Charcoal taste test... Which lump charcoal tastes better?
Outside of maybe salt, charcoal & smoking wood has the single biggest impact on the taste of your food. So, which charcoal tastes better? To find out, we are doing a three way charcoal taste test using my top three favourite brands to find out which lump charcoal will be crowned the champion.
For our test, I am smoking chicken at 300f / 149c to really focus on the smoke & flavour profile that can be more difficult to notice at high heat temperatures
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Thanks for raising this, the internet has sadly taught us to be skeptical of any recommendation. This video was not sponsored by any of the manufacturers, however I did receive the bag of jealous devil from them at no cost which I mentioned in the video and it didn’t win. I don’t receive a commission for any sales outside of amazon affiliate links and youtube ad revenue. I originally got very excited by JD and their environmental sustainability angle on their website, however I’ve since learned the plastic bag is destined to the landfill and is not recyclable so for me personally this combined with the 30% premium on price I don’t buy much of it even though I am totally good with the bolder taste and do recommend it to friends looking to try something different. There is no one perfect flavour of anything that suits all tastes, this video is to try and help make a connection to things we’ve experienced before to help find a flavour that suits your pallet. If it was my children voting, Fogo would be the winner.
The big joe for me always have an wacky smell when starting and it takes a long while to burn off. Almost chemically.
@@brandonnelson4164 💯 the torch deletes this issue as all the coals are burning clean within a few min. If you use a fire starter it does take a while for jd and big block to start smelling pleasant
@@SmokingDadBBQ interesting, I’ll have to consider giving it a shot. Yesterday I used big block and it took me about 45 minutes - 1hr to burn off the smell and it was at 450f within 10 minutes and I was stirring to try and get all coals going. FOGO premium has been my favorite as I want to limit the flavor coming from the charcoal so I can choose the flavor from smoke woods. I’ll be trying coco char when it’s available again as it’s supposed to be flavorless. komodokamado.com/collections/kk-charcoal
@@brandonnelson4164 if you don’t want smoke you should stick with Fogo. There are folks in my family that prefer it’s milder smoke profile so if it’s working for you stick with it
Iv been enjoying your videos they are so relaxing and calm. I also like the in depth reviews, your insights have been really helpful
Awesome, thank you!
Man, I love your videos, they are so informative.
I appreciate that!
Great experiment! I like the coffee analogy, it works well.
Thank you! Cheers!
I had gotten used to a new video nearly every day and was starting to go through withdrawals.😀 This arrived just in the nick of time!
if I’m honest I miss it too lol
Great video! I liked jealous devil when but when I tried it, I found the charcoal to be very inconsistent in size but worked great. I actually use fogo super premium and was surprised by your review. I've always had good smokiness results when using their charcoal.
like coffee it’s so personal it’s hard to do these taste tests justice. in this company, it was the least smokey which is a good thing for many members of my family
Great job and review!!! who except you would take the time to tests some of them at the same time!
Thank you!
This was a great video for me, because I wasn't sure of the protocol during winter. I would use my off set smoker in the winter, you have really baby sit on long cooks ! Well not next winter thanks to your Kamado Joe huge tip ! Yes wrong video, but I also loved the lump charcoal tip !! Thanks again James! Your my favorite pitmaster when it comes to the Kamado Joe hands down !! Brad.
Glad it was helpful and thanks so much Brad. appreciate that
Thanks for this test. Seems to be the only taste test on KZhead, which is the most important factor when buying charcoal
Thank you!
Great video! When I first purchased my kamado last fall. Lump charcoal was difficult to find. I purchased Cowboy lump from my grocery store. I could tell from smelling the smoke and tasting the food. That it was a strong taste. This spring I was about to purchase Royal oak. So, far I enjoy the smell and taste. I have seen B&B green bag lump in my are. This bag says oak and hickory. I had thought about trying it next. Great job on the video. Appreciate learning from them.
Good stuff. I like rockwood but can’t find any locally this year
These are fun test! Good stuff!
Thank you!
