robbq
is one Smokin' Farker
Yes, wicked good is the best I have found. It has huge chunks and burns really clean.
First time using lump, what should I know?
- Thread starter ThePerfectBeard
- Start date
Freddy j
is one Smokin' Farker
Had the same on my WSM with kings ford blue. I switched to lump and loved it. Let us know your thoughts.
Freddy j
is one Smokin' Farker
Smokinitup
Full Fledged Farker
If you light with a MAP torch be sure to wear safety glasses! Believe me Ive learned my lesson!
SmokinFatties
Full Fledged Farker
It's my experience that briquettes hold a steadier temp but as been said you trade steadier temps of briquettes for less ash and better flavor of lump. I mix 3:1 RO lump to KBB briquettes I get more consistent temps and best of both fuels.
thesemicullen
Full Fledged Farker
Don't wear flip flops when dumping your chimney. 
Q Junkie
is Blowin Smoke!
Well, the first time you have an ember pop out and into your UGG boots you will understand the concern.
I Should not be wearing UGG boots anyway.:tsk:
SGH
is Blowin Smoke!
I use lump exclusively in my BGE's and my Pitmaker Vault. Here are some things that I have noticed. You can achieve a higher temp with lump. This is irrelevant except when grilling direct. As others have already mentioned, ash production is minimal. Different brands impart a different flavor profile. For a near neutral taste I prefer Rockwood. Especially for cooking things where you want only a minimal amount of smoke. Example- bread, cornbread etc. Ozark Oak is outstanding on meat in general. It has a excellent light oak taste. As far as popping, it certainly can happen. However I find that Ozark Oak and Rockwood do not pop as bad as others. However this is not a real concern to me because once the lump is burning clean the popping stops no matter what the brand. The biggest thing to watch out for is VOC burn off. Let your lump burn until the exhaust smells clean and there is no visible white smoke. At this point you have burned off the VOC's and are good to go. I do not own a WSM so I can not speak directly for how it will perform in a WSM. But in my BGE I can hold any temp that I want for over 24 hours with minimal vent adjustments. The same holds true in my Vault. This is just my opinion but I have burned a few tons of lump in my life, Royal Oak is average at best when compared to Rockwood, Ozark Oak, Dragons Breath and Wicked Good. Im sure that there are other great lumps out there. But I can vouch for the fore mentioned.
FireboxBBQ
Got Wood.
Thanks for the outstanding information. I am lucky and just found a local meat market that carries Wicked Good. I'll give that a try in both my WSM, and my BBQ Vault when I get it in a few weeks.
SGH, any other tips for using lump in the BBQ Vault?
SGH
is Blowin Smoke!
The only thing when using it in a vertical cabinet is to be sure that you bunch it up or sort of lightly pack it so there is no skips in it. Because of lumps irregular shape and size differences in the pieces, there can be skips or voids in the pile. This can cause your fire to go out due to lack of contact. But even this is not much of a issue. And it can be avoided all together by simply piling the lump up well. I put on a leather glove and simply lightly push and mash the lump around. I have ran my Vault for 16 hours on lump with outstanding results.
FireboxBBQ
Got Wood.
Read some stuff online about not getting a good smoke ring with a vault. It's not a big issue with me because taste is king, but I'd still like to be able to achieve a good ring. What is your experience?
Sorry to go off topic guys, I should do a forum search to see if this has been discussed, but I'm kinda drive-by posting from work.
SGH
is Blowin Smoke!
Sir I have had great luck with the Vault producing a smoke ring. I run a 50/50 mix of oak and pecan wood mixed in the lump and have had great luck thus far. I would like to point out that my more impressive smoke rings have always came when I ran water in the pan. I do a lot of dry cooking and get good rings, but again when I run water in the pan the smoke ring is a given. When time is not a issue, I now run water.
FireboxBBQ
Got Wood.
ThePerfectBeard
Knows what a fatty is.
So this Royal Oak smells fantastic.
The biggest things I've noticed is the lack of white smoke. There's absolutely none, not even in the beginning.
Second, WOW these temps jump.
SGH
is Blowin Smoke!
Brother you will love the Vault. It's build quality is second to none. Once you lock that bad boy in it will hold temps unbelievably well. The only thing I would do differnt is get the SS racks. However I'm going to upgrade to them real soon.
captndan
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Sparks, what sparks? VOC, what VOC? Trash, what trash? Lighting with a MAAP torch, what's wrong with that? Temp swings, what temp swings? If you're serious about using lump don't buy it make it.
