Approximately how much lump do I need to have on hand for smoking
a Boston butt? More than one bag? I definitely don't want to
run out in the middle of the session.

Thanks!

Karen C.

Karen C. wrote:
> Approximately how much lump do I need to have on hand for smoking
> a Boston butt? More than one bag? I definitely don't want to
> run out in the middle of the session.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Karen C.
>
>
Man, a lot depends on your smoker. I have seen 12 hour burns on 15 lbs
on a weber smoky mountain, but that is one of the most efficient models
out there.

In article >,
says...
> Approximately how much lump do I need to have on hand for smoking
> a Boston butt? More than one bag? I definitely don't want to
> run out in the middle of the session.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Karen C.
>
>
It depends.

How big a bag of lump are you talking about? What brand? Does it burn
fast or slow? Cowboy brand and its clones burn fast. B&B and many
other brands burn quite a bit slower in my experience.

What kind of cooker are you using? The ceramic cookers are very
efficient in lump usage for low and slow. The metal bullet type cookers
will use more to get the same results. I don't know about offset
cookers or other types.

Why not get a bag or two extra just to have on hand? Then you'll be
covered. Unless you're really strapped for storage space, it's tough to
imagine have "too much" lump on hand. As long as you keep it dry, it
won't go bad on you.

Bob

"Shawn" > wrote in message
...
> Karen C. wrote:
> Man, a lot depends on your smoker. I have seen 12 hour burns
on 15 lbs
> on a weber smoky mountain, but that is one of the most
efficient models
> out there.

I have a Weber Smoky Mountain. Thanks!

Karen C.

"yetanotherBob" > wrote in message
...
> How big a bag of lump are you talking about? What brand? Does
it burn
> fast or slow? Cowboy brand and its clones burn fast. B&B and
many
> other brands burn quite a bit slower in my experience.

DH bought a bag of Cowboy brand. What is B&B? I'm going to the
hardware store to see what else they have this a.m.

> what kind of cooker are you using?

WSM.

> Why not get a bag or two extra just to have on hand? Then
you'll be
> covered. Unless you're really strapped for storage space, it's
tough to
> imagine have "too much" lump on hand. As long as you keep it
dry, it
> won't go bad on you.

Will do. I'm a bit apprehensive about firing the thing up for
the first time. DH is normally our outdoor cook (and indoor cook
much of the time), and I would have liked for him to have been
here to help. However, he's been working out of town since just
before the smoker came a few weeks ago, and I'm tired of waiting
to use it, so . . . I just hope I don't royally screw it up.

Thanks for your feedback. Wish me luck <g>.

Karen C.

In article >,
says...
> "Shawn" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Karen C. wrote:
> > Man, a lot depends on your smoker. I have seen 12 hour burns
> on 15 lbs
> > on a weber smoky mountain, but that is one of the most
> efficient models
> > out there.
>
> I have a Weber Smoky Mountain. Thanks!
>
> Karen C.
>
By all means check out the Virtual Weber Bullet web site before you try
any serious cooking on your WSM.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/

Bob

In article >,
says...
> "yetanotherBob" > wrote in message
> ...
> > How big a bag of lump are you talking about? What brand? Does
> it burn
> > fast or slow? Cowboy brand and its clones burn fast. B&B and
> many
> > other brands burn quite a bit slower in my experience.
>
> DH bought a bag of Cowboy brand. What is B&B? I'm going to the
> hardware store to see what else they have this a.m.
>
>
B&B is another brand of lump, preferred by many, but hard to find in
some parts of the country. Cowboy is considered by many to be the least
common denominator of lump - readily available (often under other house-
brand labels) and usually inexpensive, but not the best for low-and-slow
cooking because it tends to burn hot and fast. It will definitely do
the job for you, but once you get some experience with Cowboy, look
around for other brands and see how they compare, used both alone and
mixed in with the Cowboy.

For information on many brands of lump and how they compare, check out
the lump information pages on the Naked Whiz web site:

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm

Bob

"Karen C." > wrote in news:46b07f57$0$25592
:

> Approximately how much lump do I need to have on hand for smoking
> a Boston butt? More than one bag? I definitely don't want to
> run out in the middle of the session.
>

Depends on your grill. But since charcoal is cheap, why not get extra?


--
Ask Me Why I support Stem Cell Research
http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/faqs.asp

"yetanotherBob" > wrote in message
...
> By all means check out the Virtual Weber Bullet web site before
you try
> any serious cooking on your WSM.
>
> http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/

Good stuff there. Thanks!

Karen C.

"yetanotherBob" > wrote in message
...
> B&B is another brand of lump, preferred by many, but hard to
find in
> some parts of the country. Cowboy is considered by many to be
the least
> common denominator of lump - readily available (often under
other house-
> brand labels) and usually inexpensive, but not the best for
low-and-slow
> cooking because it tends to burn hot and fast. It will
definitely do . . .

Yeah, I found that out after DH bought it at the hardware store.
Problem is I can't find anything better around here. I guess I'm
going to have to special order.

> http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm

Thanks!

Karen C.

"Barry Bean" > wrote in message:

> Depends on your grill. But since charcoal is cheap, why not get
extra?

I would--IF I could find something other than Cowboy around here.
I just got back from the store, and the only other thing they had
was Frontier. I guess I'm going to have to special order.

Thanks!

Karen C.

Karen C. wrote:
> Approximately how much lump do I need to have on hand for smoking
> a Boston butt? More than one bag? I definitely don't want to
> run out in the middle of the session.


This is a tough question to answer since there are many variables that play
into this; such as, the weather (hot or cold), rain & humidity, wind, how
open you have the vents at the bottom of your WSM, your cookin experience
with your WSM, etc. Still, if you use more than 10# of lump to cook a
single butt, you've used too much. When I cook in my WSM, I seldom use more
than two good chimney fulls of lump.

Here's some advice you can take or leave. Since you're new to BBQn, start a
diary. It'll help you identify where ya made mistakes and where you've been
successful. Each time ya cook, enter data like above about your cook plus
what ya cooked, rubs, marinades, cookin time, etc. Over time, you'lll have
a handy reference.

One more thing. Have you done a preburn in your WSM to get all the nasties
out? If not, you should.

-frohe

"frohe" > wrote in message
...
> . . . Still, if you use more than 10# of lump to cook a
> single butt, you've used too much.

That's good to know.

> When I cook in my WSM, I seldom use more
> than two good chimney fulls of lump.

Do you mean you put a chimney full in twice? I was under the
impression that I was to only put in 6 to 8 lumps at a time and
to do that about once every hour. Is this not what you do? (I
like the sound of two chimneys full better <g>.)

> Here's some advice you can take or leave. Since you're new to
BBQn, start a
> diary. It'll help you identify where ya made mistakes and
where you've been
> successful. Each time ya cook, enter data like above about
your cook plus
> what ya cooked, rubs, marinades, cookin time, etc. Over time,
you'lll have
> a handy reference.

Oh, I'll definitely take that advice! I have a great memory, but
it ain't as good as it used to be--not by a long shot 8-(

> One more thing. Have you done a preburn in your WSM to get all
the nasties
> out? If not, you should.

No, I haven't. I don't recall reading anything like that in the
smoker booklet. Phooey! Does that mean the butt I have on the
WSM at this moment should go in the trash?

Thanks!

Karen C.

Karen C. wrote:

> Yeah, I found that out after DH bought it at the hardware store.
> Problem is I can't find anything better around here. I guess I'm
> going to have to special order.
>
>> http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm
>
> Thanks!
>
> Karen C.
Is there a woodstove dealer in your area? A lot of time
they'll sell the BGE's and also carry the BGE lump.

Check out True Value hardware stores as well if you have
those in your area.

--
Steve

Karen C. wrote:
> "frohe" > wrote in message
> ...
>> . . . Still, if you use more than 10# of lump to cook a
>> single butt, you've used too much.
>
> That's good to know.
>
>> When I cook in my WSM, I seldom use more
>> than two good chimney fulls of lump.
>
> Do you mean you put a chimney full in twice? I was under the
> impression that I was to only put in 6 to 8 lumps at a time and
> to do that about once every hour. Is this not what you do? (I
> like the sound of two chimneys full better <g>.)
>
>> Here's some advice you can take or leave. Since you're new to
> BBQn, start a
>> diary. It'll help you identify where ya made mistakes and
> where you've been
>> successful. Each time ya cook, enter data like above about
> your cook plus
>> what ya cooked, rubs, marinades, cookin time, etc. Over time,
> you'lll have
>> a handy reference.
>
> Oh, I'll definitely take that advice! I have a great memory, but
> it ain't as good as it used to be--not by a long shot 8-(
>
>> One more thing. Have you done a preburn in your WSM to get all
> the nasties
>> out? If not, you should.
>
> No, I haven't. I don't recall reading anything like that in the
> smoker booklet. Phooey! Does that mean the butt I have on the
> WSM at this moment should go in the trash?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Karen C.
>
>


