Need input for making the switch between briquettes and Royal Oak

[tenpenny_05]

I have always used briquettes in my WSM (kingsford then stubbs). Last week I saw a bright and shiny red back of Royal Oak at walmart and decided maybe its time to give it a try.
Last night I fired up a full chimney of it to grill some burgers on my little black egg and I have some concerns:
1)While the chimney was being lit, it was popping A LOT shooting embers everywhere.
2)When I dumped it out onto the charcoal grate, a lot of the smaller pieces immediately fell to the bottom
3)It didn't seem to get hot or stay hot for very long. When I use briquettes on my little black egg, I can get it roaring hot and it stays that way for awhile. I think the royal oak climbed up to maybe 500 but didn't stay there very long (granted it was cold outside, but it was out of the wind)

So my question is: Are all of these things just par for the course? I want to smoke a turkey breast this afternoon. Usually I can light one chimney of stubbs and dump it over another non lit chimney and it gives me the temp (325-350ish) for the 3 or 4 hours i need to do a breast. Do I need to adjust this for royal oak?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Smith's Pig Pen]

If you're going in the lump direction, try going with a 2nd grate and run the bars crossways so less of the little bits fall through. Also you could take a look at the Kickash Basket.

I experimented with both on my kettle and Akorn. I liked the lump for my shorter cooks and reverse searing but for a longer cook, I prefer the Stubbs.

 

[gtsum]

Lump burns hotter and cleaner than briquettes with far less ash. Sparking and spitting is normal when lighting it. Briquettes impart more of a charcoal flavor then lump imo (which is more wood like to me).


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[Gore]

Lump burns hotter and cleaner than briquettes with far less ash. Sparking and spitting is normal when lighting it. Briquettes impart more of a charcoal flavor than lump imo (which is more wood like to me).


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"Briquettes impart more of a charcoal flavor than lump" is very kind. "Chemically" is the more common description and is why I don't use briquettes.

There is a learning curve to using lump, but the results are well worth it.

 

[gtsum]

^^agreed

 

[McSpazatron]

Buy yourself some expanded metal with the smaller gaps in the mesh (i think its the 3/4 inch mesh). Buy the thinner kind so you can cut it by hand (with a diagonal cutter or tin snips) to the size of your current grate. Then just lay the expanded metal over the top of the grate. If you are switching to lump, you might as well do this right away because it will avoid frustration from all the waste falling through to the bottom.

You can get the thicker expanded metal, but you'll need a grinder to cut that stuff. The thin ones can be cut by hand, although it is tedious.

As far as lighting it, the safest is in a chimney away from flammable things. You already noticed how much lump will snap and spit- and those will burn for a second or two. But this only happens when its warming up, once it is lit it will quite down.

I take a shortcut and it use a plumbers torch to light up lump in the chimney (or right in the smoker). But beware!!! Use welding gloves and dont be in the line of sight of charcoal, make sure to hide your face with something solid between the fire and you. The spittle will burn holes in long sleeves, and heaven help you if a lit one flies in your eye. When Im lighting inside the weber, I usually put the lid over the coals and sneak the torch in there for a while until I get a couple bright cherrys on the pile. About 15-25 min later, youll be ready to cook.

 

[wormy]

Not to get into the kbb posing match but I have switched to RO for my regular grilling and stubbs for smoking and I have not looked back. While.I think kbb is fine and I am not above using it I just feel that the other two mentioned are superior. It is normal for the sparks as well but the issue with not getting as hot as briquettes has not happend to.me

 

[HawgHeaven]

Been using RO briqs and lump for years. The lump burns hotter and does not last as long as the briqs for sure. If you are doing a long cook, try using a combo of both in snake mode, stacked carefully.

 

[Joe Black]

I'm a stick burner, but I use RO lump for a good coal base. I put about a chimney of lump in the basket in my FB, then I light about 2/3 chimney of RO briqs. When they are red and ready, I spread them over the lump. I never get any sparking. When the lump is thoroughly involved, I put in 2-3 good dry splits and bring the CC up to temp for cooking. From then on its all pre-heated splits.

That's my story, but if you want to use all coal, I would start it the same way and just use lump for cooking after the start-up.