Duwop wrote:

I bet this is cooker specific to an extent, maybe even more dependant on
what type of lump you use. For instance, offsets have no burning dripping
fat, but still get good BBQ flavors. If you use lump based on furniture
scrap, I understand why you might have come to this conclusion. I suspect a
Royal Oak user, or people who use lump similar to Royal Oak probably think
differently. It's hard to remember how different all our cooking set ups
can be when making these generalizations, huh? Thanks for the reminder Ed.

Nathan or Eddie, you using wood chunks with Lazzari in your WSM?

Sometimes I throw in one of Eddie's cherry or apricot logs. Sometimes I
throw in a few chunks of oak. Sometimes I thrown in a foil packet of
apple, hickory, or mesquite chips. Depends on the flavor I'm going for.

--
Aloha,

Nathan Lau
San Jose, CA

#include std.disclaimer

"Dave K." wrote in message ...
I was surprised to read on the Virtual Weber Bullet site (see
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html ) that it says that the
charcoal itself doesn't add much to the taste of the meat that you cook in
your WSM. Is that true? In other words, if you cooked a brisket or pork butt
in a WSM using regular Kingsford charcoal or even lump charcoal, without
adding wood, would it have ANY smokey taste to it? Or is a smoker's heating
source (charcoal, propane or electric) irrelevant to the taste of the food,
as long as good smoking wood is added, and as long as the proper, steady
cooking temperature is maintained in the smoker?

Incomplete coversion of wood to lump charcoal will leave some wood
content in the charcoal. This could impart some flavor (depending on
the wood species). If the author of VWB website is using Kingsford
he's getting a taste but, it's NOT smoke!

Before I knew better I used Kingsford. In fact, my first "cook" was an
injected Turkey in a Kingsford oval patio-type charcoal grill (with
the white-hot briquettes on the sides).

I used Kingsford AND hickory chips with a water/drip pan under the
bird. Judging from the smell on my clothes it was the chips that
imparted the majority of the flavor.

When tasting the bird it was the smoking chips, rub, injected
marinade, apple, and onion (halves) stuffed in the cavity that
imparted flavor/mositure.
The first time I tried lump I learned what else I was missing...the
Kingsford stink!

Flavorful smoke can only come from aromatic wood (oak, hickory,
mesquite, apple, etc.).

Rob
Q' 4 all so long as it's not parboiled.

In article ,
(Rob) wrote:

Incomplete coversion of wood to lump charcoal will leave some wood
content in the charcoal. This could impart some flavor (depending on
the wood species). If the author of VWB website is using Kingsford
he's getting a taste but, it's NOT smoke!

I try to weed these bits out as I sort through my lump. My main sources
of lump sell Cowboy (and its many other names) This residual wood is
usually oak or mesquite-a couple of pretty strong smoking woods. They
can ruin a nice cherry, alder or apple smoking session is not removed.


Before I knew better I used Kingsford. In fact, my first "cook" was an
injected Turkey in a Kingsford oval patio-type charcoal grill (with
the white-hot briquettes on the sides).

I used Kingsford AND hickory chips with a water/drip pan under the
bird. Judging from the smell on my clothes it was the chips that
imparted the majority of the flavor.

I used Kingsford for yeeeears. I always always always preburned it,
though. Readily-available lump is sadly a fairly new thing in my
world.

When tasting the bird it was the smoking chips, rub, injected
marinade, apple, and onion (halves) stuffed in the cavity that
imparted flavor/mositure.
The first time I tried lump I learned what else I was missing...the
Kingsford stink!

Burns hotter, longer, cleaner-There's a lot to miss by dumping the
briquettes.

monroe(lump convert hallelujah)

Personally I cannot believe anyone would even begin to make a statement that
charcoal (lump, briquette or otherwise) does not lend flavor to the meat
when compared to gas or electric. Anyone who believes that gas or electric
is as flavorful as charcoal should put thier crack pipe down and step away
from the grill. If this is true why even light the grill? I have a stove
in the kitchen that does the same thing! I mean try this for yourself, cook
a burger in your oven and one on a charcoal grill. That should quell the
question pretty much right there.