I'm a beginner myself, but found the 'Minion Method' to work great for
me. Following this method I've been able to keep a consistent 220
throughout the night.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/fireup2.html

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Karen C. wrote:
> "Barry Bean" > wrote in message:
>
>> Depends on your grill. But since charcoal is cheap, why not get
> extra?
>
> I would--IF I could find something other than Cowboy around here.
> I just got back from the store, and the only other thing they had
> was Frontier. I guess I'm going to have to special order.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Karen C.
>
>

I mail order Wicked Good lump. Their information is on the nakedwhiz
site. It's expensive with shipping but I figure it's worth it since I'm
often smoking fish that cost several hundred dollars a pound with the
boat, fuel, tackle, bait, etc. figured in! It burns very slowly and has
a great flavor. I can get 12 hours in my WSM with less than 10# in warm
weather.

Dan

Karen C. wrote:
> Do you mean you put a chimney full in twice? I was under the
> impression that I was to only put in 6 to 8 lumps at a time and
> to do that about once every hour. Is this not what you do? (I
> like the sound of two chimneys full better <g>.)

Light one chimney to get your fire started; then add one of unlit on top of
the lit. Once you've done that and got the WSM put back together, it's time
to start adjusting the bottom vents to get it to burn in the temp range you
want it. Adjust the bottom vents about every 20 minutes or so until you got
the temp you want. Make sure to leave the top vent fully open. And, you
may have to adjust the vents unevenly if you have a wind or it's raining.
Otherwise, they should be opened/closed the same amount for even air flow.

Ya wanna build a good, adequate fire that'll last the whole cook. Doing as
you say means you'll lose heat each time you open the fire access door to
add more lump. I failed to mention this last time so let me say it here.
Your chimney starter is your measuring cup. Two chimneys as I described
above should get you through your cook. Good fire management is the key to
gettin good cooks from your WSM.

>> One more thing. Have you done a preburn in your WSM to get all the
>> nasties out? If not, you should.
>
> No, I haven't. I don't recall reading anything like that in the
> smoker booklet. Phooey! Does that mean the butt I have on the
> WSM at this moment should go in the trash?

Nah but you should make sure you wipe your WSM out really good before you
cook in it again. When it's cooled down, moisten some paper towels and wipe
down the interior of the whole thing. You should be good from there.

"Steve Calvin" > wrote in message
...
> Is there a woodstove dealer in your area? A lot of time
> they'll sell the BGE's and also carry the BGE lump.
>
> Check out True Value hardware stores as well if you have
> those in your area.

Thanks! We do have a woodstove dealer, as well as True Value
hardware stores in this city. I'll check them both out.

Thanks, again!

Karen C.

"Dan" <intrceptor@gmaildotcom> wrote in message
.. .
> I mail order Wicked Good lump. Their information is on the
nakedwhiz
> site. It's expensive with shipping but . . .

If I can't find something other than Cowboy and Frontier, I'll be
mail ordering too.

> I figure it's worth it since I'm
> often smoking fish that cost several hundred dollars a pound
with the
> boat, fuel, tackle, bait, etc. figured in!

I can relate. DH and I love to go bass fishing <g>.

> It burns very slowly and has
> a great flavor. I can get 12 hours in my WSM with less than
10# in warm
> weather.

Sounds like just what I need. Thanks!

Karen C.

"John Reber" > wrote in message
.. .
> I'm a beginner myself, but found the 'Minion Method' to work
great for
> me. Following this method I've been able to keep a consistent
220
> throughout the night.
>
> http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/fireup2.html

Looks like a good idea. I'll be sure to give that a try in the
future. Thanks!

Karen C.

