BBQ Expert

Lump Charcoal

Lump charcoal is made from slow burned oxygen starved wood. Wood logs are stacked in underground pits and covered with dirt and metal sheets. One end of the wood pile is lit and the wood is allowed to slowly burn and smolder. The process takes a few days and removes impurities by burning up tree sap and water. Afterwards, all that is left of the wood is pure carbon pieces. These are commonly called, “char” or “lump” charcoal. Lump charcoal is great to grill with. As the coals burn they will sparkle and crackle. Lump charcoal reaches hot temperatures very quickly. It is usually ready in 10 to 15 minutes. It burns very hot and the heat can sear food in seconds. It browns your meat or poultry beautifully and imparts a pleasingly clean smoky wood aroma.

Lump charcoal burn very hot and also very fast. Once it reaches its hottest point, It begins to cool off very quicly. In most cases the temperatures will drop from a high hot point to a medium heat in less then 30 minutes. You will have to maintain the heat by adding more lump charcoal often. On the plus side the added lump charcoal is hot in 5 to 10 minutes.

Hardwood Brickettes

Today most stores that we buy our charcoal, sell some type of charcoal briquette. To make these the manufacturers crush the charcoal and then add a binder and form the charcoal into small squares or flattish cubes. Briquettes that have no additives are called “natural” or “hardwood” briquettes. Without the additives, these briquettes will burn out pretty quickly. Their major advantage is that they are small and flat and cover the bottom of the grill evenly unlike lump charcoal which is uneven on all of its sides.

The flat squares will allow the charcoal to be placed side by side which will give a nice even and uniform heat. Charcoal briquettes burn slower then lump charcoal which means you will have to add them to your grill less often.

During the grilling period an advantage of lump charcoal is that they burn “hotter” and have more woodsy aromas. Thus many charcoal grill pros mix the two types together. Start with briquettes and then since lump charcoal starts fast, add it into the already burning briquette coals.

Kingsford Charcoal Briquettes

Kingsford brand is the most widely used brand of charcoal today. Kingsford adds some mineral char which is a soft coal to raise and prolong the heat plus a mineral carbon which is hard coal. These two ingredients help to raise and prolong the heat. Also, limestone is added which provides the coating of white ash to the burning coals. Finally, some cornstarch is also added. Kingsford has added grooves down the center of their charcoal briquettes. This creates a larger surface area so that the briquettes light faster. The Kingsford briquettes are normally ready in about 15 to 20 minutes. Kingsford briquettes produce a longer and more even heat then your typical lump charcoal or hardwood briquette. And, like all charcoal they impart a beautiful tasting yet subtle smokiness to your food.