As far as just plain charcoal producing as much flavor as charcoal and wood
chunks....taste for yourself.
Personally, I TRIED to get wood smoke flavor from a gas grill using a cast
iron smoker box. While I got a little smoke falvoring I ran across a cheap
charcoal smoker for $15. After the first bite of hickory smoked chicken
breasts I was sold. I gave the gas grill to my neighbor and bought a
kickin' charcoal and gas smoker. The gas is a nice way to start the
charcoal if you run out of lighter fluid and doesn't leave the petroleum
taste if you don't burn it off. It's also handy to just light the gas and
load the fire pan up with chunks of your favorite wood.

Another testimonial: My wife and I recently moved from MD to Southern Cali.
We made an extended stop in Memphis and ate a B.B. King's Blues Cafe on
Beale Street. B.B.'s ribs are above and beyond the best ribs I have eaten
in all my 34 years! My mouth is watering just thinking about them! While I
was talking to the waiter about cooking and the secret to the ribs, he
started laughing telling me about the folks that show up for the BBQ cook
offs with gas grills and think they can compete with the wood and charcoal
cookers.

As far as lump vs. briquette......I think that's another argument in of
itself.


"Dave K." wrote in message
...
I was surprised to read on the Virtual Weber Bullet site (see
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html ) that it says that the
charcoal itself doesn't add much to the taste of the meat that you cook in
your WSM. Is that true? In other words, if you cooked a brisket or pork
butt
in a WSM using regular Kingsford charcoal or even lump charcoal, without
adding wood, would it have ANY smokey taste to it? Or is a smoker's
heating
source (charcoal, propane or electric) irrelevant to the taste of the
food,
as long as good smoking wood is added, and as long as the proper, steady
cooking temperature is maintained in the smoker?

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when
replying.
This is a spam guard.

"Rob" wrote

The first time I tried lump I learned what else I was missing...the
Kingsford stink!

Flavorful smoke can only come from aromatic wood (oak, hickory,
mesquite, apple, etc.).

Rob
Q' 4 all so long as it's not parboiled.



Amazing how people what smoke/grill on Kingsford can't taste the deisel
aftertaste.

TFM®

TFM® wrote:
"Rob" wrote

The first time I tried lump I learned what else I was missing...the
Kingsford stink!


Amazing how people what smoke/grill on Kingsford can't taste the
deisel aftertaste.

TFM®

Until you've tried different, you don't recognize it. Most of us grew up
with that taste and associate it with grilling. To tell the truth, I thought
lump was a bit flavorless at first. Hell, after kerosene most things would
have a comparitive lack of flavor.


--

"Duwop" wrote in message
...
TFM® wrote:
"Rob" wrote

The first time I tried lump I learned what else I was missing...the
Kingsford stink!


Amazing how people what smoke/grill on Kingsford can't taste the
deisel aftertaste.

TFM®

Until you've tried different, you don't recognize it. Most of us grew up
with that taste and associate it with grilling. To tell the truth, I
thought
lump was a bit flavorless at first. Hell, after kerosene most things would
have a comparitive lack of flavor.


--






Agreed. I went from briquettes to trees. Only tried lump since Ive been in
Fl. I always add real logs. Must be to compensate for the "lack of
flavor".

TFM®

In article , Adam First
wrote:

I'd second the comments of Monroe.

Preburned Kingsford works well as a heat source.

Of course, if I could get 48lbs of lump for $10, I'd switch.

The fisrt benefit of using lump instead of briquettes is not having to
have two fires going.
If there is a 'best' briquette out there (in case of direst emergency)
I'd guess Kingsford would be it.

monroe(i mean direst)

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 18:26:52 GMT, "Monroe, of course..."
wrote:

In article , Adam First
wrote:

I'd second the comments of Monroe.

Preburned Kingsford works well as a heat source.

Of course, if I could get 48lbs of lump for $10, I'd switch.

The fisrt benefit of using lump instead of briquettes is not having to
have two fires going.
If there is a 'best' briquette out there (in case of direst emergency)
I'd guess Kingsford would be it.

monroe(i mean direst)

I haven't tried it yet, Monroe, but Kamado's extruded coconut shell
'briquettes' are drawing rave reviews and reportedly do not contain
stuff with ugly names in them.
I personally wouldn't Kingsford briquettes house room ever again.
[Running clean for over 8 years now].