Great video! New to your channel and definitely subscribed. I'll admit, I've been grilling for about 5 years and haven't really strayed from Kingsford just because of the seasonal sales and buying in bulk for the year. Your video has me interested ....
let me know what you think after trying some new ones
After eating off a pellet grill for a year plus the Jealous Devil has been a bit of an adjustment but I love it. Great video as always!
the Fogo would be the best for someone leaving a pellet smoker as a step towards more smoke
@@SmokingDadBBQ it’s too late, I’ve already committed to “the taste”
@@kurtier haha love it... welcome to the dark side. This is what’s making it so hard for me to appreciate any flavour on recent pellet grill experiments
Great video start to finish well done👍
Would still be intersting to see a bargain brands taste test. I know they spark but alot of them taste great
Thank you 👍
good idea. maybe this summer
I figured that the different brands would have different tastes. Thanks for the video showing your trials. I haven't seen those brands at the store I've shopped at though. I'm still new to Kamado grills, but so far I've only used B & B brand. I bought a bag of hickory and a bag of oak. I've just used a little of hickory cuz it's a smaller bag mixed with mostly oak. They're both running low though so I'll be buying more soon.
thanks Jason, cheers
Nice video. Price is interesting, the FOGO and Kamado Joe are the same cost near me. There are definately different taste buds in my house, too, so I appreciate the convesation about smokiness.
my kids would pick fogo
I always find that cooking around all that smoke dulls my tastebuds a little bit. I find that after grilling I can taste food better after taking a shower or sampling it the next day. Of course, taste is highly dependent on smell. For that reason too, I would sample everything in the house instead of with all that smoke blowing around you. Enjoyed the video as always!
that’s a good point and very much why my family would all vote Fogo
@Geezer2Tech, I have the same experience! I'm surprised it's not talked more often. My family will be raving about the smoke flavor saying good balance and I am quietly thinking to myself I barely taste the smoke flavor. The next day or after a shower, I can definitely taste it much better.
Just noticed this myself for the first time. Smoked a brisket and eating it that day thought it lacked smoke flavor. Eating leftovers today was amazed at the difference in taste.
Great lump coal comparison video James. I personally like the Kamado big block. FYI once in a while Costco has the Big block on sale 4x 20 lb. bags...online only though
Good tip!
Nice James, I love your channel. I would be interested to see a test comparing lump charcoal from different single wood species, eg black wattle, marabu, quebracho, oak and how they compare in terms of the ease of getting a fire started with cubes, efficiency and probably most imporant: which tastes best?
that would be a fun test
Thanks for all your helpful videos! Have you ever tried B&B charcoal? Specifically their XL quebracho.
Great suggestion! not in my area yet but I can’t wait to try it
Love your videos James. I do wonder sometimes about why your grills look like they need a good scraping. BTW, I'm a big JD fan, but I'm going to buy a bag of Big Block today.
i need to do a good spring clean
Great review. A few weeks ago I switched from a propane bbq to a Weber charcoal bbq and just bought some kamado joe xl lump charcoal. I will say There's a lot more involved in a charcoal bbq. Good Advice is always welcome. Thanks
Oh yeah. Charcoal is more work, but once you get good at it, you have way more control and flavor.
I just used big green egg charcoal in my Kamado it smells the best just on opening it like fresh forest wood , my first long cook a 15lb prime brisket yesterday I slept only 1 hour that night lol and drank almost my 12 pack of white claws lol but compared to my pellet smoker it was amazing after all said done keep up great content I learned a lot that I used for my first long cook on Kamado
Good stuff! sounds like a party I want to be at (with my own 12 pack 😂)
JD is still my go-to for good charcoal, even at its crazy prices, but I recently found a local store that carries the KJ Big Block, so I'm going to pick some up and give it a try.
My favorite lump charcoal so far is the KJ Big Block. I've had good results with it and the price makes it a better value compared to some of the others mentioned. I've had some less desirable experiences with some other brands, such as Cowboy brand. Which I found to have too many smaller pieces, chips and dust. Whereas with the KJ I've found good continuity overall between the pieces. I may have to try the Fogo however for my next chicken as my girlfriend and children aren't huge fans of the smoke taste, especially in poultry. So that may be a good option for them. I found this video very informative as I do with all your posts. So thanks again for all the effort you put in to your videos and keep up the great work. 👍
thanks Shane, my wife and family would do Fogo for everything if given the choice lol whereas i like matching the coal to the cook but i do find myself using it more and more often since BBQ is about friends and family coming together and loving the food/experience vs. what i might prefer if it was just me on my own all the time
Job job James! I thought you mention in one of your last year video that had something coming up with JD ?
yes they reached out last year to include me in their social program where I would have access to some free charcoal (including this bag used in the test). but these programs aren’t unlimited and don’t provide what I burn so I more often than not am a consumer buying additional charcoal to supplement what I need and that’s where I buy more big block, especially when it’s in sale for close to half the price I originally got very excited by JD and their environmental sustainability angle on their website, however I’ve since learned the plastic bag is destined to the landfill and is not recyclable so for me personally this combined with the 30% premium on price I don’t buy much of it even though I am totally good with the bolder taste and do recommend it to friends looking to try something different.
Thank you so much for your response James! I know it might be a little off topic for your channel but I would be interested in learning how you lost 50 pounds eating BBQ. I would also have 50 pound to lose! Chers from Ottawa
Looks like Fogo is the best for being able to control the flavor profile of your protein. You can really rely on whatever smoking wood you use to infuse the smoke flavor you actually want. I just got some Big Block for the first time but I want to try Fogo now. Great vid! 👍🏽
i like KJ and JD but my family has been 100% team FOGO so i am switching over as if nobody likes the food, whats the point
Thanks for a great video. What is your go to for a high heat cook like chops, or steak or burgers. Great educational channel
all three of these burn hot, really hot and the hotter the fire is going the less smoke flavour you get so the strongest taste is likely to be barley perceptible above 600-700f in which case the uniqueness meets more in the middle of a faint charcoal taste
Wow its still cold up there? Its hot here in TX! Great video!
it’s all over the place. 70f yesterday and chance of snow tomorrow lol
I think there are some diminishing returns with charcoal but I definitely go for the better more expensive than cheaper. The other day I was at a local hardware store and they wanted 6 bucks more for the FOGO than the Big Green Egg lump. Crazy. I loved the video! I can imagine your neighbors watching what you're doing and saying to themselves, "he is smelling the smoke again..." HAHA!!
hahahah i am sure that’s what they were saying lol
Nice taste test! Have you had a chance to test quebracho or marabu charcoals that are currently trending in Europe? I've found the quebracho to be on the bitter side and both tend to spark somewhat. I need to test the Big Block if I manage find a good deal from here in Finland 👍
it and JD come from Quebrancho I believe
Have you tried the FOGO eucalyptus lump charcoal ? Very distinctive aroma and taste. Goes well with chicken in my opinion
I really learned a lot from which charcoal to use and how to pick the correct one for me
thanks, cheers
I would love to win the kettle grill
I have to say, this video answered a question I didn’t even know I needed to ask. But wow, does this explain why I had to use half a tree worth of smoke wood to get the flavor I wanted when cooking with Fogo. Thank you good sir. Stopped using the Kamado Joe years ago because it reeked terribly. Maybe they have a new provider or method now. I might try it again.
Glad it was helpful!
I've used Jealous devil and the big block. They're both good, but I like Jealous Devil for the consistency, I worry that those few gigantic blocks you get with the big block won't burn as evenly as the Jealous devil. I may keep getting both and saving the biggest blocks for longer cooks.
JD does hammer out a very consistent size that’s for sure. very seldom do I need an axe to break up a massive piece LOL
Great video! i'm wondering if it's better to adjust the flavor to your own liking by mix different lump charcoal based on their taste profile.
as time goes on, my family's vote matters more and they love fogo the most out of these
I will say for low and slow, there's a bit of an acquired taste there, especially for the uninitiated. I'm now looking of charcoal imparts less flavor that what I'm using, which is Cowboy. Great video!
yes exactly. try Fogo then, it’s great for more smoke control
@@SmokingDadBBQ Thanks, will do! Great channel by the way. I like that you give the Jr. his due. Little guy gets it done!
Nice video! Have you done any burgers or steaks yet on the Kettle Joe, and if so how did they turn out?
i did but didn't make a video, they were really good. need to film next time
keep up the great work, would you be able to try prime 6 charcoal out and give feedback?
Great suggestion! if i can find it in my area i will try it
Hi James, i did notice some residue still of the heat deflector from the jr. This may be of infuence to both smell and taste. Great test btw.👍. Have been testing here as well to find the right charcoal for all cooks Even the difference in burning temp can be quite different. But difference in taste was bigger then expected
Yeah, I was going to say this too. A dirty deflector will generate "funkiness", and not the Bootsy Collins kind.
@@umakegoodcookies kind of like how a rubber band would smell funky when on fire?
it very well could be but I wouldn’t say it felt off from the smoke and taste I get from JD over the past year of cooks... it’s not bad/I like JD but out of all the coals I’ve used this one splits the crowd the most strongly
Another great video James as you were spot on with your smell and taste test. I've been cooking mostly with Fogo Super Lump Premium and haven't smelled the delicious smoke I was expecting. I had a bag of Jealous Devil months ago, and it was a bag of bits a pieces, very disappointed with size of pieces. As you stated maybe that was due to Covid so to speak but I wasn't drawn to get another bag for that reason. I just got a 20# bag of KJ Big Block - anxious to try. What do you do with the tiny pieces in a bag ? Toss or use in any way? Thank you..
I toss it all in even though most falls through the charcoal grate. I’ve never seen a year with such wild quality control issues. just yesterday I opened a triple bagged bag of big block that is the worst one for them I’ve ever had after nearly a year of improved quality so it seems we aren’t out of the lottery yet
@@SmokingDadBBQ bummer on your last bag and thank you for note on tiny pieces.
Would like to see a comparison of the non premium charcoal for us common folk. Stuff you get at big box stores for under $20 / bag like Maple leaf, cowboy lump, visions or Royal oak
Couldn’t agree more. I do buy premiums now with the advent of Ace Hardware taking over the world of Hardware. But for a while royal oak, and cowboy was all you had to choose from.
Yeah I was hoping there'd be some cheap brands on there to compare. Premium brands are good and all but can get very expensive over time.
Costco has a product called "Diablo" that I am interested to try.
I love the flavour of maple leaf the most out of that list
I've tried Royal Oak and my .02 is that it works fine....but not great. Lump size is more inconsistent, I've found rocks in it and it has more of a charcoal flavor (which we don't like) than Big Block. I'd love to try Maple Leaf but until we can get a pipeline across to there I just don't see how we can get it.
Is it possible the different sized kamado's could have affected this? For example, are you getting more concentrated smoke in the Jr vs the BJ?
Hi James, Great comparison, just wondering where you are located out of and how has supply for Charcoal been this summer… although it’s easier to get this year I’m still finding a lot of inconsistencies. Also have you ever done a comparison using Xylo (think that’s spelled correctly), I’ve used it a few times but was curious if it has been compared in a similar format. Thanks for the great content! Cheers!
every test i do with charcoal is obsolete by the time i get my next bag it seems. Every brand has had at least one fail bag, the quality and control process seems to have gone missing in COVID. I haven't seen that brand before but will look for it
@@SmokingDadBBQ I found it previously at my local supplier Capital BBQ, they have a decent online store where you should be able to order it. I’ve been trying to dial in which charcoal I prefer for the last year now and find it really tough, it gets frustrating when I open a bag and most of the charcoal is poker chip sized (my last 2 bags of fogo were like that), but I’m not sure that it makes a huge difference in the overall burn…
first video I ever seen from this channel , randomly bought some lump charcoal like a month ago and it was the jealous devil lol. cooked some australian then some a5 wagyu with it 🤤🤤🤤
That is awesome! heck of a cook
Great job, maybe next time a good test would be BGE and Wicked in the test. Thanks
Great suggestion!
Awesome Vidor. But damn boi, that Jr deflector had a lot of funk on it! You sure that wasn't what you were smelling?
I use jd so often there wasn’t anything different than normal so I think it’s accurate
Agree with your results. Top three for sure. Big Block is my favorite. Tried half dozen others that were disappointing at best. Today, ordered Masterbuilt Lump at less than a buck a pound (which I have not tried). I'll let you know.
let me know what you think
I use B&B lump oak in my WSM and love it.
waiting to find it locally, heard good things. Thanks
The best ever wood I have smoked with hands down was an old Apricot trunk ! Someone chopped an old tree that had a trunk of about 9-12 inches... I got a foot long section that I cut into 2-3 in chunks... That wood has to this day ruined me to all other smoking wood.. I hope to find another product that delivers something close to it! I hope these are the ones!!
interesting, never tried that one before
I like the Fogo super premium because it does not hide the smoking wood flavor that I add. I will use Jealous Devil or KJ big block if I plan to add mesquite but for apple, cherry or maple Fogo super premium is my go to.
thats a good point.... the others are already a 10/10 for strength so adding more can be too much or mask the flavour you are trying to highlight
I'd be interested to see how different wood species of charcoal differ from each other when it comes to taste. Both the Jealous Devil and Fogo are made from Quebracho, while the Big Block is a blend of Quebracho and other South American hardwoods. I'd be curious to see how the taste of these stack up to something like B&B 100% Natural Oak Lump Charcoal. I wonder if there would be a pretty drastic change in flavor, since it's oak and not quebracho.
Just tried the Big Block for the first time. Just could not get the temp of my Joe over 250 degrees. Bottom door fully open and top vent to 1/4. Will load up with more Charcoal next time. So far Jealous Devil is my fav but in Toronto it seems to be in short supply.
Are you able to get B&B up there? I really like their oak (brown bag) and hickory (green bag) lump charcoals for brisket and ribs respectively.
no but I hear so many times it’s awesome. hope to try it soon
I was looking for a mention of this. I was surprised this wasn't in your top choices somewhere. If you are able to get some I'd like to see how you feel it stacks up. Out of all I've tried B&B is hands down my favorite.
Pretty cool video! I didn‘t know different charcoal could impart different tastes. I notice that everyone uses lump charcoal in kamado cookers. Can briquettes be used? What happens if you try to use, for example, Kingsford blue in a kamado?
they work great.... they tend to ash up more which is a disadvantage as the ash ultimately restricts airflow. that and the fact they are slower to react and don't get as hot i prefer charcoal lump
@@SmokingDadBBQ good to know! Hey, I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to respond. Cheers!
Wondering if you saved any of these chickens to taste the day after and what were your thoughts?
I just bought a Kamado Joe grill/smoker. I have never used lump charcoal. I love hickory smoked meats, but I also know you can “over” smoke meats which taste bad. Does the “flavored” lump charcoal, like hickory lump charcoal make the meats too strong? Would I need to add chunks of actual hickory wood? HELP!
Kamado Joe big block is on sale right now, 4 - 20 pound bags for $79 US at costco. I buy jealous devil as well and I mix it with the big block. Can't beat the price of big block with the versatility of jealous devil.
smoking deal .... lol dad joke sorry, good price
I would like your opinion on some Canadian brands of Charcoal such as Vermont Castings, Maple Leaf premium charcoal and Royal Oak. Have you ever used these before or is going to the more well known brands more worth it
maple leaf tastes amazing. sparks a fair bit snd doesn’t last as long but my gosh is it tasty
Thumbnail should have been you about to take a bite out of a big lump of charcoal 🤣 I may have to try the KJ charcoal. I have been using Fogo Premium for the Slow N Sear and JD XL for when I use Kamado Mode, as some of the bigger JD XL pieces are sometimes too big for the Slow N Sear IMO, and using a different brand just seemed easier than trying to sort out the JD XL by size.
haha I was worried I might actually lick it being this close 😂 Fogo is perfect for people that find food too smokey
Ok so first, great video. Second my daughter walked out into the living room right at the moment you were sniff testing your charcoal. she just shook her head and walked out.
hahaha she would get along with my wife and daughters perfectly lol
Every once in a while I find a half burnt log in my B&b. If you find Unburnt charcoal, don’t throw it away. Instead, either use it for hot, like pizza (or fire pit, offset) and burn it early. Alternatively, when you’re done grilling, throw on your unburnt charcoal, give it a couple minutes to light and then snuff. The residual heat will be enough to turn it into lump.
