This is not a rookie question, and as you found out... if you wait until the coals are right to meat the meet, your food will taste better. All the suggestions are good ones and using lump 99% of the time I would experiment with a couple of brands to see how it performs for you.
What sometimes is a rookie mistake is taking slightly deceiving advertising as gospel. Brands like Royal Oak (which I use) claim the coals are ready in 15 minutes. Cookers like Big Green Egg (which I use) also claim you are "ready to cook" in something like 15 or 20 minutes... both of these statements are slightly misleading and I allow more time. Even some cook books, cooking hosts or products (like a 15 minute marinade) are just as bad when it comes to timing...Obviously marketing plays a role here, and maybe many folks are in a hurry to light a fire, prep the food, cook and get it to the table – I guess I'm not in that demographic. :mrgreen: