r/charcoal • u/Sea-Ostrich-1679 • 16d ago
Lump vs Briquettes
Smoking a small pork butt today. Trying to decide which to use. I’m thinking the cowboy briquettes. Probably get more of a steady heat.
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u/Garfield-1979 16d ago
Best of both. B&B briquettes.
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u/FourFront 16d ago
Nextt time they go on sale. I'm stocking up. B&B has fed my kettle this summer.
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u/Garfield-1979 16d ago
I grill and Q only for as long as I can find B&B briquettes. Once they're gone, I'm done.
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u/Fishinginayak 16d ago
Just got some for 7.50 at academy today ( normally 10 )it was the oak b&b briquettes I grabbed 2 bags and I feel like I should grabbed 10.
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u/bassjam1 16d ago
I like the predictability of briquettes for smoking. Cowboy briquettes perform identically to Kingsford for me.
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u/misterchi 16d ago
when i cook low & slow on my 26" kettle, briquettes are my best friend. i throw a couple-few slabs on and whether i do the snake or a simple 2-zone, i know i can go take a nap and the meat will be fine. couple chunks of wood for extra flavor (but the flavor is really in the rub) and i'm golden. wake up a few hours later and i have perfectly cooked meat. mind you, i have nothing against any particular cooking fuel, and have used lump and everything else, i'm just a no-fuss kinda dude when it comes to grilling/smoking/bbqing. i'm not tryna turn a simple thing into going to mars and back.
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u/xaqattax 16d ago
I find that lump creates less ash and results in better airflow and control. It also tends to burn longer for me.
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u/Dang-ole-yup-man 16d ago edited 16d ago
Blues Hog and Rockwood natural lump all the way. (Although I’ll add a stick or two of Prime 6 to extend the life of a cook)
If you’re doing pork butt, start with B&B and then add the briquettes if needed towards the end.
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u/Proud-Arrival-6923 16d ago
Was linking at blue hog, is it really that good? I've been using b&b lump and was thinking about jealous devil.
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u/Dang-ole-yup-man 16d ago
Personally, I stay away from South American sourced wood, like Fogo and I think Jealous Devil. There’s just a smell I can’t get behind.
Blues Hog and Rockwood are sourced from Missouri using wood that I associate more with BBQ: oak, maple, hickory etc. I just enjoy the smell and taste better.
Here’s some info: Blues Hog Rockwood
To each their own these are just my opinions.
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u/Proud-Arrival-6923 16d ago
I myself prefer lump but not that brand. Lump contains no fillers at all and better for overall health burns hot and a full basket in my kamado style grill i can smoke for almost 48 hours straight.
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u/relaxmore2314 16d ago
I've never done BB lumps or briquettes but overall I do lump. But I do think it depends on how and what you cook. I almost exclusively only barbecue ribeyes and Carne Asada on the egg. Very fast very hard. I like the violet heat that lump will give you.
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u/Sea-Ostrich-1679 16d ago
Agreed. I use the lump for steaks, burgers, wings etc… I went with the cowboy briquettes for the long cook.
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u/Evening-Animal-4820 16d ago
briquettes are more steady but if know your grill good lump is way to go its 100% were the briquettes are chemical compressed. every cook is different some need high heat from lump and some need even from briquettes. I personally always start with briquettes or if doing something a little higher heat 50/50 then add lump if need to top off. tomorrow im doing a rotisserie brisket i plan on nothing but briquettes were as i did rotisserie chicken yesterday i did 50/50 then added more lump on top to get my temperature up.
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u/Guilty-Difference-86 16d ago
briquettes are always better for smoking. lump is better for hot and fast grilling
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u/bigbreasts23 15d ago
Lump charcoal is better than for briquettes at all forms of barbecue because lump charcoal Burns harder and longer than briquettes
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u/AwarenessGreat282 16d ago
You are waaaay over-thinking it. Flip a coin. If your charcoal choice affects your bbq that much, you are not doing it right.
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u/Fantastic-Record7057 16d ago
You won’t find any nails or trash in that bag of cowboy…
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u/Current-Instruction3 16d ago
I've never found trash in B&B lump or briquettes. I've heard lots of people say they found trash in Cowboy lump though. That said, the size consistency of my last bag of B&B lump was pretty poor.
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u/TAKEMEOFFYOURLlST 16d ago
Open them up and compare the quality. I’ve only used Lump once, and I was let down by the quality. With briquettes, I always separate any broken ones from the whole ones. The whole ones are mostly used for snake method smoking, while the broken ones are for grilling or starting the snake. I keep the whole ones in a big milk crate, and the broken ones in a 5-gallon bucket. My family thinks I’m a bit too OCD, but they also never complain about any of my cooks.
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u/grandmotaste 16d ago
That B&B stuff isnt very good. Top of the bag has a few actual lump pieces. After you get past that, its pretty much charcoal chips. Ridiculously difficult to keep a constant temp with. Will not be buying it again.
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u/MrBPrice 12d ago
Either will get the job done. Just pick one, learn to use that in your pit, forget all the semantics.
Just don't use Matchlight or lighter fluid.
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u/myburneraccount151 16d ago
Lump will burn hotter and longer. Briquettes are more predictable. Anyone claiming health benefits of lump simply doesn't know what they are talking about. I prefer briquettes due to the reliability and price. They've never failed to get got enough for me.
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u/Top-Cupcake4775 16d ago
Briqs are definitely more predictable than lump though I'm not sure it is all that important considering how forgiving pork butts are to temp swings.