Great tip
Have you tried B&B, I’ve had good results with it. I also have used the Kamado Big Block, like it a lot, I won’t use Cowboy I always find rocks or something in it all the time. Got Fogo premium and big block to test. I prefer the mild charcoal, cause it doesn’t overpower the taste of the meat and spices, especially when I cook venison and goat shoulders. The review was great.
Thank-you! Cheers ... B&B isn't sold near me so i haven't been able to try it. just picked up 4 more bags of fogo on the weekend though
Hi James, do you think the level of smoke flavour is also a factor of which Joe you were using? i.e. the charcoal has to burn hotter in the Big Joe vs the Joe Jr in order to achieve the same temps in the cooking area. Seems to also correlate with the final result in terms of smokiness?
it’s for sure is possible ... but as I don’t have three of the same size it’s the closest I can get. I will say these impressions, scents and tastes mirror my observations using the fuel in the same Joe in different cooks so I don’t think it would be far off
Just tried JD last night for the first time. Did the poor man's basket off an inexpensive offset, chuck roast. Did chicken and burgers. Started with a little Cowboy lump, but only for initial chimney. Supplemented wood with JD. I love hickory and Cowboy gives you that hickory flavor. I only had oak wood last night, along with the JD. Taste results? The roast came out , kinda, " eh", . I used Cowboy last week and a few days after, just getting the chicken and roast from the freezer bag in fridge blew me away. JD seems to be great for long cooks. I think I'll need hickory chips for more flavor.
it does do well on long cooks and reaching high temps for sure
Do you think the JD one was getting flavor from dirty grill? It sure was smoking more than mine would be and the others throughout. I use JD and find it just right for me on smoke flavor. It is very easy to over do it though at very low temps. I like the Zipper bag and the handle.
i like it too, but my family has a good point that me standing around the fire/smoke maybe makes my pallet less sensitive to being able to detect smoke.... the next day i notice the leftovers are really really really smokey at times so if thats what they are tasting when i bring it in for dinner i can appreciate why they didn't get as excited as i do lol. they all prefer the Fogo for things like steak, fish and chicken
Nice job James. You sure have been busy.
thanks Brent
I question the jealous devil results; it was the only grill that was smoking, the smoking grill seemed to me that something else in that grill was burning. Jealous Devil is always the mildest. Maybe you accidentally switch the forgo with the JD/ Thanks
Have you tried XYLO charcoal? It's from Canada, not as expensive as the premium charcoals, but not bad. Doesn't spark too much and decent size pieces in the bag. Not a bad option for "everyday" cooks.
great suggestions will look for it and try it
Thanks for including FOGO in your test. We suggest using fire starters to get your fire going. No sparks at all.
thats how i switch it up, there are those in the family that only want BBQ if the fuel is fogo as it suits their smoke preferences perfectly
I think it's clear Fogo not being a sponsor had an influence. After all, is one really going to rate one of their sponsors products below a non sponsored product? Love the instructional videos, but the comparisons are always suspect when he is trying to sell a sponsors product or accessory.
Disagree Bob. And I'm a big FOGO fan. I don't see any bias here.
Disagree Bob. And I'm a big FOGO fan. I don't see any bias here.
@@chrisrockwell001 How can one detect bias / non-bias review of a smoke flavor taste test when they taste tester knows which piece of food they are tasting is from each product they are comparing? haha They could even have an unconscious bias. Best kind of a test is a blind taste test without anyway of knowing which product is which, but I am guessing that is near impossible for Smoking Dad BBQ to achieve since he is already so familiar with the different charcoals in these taste tests.
I have noticed the JD I’ve been buying since your last video is much stronger in flavor. Not bad, just stronger. I may give KJ a chance again.
covid demand has caused more variations in charcoal this year than any year I can recall
So, which ones burns the longest?
My last two bags of Big Block was mostly powder. I'm over them!
Around covid I saw a major shift in quality control on several brands. I’ve landed in Fogo. It sparks more but the family all prefer the taste and the quality has remained good
Have you tried B&B Premium XL? It's also quebracho wood charcoal.
no I’ve been waiting for it to hit my area to try it
@@SmokingDadBBQ I believe you can order on Ace website.