Harry

In article , Harry
Demidavicius wrote:

I personally wouldn't Kingsford briquettes house room ever again.
[Running clean for over 8 years now].

LOL! One day at a time, Harry, one day at a time...
Work them steps....

monroe(kicked for 11 yrs)

On Sat, 20 Mar 2004 02:37:20 GMT, "Monroe, of course..."
wrote:

In article , Harry
Demidavicius wrote:

I personally wouldn't Kingsford briquettes house room ever again.
[Running clean for over 8 years now].

LOL! One day at a time, Harry, one day at a time...
Work them steps....

monroe(kicked for 11 yrs)

My name is Harry . . . . .

Harry Demidavicius wrote:
On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 18:26:52 GMT, "Monroe, of course..."
wrote:

In article , Adam First
wrote:

I'd second the comments of Monroe.

Preburned Kingsford works well as a heat source.

Of course, if I could get 48lbs of lump for $10, I'd switch.

The fisrt benefit of using lump instead of briquettes is not having to
have two fires going.
If there is a 'best' briquette out there (in case of direst emergency)
I'd guess Kingsford would be it.

monroe(i mean direst)

I haven't tried it yet, Monroe, but Kamado's extruded coconut shell
'briquettes' are drawing rave reviews and reportedly do not contain
stuff with ugly names in them.
I personally wouldn't Kingsford briquettes house room ever again.
[Running clean for over 8 years now].

Harry

I have, just recently. And only one box. But, I tend to agree with the reviews
of the Kamado extruded coconut charcoal. It *is* *practically* smoke and taste
free. But, you do get smoke from drippings onto the charcoal, not the same as
dripping onto a gas fire.
I do miss the "wood" taste unless I add chunks, and need to add more wood than
before with regular lump charcoal. It is a completely different charcoal, and
will take some tweaking.

At the Florida Fest, someone baked a peach and blueberry crisp on my K5, using
the extruded coconut lump, and the crisp was relatively smoke free in the taste.
I'm going to try baking a cake (when I get a "round tuit"), just to see how
smoke and taste free the stuff actually is.

BOB

"Harry Demidavicius" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 18:26:52 GMT, "Monroe, of course..."
wrote:

In article , Adam First
wrote:

I'd second the comments of Monroe.

Preburned Kingsford works well as a heat source.

Of course, if I could get 48lbs of lump for $10, I'd switch.

The fisrt benefit of using lump instead of briquettes is not having to
have two fires going.
If there is a 'best' briquette out there (in case of direst emergency)
I'd guess Kingsford would be it.

monroe(i mean direst)

I haven't tried it yet, Monroe, but Kamado's extruded coconut shell
'briquettes' are drawing rave reviews and reportedly do not contain
stuff with ugly names in them.
I personally wouldn't Kingsford briquettes house room ever again.
[Running clean for over 8 years now].

Harry

A few yrs. ago I bought some extruded "hardwood charcoal" from Mall-Wart. Worked
fine and lasted longer than regular lump. They don't seem to carry it anymore.

I have seen charcoal extruders for sale.

_________
ht_redneck

In article m,
BubbaBob wrote:

"Tyler Hopper" wrote:


A few yrs. ago I bought some extruded "hardwood charcoal" from
Mall-Wart. Worked fine and lasted longer than regular lump. They
don't seem to carry it anymore.

I used about a half dozen sacks of that stuff. It was very neutral in
flavor and aroma, which gave you a lot more control over your final
result. It burned very evenly and lasted well. The fragments burned
at the same rate as the whole pieces. I'd buy it again but they've
stopped stocking it.

Yep-it was fairly inexpensive, too. Came in a nice rip-stop poly bag
with a handle. I still use the bags from the stuff!
I took some of the big pieces and put them in my chimney starter all
aligned like organ pipes and lit 'em up....talk about flame thrower!

monroe(fire is fun)

I took some of the big pieces and put them in my chimney starter all
aligned like organ pipes and lit 'em up....talk about flame thrower!

monroe(fire is fun)

I bought a few bags of that stuff, it well in my offset smoker. But I
seem to remember it took forever to get that stuff light. It was hard
as a rock. But once it got going, watch out!