"frohe" > wrote in message
...
> Light one chimney to get your fire started; then add one of
unlit on top of
> the lit. Once you've done that and got the WSM put back
together, it's time
> to start adjusting the bottom vents to get it to burn in the
temp range you
> want it. Adjust the bottom vents about every 20 minutes or so
until you got
> the temp you want. Make sure to leave the top vent fully open.
And, you
> may have to adjust the vents unevenly if you have a wind or
it's raining.
> Otherwise, they should be opened/closed the same amount for
even air flow.

Thanks for the tips.

> Ya wanna build a good, adequate fire that'll last the whole
cook. Doing as
> you say means you'll lose heat each time you open the fire
access door to
> add more lump. I failed to mention this last time so let me
say it here.

Thanks! I found that out right off the bat <g>. I got that 6 to
8 lumps idea out of the WSM booklet. I think I'll ignore that
booklet now <g>.

> Your chimney starter is your measuring cup. Two chimneys as I
described
> above should get you through your cook. Good fire management
is the key to
> gettin good cooks from your WSM.

I can believe it. It's been a challenge today. Good learning
experience, though. I probably won't be done smoking 'til after
1 a.m. LOL!

> Nah but you should make sure you wipe your WSM out really good
before you
> cook in it again. When it's cooled down, moisten some paper
towels and wipe
> down the interior of the whole thing. You should be good from
there.

Glad to hear that! <g> Will do.

Again, thanks for the tips!

Karen C.

Denny Wheeler wrote:
> On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 10:17:16 -0400, yetanotherBob
> > wrote:
>
>> Cowboy is considered by many to be the least
>> common denominator of lump - readily available (often under other house-
>> brand labels)
>
> Huh. Never seen it anywhere. Lazzeri I see a few places, and Royal
> Oak somewhat more. Not sure I've seen *any* other brands of lump
> around here.
> (given what I've read here about Cowboy, I'll pass on it.)
>
> -denny-

Ace Hardware

Brian

Karen C. wrote:

> "Dan" <intrceptor@gmaildotcom> wrote in message
> .. .
> > I mail order Wicked Good lump. Their information is on the
> nakedwhiz
> > site. It's expensive with shipping but . . .
>
> If I can't find something other than Cowboy and Frontier, I'll be
> mail ordering too.

Doitbest hardware stores carry Royal Oak lump in their general
inventory. If one local to you doesn't have it, they can order it for
you. You can find the store nearest you at their web page:

<http://doitbest.com/>

The product details, including SKU number, for ordering are he

<http://doitbest.com/Charcoal+and+Lig...-model-22818-d
oitbest-sku-800279.dib>




Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 09:45:49 -0400, "Karen C." >
wrote:

>"yetanotherBob" > wrote in message
.. .
>> How big a bag of lump are you talking about? What brand? Does
>it burn
>> fast or slow? Cowboy brand and its clones burn fast. B&B and
>many
>> other brands burn quite a bit slower in my experience.
>
>DH bought a bag of Cowboy brand. What is B&B? I'm going to the
>hardware store to see what else they have this a.m.
>
>> what kind of cooker are you using?
>
>WSM.
>
>> Why not get a bag or two extra just to have on hand? Then
>you'll be
>> covered. Unless you're really strapped for storage space, it's
>tough tohttp://www.thebbqguru.com/
>> imagine have "too much" lump on hand. As long as you keep it
>dry, it
>> won't go bad on you.
>
>Will do. I'm a bit apprehensive about firing the thing up for
>the first time. DH is normally our outdoor cook (and indoor cook
>much of the time), and I would have liked for him to have been
>here to help. However, he's been working out of town since just
>before the smoker came a few weeks ago, and I'm tired of waiting
>to use it, so . . . I just hope I don't royally screw it up.
>
>Thanks for your feedback. Wish me luck <g>.
>
>Karen C.
>
Karen

If you really want to boost the performance & reliability of your WSM
[biggest problems come from wind screwing up the cooking temps],
google up the Guru site http://www.thebbqguru.com/ and go to their
'Featured Products' list and find 'The Silver Bullet'. This will turn
your WSM into a really nice Cooker.