I just tried the jealous devil. I wasn’t a big fan. I didn’t care for the smell as it was burning and it kinda tasted like it smelled. It was first foray into premium. My usually is royal oak lump.
you so need to make sure it’s burning clean or the taste is not good at all. give it one more try.
It’s been my observation and experience is that people who are complaining about acrid taste are doing a few things wrong; 1) over filling the charcoal this can potentially lead to a not complete burn. Fire needs fuel source, oxygen and and flow. This needs to be in balance. 2) Adding food too early. My experience with KJBB is that I have run into issues when I have put my food on too early. Best results are to wait 30-40 minutes for the charcoal to off-gas. All the charcoal does not need to be lit, just the firebox to be at around 250°F. 3) adding to much smoking wood. A little goes a long way and less is more. 1-2 chunks of wood is all you really want.
well said, 100% agree
Thanks for the video,very helpful! And how do you do the salt brining exactly,I've checked your playlist but maybe i missed something,would you like to share the way you brining here?Thanks alot
good idea will do
I think this mostly pertains to egg type cookers where you control heat by choking the fire and smoldering the coal. For those running an offset and controlling the fire with fuel rather than air this shouldn't play as much of a factor.
absolutely... that’s why I like the newer series 3 as they are less efficient and the smoke tastes better
You should try Vision Grills charcoal, available at Home Depot. It's surprisingly good and much more affordable than Big Block.
I will look for it next time I’m at the depot
What about some of those big box brands? Like B&B or Cowboy? Just curious as these are far more available and less expensive…. Your opinion would be helpful! Thanks.
Great suggestion! Will try and round up some more options
I think the video and comments all work together to point out to why we have so many different products. A quick cook like burgers calls for a higher density of smoke flavour. A 10 hour smoke or a delicate meat like fish could suffer from that. We keep Jealous Devil, Maple Leaf, Cowboy Charcoal, and Fogo handy (along with various lump wood like apple or hickory) handy. Good video. Thanks!
thanks, cheers 🍻
for me, the royal oak lump charcoal tastes the best, but the size of the coals kinda suck, so when i'm smoking, i'll use kamado big block. i haven't had the opportunity to try the others as they're not immediately available to me.
it’s always a balance of what’s readily available, good quality and not extreme price
Entertaining video - I do think all 3 are GREAT lump charcoals. So people can argue about whatever. As someone else mentioned- what might be interesting to compare is big block or jealous devil vs the cheap ones (some of those at Home Depot are really bad...) plus maybe Kingsford briquettes as those are so popular/common. And for the record to all those naysayers out there - If you watch James’s videos you will see he doesn’t hesitate to be critical of things he gets for free so maybe reflect on you being so negative and pessimistic!
haha I was going to say just being red isn’t a free pass around here 😂
James, I just noticed Jealous Devil is touting their binchotan charcoal they they are branding "Onyx." I would love to see a video on how well that works in the KJs.
i haven't seen it in store yet but will keep an eye out
I purchased two bags of big block and ended up returning one bag I did not like the tar taste it left on my food. And I'm not the only one to complain about this lot of other people have as well. The reason being is the wood is not your typical oak or hickory type style trees. The wood is more dense but holds oil like a pine tree. You can see when you burn the Big Block it's got tons of black smoke like a train which is very unhealthy because of that different type of wood they are using. It says it right on the back of the bag. I would consider buying it if they have a new line of charcoal like Hickory Mesquite cherry wood that I'm familiar with. Something that give a nice taste on my food and a nice Smoke Ring not tar ring.
I will say my torch lights it quick. if these woods are not burning clean they don’t taste good at all. I would say you need to wait longer next time for it to be past that gross start up smoke
I just purchased the Joe Jr. Hopefully it’s here soon.. I bought a 20lb bag of jealous devil. About how long should that last with the Jr. Obviously the more you use the more you burn. But about how many hours would you say
you might be close to 100hrs at moderate temps, if its pizza or searing all the time than less
I’m thinking if you had a gorgeous chocolate glazed Dunkin’ Donut with your Jealous Devil chicken you would think differently! LOL. Thanks James, great as always.
hahaha well that would be sure to change things lol
@@SmokingDadBBQ thought I would share: lost 22 lbs eating your Atkins recipes on my Joe’s. Need that donut before I get any skinnier. Thanks James, love to eat BBQ and loss weight.
