you.😊

[@tomwadek]

Thanks for the tip

[@captnmaim]

Cowboy brand briquettes are incredible

[@tomwadek]

I’ve heard. I need to try some

[@milumav]

Are they truly natural and safe?

[@captnmaim]

@@milumav yes

[@milumav]

@@captnmaim k, thanks for the info. 🤜🤛