Harry

"Harry Demidavicius" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 09:45:49 -0400, "Karen C." >
> wrote:
>
>>"yetanotherBob" > wrote in message
. ..
>>> How big a bag of lump are you talking about? What brand? Does
>>it burn
>>> fast or slow? Cowboy brand and its clones burn fast. B&B and
>>many
>>> other brands burn quite a bit slower in my experience.
>>
>>DH bought a bag of Cowboy brand. What is B&B? I'm going to the
>>hardware store to see what else they have this a.m.
>>
>>> what kind of cooker are you using?
>>
>>WSM.
>>
>>> Why not get a bag or two extra just to have on hand? Then
>>you'll be
>>> covered. Unless you're really strapped for storage space, it's
>>tough tohttp://www.thebbqguru.com/
>>> imagine have "too much" lump on hand. As long as you keep it
>>dry, it
>>> won't go bad on you.
>>
>>Will do. I'm a bit apprehensive about firing the thing up for
>>the first time. DH is normally our outdoor cook (and indoor cook
>>much of the time), and I would have liked for him to have been
>>here to help. However, he's been working out of town since just
>>before the smoker came a few weeks ago, and I'm tired of waiting
>>to use it, so . . . I just hope I don't royally screw it up.
>>
>>Thanks for your feedback. Wish me luck <g>.
>>
>>Karen C.
>>
> Karen
>
> If you really want to boost the performance & reliability of your WSM
> [biggest problems come from wind screwing up the cooking temps],
> google up the Guru site http://www.thebbqguru.com/ and go to their
> 'Featured Products' list and find 'The Silver Bullet'. This will turn
> your WSM into a really nice Cooker.
>
> Harry


The Stoker is much easier to use, and will control multiple smokers. I've
had my Stoker controlling my Stump's Smoker, two Kamados and my WSM all at
the same time. The WSM was +/- 6 degrees F, the Kamados and Stump's were
+/- 2 degrees F.
You can hook it up to your computer and monitor (and change) the settings
from the comfort (and air conditioning/heat) of your computer chair!
http://www.rocksbarbque.com/Products.html

BOB

"Harry Demidavicius" > wrote in message
...
> If you really want to boost the performance & reliability of
your WSM
> [biggest problems come from wind screwing up the cooking
temps],
> google up the Guru site http://www.thebbqguru.com/ and go to
their
> 'Featured Products' list and find 'The Silver Bullet'. This
will turn
> your WSM into a really nice Cooker.

I'll take a look. Thanks!

Karen C.

"Default User" > wrote in message
...
> Doitbest hardware stores carry Royal Oak lump in their general
> inventory. If one local to you doesn't have it, they can order
it for

Yeah, their website said they had Royal Oak brand, but the
morning I did my first smoke, I went by the one near my home to
pick some up, and they didn't even have Cowboy, let alone the
Royal Oak. The clerk gave me a baffled look and asked what lump
was.

Thanks!

Karen C.

"Karen C." > wrote in message
...
> Approximately how much lump do I need to have on hand for smoking
> a Boston butt? More than one bag? I definitely don't want to
> run out in the middle of the session.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Karen C.
>
>

well waaay late on this answer but whenever my lump charcoal reserves fall
much below about 50 bags I get kinda nervous<bfg>

Buzz

"Buzz1" > wrote in message
...
> well waaay late on this answer but whenever my lump charcoal
reserves fall
> much below about 50 bags I get kinda nervous<bfg>

LOL! Now, THAT'S a barbecue lover <g>.

Karen C.

On Sat, 04 Aug 2007 11:03:06 -0700, Denny Wheeler
> wrote:

>On Fri, 03 Aug 2007 00:36:57 GMT, Harry Demidavicius >
>wrote:
>
>>If you really want to boost the performance & reliability of your WSM
>>[biggest problems come from wind screwing up the cooking temps],
>>google up the Guru site http://www.thebbqguru.com/ and go to their
>>'Featured Products' list and find 'The Silver Bullet'.
>
>The pic doesn't answer this--what, how many, where, are the vents in
>the Silver Bullet?
>
>(it looks like it'd fit my gas-fired bullet)
>
>-denny-

No Idea Denny. I just read their Blurb on it. But the folks at Guru
are most helpfull and very friendly. I drive Kamados so have no need
for that product; but would certainly enjoy a WSM with that 'condom'
on it.

Harry