*Charcoal* BBQ/Grilling

Kamikaze Kamado

Genuine restaurant grade charcoal is chemical free and has large lumps made from hardwood. Large lumps burn longer so it's more efficient to use. Restaurant grade is also far superior for taste.

Some others charcoal can contain loads of small pieces and lots of messy dust...so it burns more quickly (so it's false economy buying the cheap stuff because you go through it in no time). It can also contain additives which can negatively effect the taste of your food...

Kamikaze Kamado

cubatahavana wrote: »

Still waiting for my kamado Bono grande. I think it’s been 2 months already. Anyone similar? Getting it from Higgins

Higgins buy them from another company...the company are saying it'll be the end of April or into May before they get them back into stock. It'll be worth the wait though!

Shakey_jake

Brian? wrote: »

That's not entirely true. Most lumpwood is simply that, lumpwood charcoal. You're thinking of instant light charcoal

Not entirely no, but true enough

cubatahavana

Kamikaze Kamado wrote: »

Higgins buy them from another company...the company are saying it'll be the end of April or into May before they get them back into stock. It'll be worth the wait though!

Fingers crossed for end of April. I can’t wait!

Brian?

Shakey_jake wrote: »

Not entirely no, but true enough

Not really. The truth is that any lumpwood charcoal that doesn't say "instant light" contains nothing but charcoal. So accellerant content is not something your need to worry about when distinguishing between normal lumpwood and "restaurant grade" lumpwood.

The main difference is the size of the lumps.

It's the same line of thinking as people who dismiss briquettes as "full of chemicals", when they arent. They are wood mixed with starch, usually corn starch, unless they are instant light.

Key message should always be: don't buy instant light charcoal.

Shakey_jake

Brian? wrote: »

Key message should always be: don't buy instant light charcoal.

or buy restaurant grade

beertons

Lit the Joe today. Before the hailstones had started.

budgemook

The angle of that photo is making my head hurt.

blue note

Why cut the sausages? Do you not want to keep the juices in?

beertons

Dunno how photo loaded wonky. Sausages were gorgeous. Got them in Polonez, my neighbour cuts them like that too, always taste amazing. I guess it's just how I like them.

Brian?

blue note wrote: »

Why cut the sausages? Do you not want to keep the juices in?

Those Polish sausages will explode if you don’t.

Brian?

Shakey_jake wrote: »

or buy restaurant grade

No. Buys whatever is the best value.

Wolftown

I've tried plenty of different varieties and still come back to the blue bag. The only other type I liked was Weber, which at best is on par with the restaurant grade and is more expensive.

Brian?

Wolftown wrote: »

I've tried plenty of different varieties and still come back to the blue bag. The only other type I liked was Weber, which at best is on par with the restaurant grade and is more expensive.

Don’t equate cost with value.

It depends what you’re using it for. I only use Weber briquettes if I’m doing long cooks, anything more than grilling really. They burn predictably and will burn for 3 hours. They are made of wood and corn starch. Considering how long they burn and how few adjustments I need to make during the cook, I think they are great value.

Lumpwood charcoal is phenomenal for getting a high heat sear and I wouldn’t cook steaks on anything else. If the restaurant grade lumpwood is cheaper than Weber lumpwood, then it is better value.

At the end of the day, this debate has been done to death. There is no one right charcoal. Which is the point I keep making. Just buy good value charcoal that will provide the heat you want for the time you want.

The Nal

Last cook I used the Bar-Be-Quick lumpwood. Got it in Woodies. €10 for 4.5kg. Half the price of the Weber stuff and its exactly the same.

davegilly

The Nal wrote: »

Last cook I used the Bar-Be-Quick lumpwood. Got it in Woodies. €10 for 4.5kg. Half the price of the Weber stuff and its exactly the same.

You must have gotten a Weber bag that fell off a truck and was rolled over by tractor if it was the same as the bar-be-quick bag? That bbquick stuff is glorified dust?

It's like anything in life - you pay for what you get. There is no problem using cheaper stuff and if it works for you then great, stick with ir. But there is no comparison between the cheap stuff in woodies/Lidl etc and the more expensive Weber/Blue Bag stuff.

bigjoe

T-b0n3 wrote: »

It's charging me €45 for delivery. Seems to suggest it's only free for bulk pallet delivery. Did you get free delivery for 2 bags?

I just got it now for €37 total if that helps.

bigjoe

Brian? wrote: »

Don’t equate cost with value.


Lumpwood charcoal is phenomenal for getting a high heat sear and I wouldn’t cook steaks on anything else. If the restaurant grade lumpwood is cheaper than Weber lumpwood, then it is better value.

My wife likes her steaks well done so I cook our steaks (mine M/rear) reverse sear and find most briquettes do a great job, I very rarely use lump wood as it produces more smoke and if I want smoke, I add my own.

T-b0n3

bigjoe wrote: »

I just got it now for €37 total if that helps.