@@jhg737 fantastic
Do you think the size difference of the cooker itself makes a difference to the taste? As you say, lower temperatures increases smoke flavor, and a smaller cooker needs a smaller fire to create a certain temperature. The smoke intensity coincides from intense in the Junior to mild in the Big joe and middle ground for the Classic, coincidence or not?
it very well could, but nothing in this test surprised me vs. experience using the same coal on the same grill... only variable that changed is just not cooking three pieces of meat at the same time
@@SmokingDadBBQ Then the results are probably valid. But would be interesting to see the smoke intensity difference between the sizes, if any.
I know there are many out there, but have you tried masterbuilt?
My suspicion being the owner of KJ is that it comes from the same spot but I haven’t looked into it much or tested it to confirm
How would these stack up against nthe sugar maple lump?
i like that stuff, used to be at costco all the time here. its good on flavour but doesnt burn as hot or as long as these three. little more sparks and ash too... but half the price
I've been trying to use KJ Big Block for low & slow - but the creosote smell endures for me much longer than it appears to endure for you... Even 40-50 minutes after I've started the fire, I continue to smell some acrid smoke. The only time I start to smell clean smoke is when I go to much higher temperatures. I've followed most of your recommendations in re: low & slow, but I must be missing something. Can you share 1. How long you let the fire burn with the top open, 2. How long you let it burn with the top closed, but vents fully open, and 3. How long you let it burn with the vents at the "low and slow" settings before you were comfortable putting the chicken on? Thanks in advance.
I sometimes forget the benefit of my torch. gets it clean so fast
Would it hurt to turn up the temp small part of the cook at the end to try to render down the skin?
not at all, probably should have but I didn’t want to dilute the smell and taste you get from the charcoal which is the most distinct sub 300
I like B&B and Royal Oak. I wanna try FOGO premium next.
its good stuff
Big Block...it just works...has never failed me!!
so true
How does BGE s charcoal compare? In my area that’s about all I can get so I haven’t tried anything else
they don't make their own coal, they repack royal oak which has a few different versions.... their original one was too strong/smokey for my families liking but i think they've added a few new mixtures
Id like to see you test with B&B charcoal
Will try and update this year
James, have you ever used Atlanta Grill Company charcoal? Great video by the way, I need to find where I can even get KJ coal right now. I've always preferred it myself. Never heard of the jealous devil though... Might give that a try for longer cooks
I haven’t tried the AGC coal as it’s not in my area but the JD is solid stuff if you can find that
I recently scored 4 bags of KJ Big Block through Costco for $80.00 (ABOUT 20.00 A BAG). Personally I really like KJ Big Block, but I also really like Fogo. For me those are the top 2. Haven't done Jelous Devil, but I have used B&B, Cowboy, El Diablo ( which is the worst ever), and Royal Oak, which is even worse than the worse ever. I really think for me KJ Big Block and Fogo are the two I like the best. I just smoked some sausage with KJ Big Block and some apple wood chunks, and man, it was crazy good. Yes, it is totally worth the extra money for the better quality stuff, makes a much better cook for sure.
I agree. I buy all three of these regularly for the same reasons
Hi my wife does not care too much for the smokey flavor. I have an Akron Auto Kamado. Do you have a suggestions for charcoal that doesn't have the smokey flavor? Thanks in advance for your input.
Fogo is the best for low smoke. Also run the temps a little hotter. 270-300 is cleaner than 225
I wonder how consistent these results are by brand over time. That is, if you did your comparison in 6 months would you get the same ranking? Do the differences reflect systemic differences between brands in how the charcoal is made? Or is it partly/mostly due to the particular load of wood that was used to make that bag of charcoal? I guess your observations on sparking suggest some consistency by brand. Still, for flavor I wonder. I guess more BBQing (and eating) is required!
oh my gosh the last year has been so crazy for consistency i am not even sure what to expect anymore lol.