I just checked again and it's still 45 for delivery. I live in Dublin. Strange.

bigjoe

T-b0n3 wrote: »

I just checked again and it's still 45 for delivery. I live in Dublin. Strange.

I am in Dublin too, that's mad. Did you use the one in special offers?

https://surefirewood.ie/collections/surefire-special-offers/products/24kg-restaurant-charcoal

bigjoe

Shipping method

Standard
Payment method

SagePay Form - €37.00

From my receipt.

T-b0n3

bigjoe wrote: »

I am in Dublin too, that's mad. Did you use the one in special offers?

https://surefirewood.ie/collections/surefire-special-offers/products/24kg-restaurant-charcoal

My mistake, I was not using the special offer one, thanks for the link, ordered now.

The Nal

davegilly wrote: »

You must have gotten a Weber bag that fell off a truck and was rolled over by tractor if it was the same as the bar-be-quick bag? That bbquick stuff is glorified dust?

Wasnt no. Some huge bits in there and was bananas hot because I put too much in. Took a while to come back down to smoking temp from 400f. Half a bag to start and then two handfuls over 10 hours cooking. Did a pork shoulder, babyback ribs, pork ribs and a 2.2kg chicken. All perfect.

FixitFelix

The Nal wrote: »

Last cook I used the Bar-Be-Quick lumpwood. Got it in Woodies. €10 for 4.5kg. Half the price of the Weber stuff and its exactly the same.

This, I do not believe:)

The chan chan man

The Nal wrote: »

Wasnt no. Some huge bits in there and was bananas hot because I put too much in. Took a while to come back down to smoking temp from 400f. Half a bag to start and then two handfuls over 10 hours cooking. Did a pork shoulder, babyback ribs, pork ribs and a 2.2kg chicken. All perfect.

What bbq/smoker are you using? 10 hours on half a bag of bb quick lumpwood is insane. I use that for grilling a quick saussies and burgers jobbie and it barely lasts!

Wolftown

Brian? wrote: »

Don’t equate cost with value.

It depends what you’re using it for. I only use Weber briquettes if I’m doing long cooks, anything more than grilling really. They burn predictably and will burn for 3 hours. They are made of wood and corn starch. Considering how long they burn and how few adjustments I need to make during the cook, I think they are great value.

Lumpwood charcoal is phenomenal for getting a high heat sear and I wouldn’t cook steaks on anything else. If the restaurant grade lumpwood is cheaper than Weber lumpwood, then it is better value.

At the end of the day, this debate has been done to death. There is no one right charcoal. Which is the point I keep making. Just buy good value charcoal that will provide the heat you want for the time you want.

Yes I agree with this, briquettes will definitely give a longer burn and I'd also turn to Weber if doing a long cook.

The Nal

The chan chan man wrote: »

What bbq/smoker are you using? 10 hours on half a bag of bb quick lumpwood is insane. I use that for grilling a quick saussies and burgers jobbie and it barely lasts!

Weber Smoky Mountain. Got really hot quickly so cooked with the vents halfway closed for most of the cook. Wasn't quite just half a bag. Couple of handfuls added throughout.

But yeah Id imagine it wouldn't last as long on the BBQ. That said, I used one handful on the hibachi grill a few weeks back and it lasted for a couple of hours.

I find people try to over complicate BBQing for some reason. No need. Its the easiest thing in the world to cook. No skills needed and nearly all of the charcoal/coal is the same.

Hate seeing people being ripped off with "restaurant" or "professional" charcoal.

Blisterman

Did a first cook on the weber smokey mountain to make some ribs over the weekend. Used generic "Grill" brand hardware store charcoal briquettes, and found I had to keep all the vents open to reach even 110c. Also, the ribs tasted very sooty. Not a pleasant wood flavour. Could the charcoal be to blame?

willabur

The Nal wrote: »

Weber Smoky Mountain. Got really hot quickly so cooked with the vents halfway closed for most of the cook. Wasn't quite just half a bag. Couple of handfuls added throughout.

But yeah Id imagine it wouldn't last as long on the BBQ. That said, I used one handful on the hibachi grill a few weeks back and it lasted for a couple of hours.

I find people try to over complicate BBQing for some reason. No need. Its the easiest thing in the world to cook. No skills needed and nearly all of the charcoal/coal is the same.

Hate seeing people being ripped off with "restaurant" or "professional" charcoal.

Except there is a massive difference in the charcoal. Blacker smoke, breaks down into a sand that clogs up your vents, harder to light and get up to temp

Blue charcoal has been great for me. Easy to light and it burns clean. I prefer weber charcoal in my uds as it's for longer cooks so it holds temp better and is just more consistent due to shape etc

uberwolf

bigjoe wrote: »

I am in Dublin too, that's mad. Did you use the one in special offers?

https://surefirewood.ie/collections/surefire-special-offers/products/24kg-restaurant-charcoal

ordered as well, thanks.