The TRUTH about LUMP vs. BRIQUETTE charcoal
Since the dawn of bbq, debate has raged and sides have been taken, a bitter war between lump and briquette is waged.
Fortunately for you Smoker and Dagger fans, a cease fire was reached today in the name of science to discover once and for all, the king of bbq fuel.
TEST:
Fuel source A = Merbau lump charcoal (10KG)
Fuel source B = Coconut Shell briquettes (10KG)
- Using the same Weber kettle for both fuels
- Bottom and top vents are fully open throughout the cook
- All fuel was emptied before commencing the next cook
- Same process for igniting both fuel sources (3 natural firelighters)
- One full charcoal basket per fuel type
Note: In the interest of science, we acknowledge that there was a greater fuel density in the briquettes, hence the higher temps, but whatev's
- Cooking 4 Italian sausages each from the same local butcher
LUMP:
- Chimney pre-heat time = 25 minutes
- Sausage cook time = 60 minutes
- Maximum temperature reached in Weber kettle = 130C (or 266°F)
BRIQUETTE:
- Chimney pre-heat time = 13 minutes
- Sausage cook time = 21 minutes
- Maximum temperature reached in Weber kettle = 230C (or 446°F)
* Beer was Single Fin, a fantastic West Australian drop
SCORECARD:
- Angus = Lump
- Tom = Briquette
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:41 Bunnings
1:43 Briquettes
2:22 Lump
3:19 Lump Test
4:43 Briquette Test
6:03 Analysis and Outro
** No Bunnings products were harmed in the process of filming. It was open when we arrived
*** Shot on a Pixel 5 with the help of our fantastic support crew
Love the ac dc shirt. Regarding a kamado grill, can’t you clean out the extra ash from a briquette periodically while still cooking?
Yep, you could slide out the ash catcher if you wanted to
Briquettes have a chemical taste in my opinion. Lump every time for me.
What about the ones that do not have fire lighter fluid on them
Have you guys used the Weber briquettes? Any thoughts? Also where did you get the burn torch from? Cheers!
G'day @Michael_Au The Weber briquettes are great and available at most Aussie supermarket chains. Useful if you're running low before a big cook! The butane gas lighter is a Scanpan Chef's Torch amzn.asia/d/j8WlXhN
@@smokeanddaggerbbq Thank you kindly :)
I use both in my kettle. That said, I have trouble using the setup shorn with lump if I need a decently long burn. I prefer the flavor of lump with a chunk or two of hardwood, but it lends itself to shorter, hotter burns. A kamado style grill such as a BGE, is a much better setup with lump. If I do a whole butterflied chicken indirect, a bit over an hour cook time, with briquettes, it’s more of a set it and forget it kind of deal. I add a bit of mesquite often, if the coals are lit properly, I’m guessing the mesquite is adding most of the nuance. Sometimes, if I want a good initial sear, I’ll get some briquettes going nicely, then add lump over top for a nice, hot sear, then over to indirect and the lump can do what it likes. Haven’t tried the snake or minion methods. There’s a device called a Slow’n Sear, something along those lines would be my go to for a low and slow kettle setup up. A Kamado with lump would be my first choice for sure.
A lot of good points you've made! We think a lot of it comes down to personal preference / style, so we encourage people to experiment with different equipment / setups as much as possible.
Awesome mate, love the smoking video :P
In your BBQ - Kingsford sized briquettes everytime. In an Hibacchi Grill or similar - the lump
Always a good idea to choose the right fuel for the right BBQ :)
AUS is to Bunnings, as USA is to Rural King.
Well, that was fun. Before I commit to an opinion, I would like to see a repeat of this test using different meats such as burger, steak, chicken. The sausages are held together by a casing which, in my opinion, is the best compilation of taste imparted by mild smoke of charcoal. This is why to smoke meat, small chips of hickory, mesquite, apple or cherry wood are used in smokers. Briquettes are made by intensely compressing sawdust and other wood products into small briquettes. So, they are compressed wood products of indeterminate origin, but may contain some chemicals too. There are briquettes that are infused with quick starting chemicals containing petroleum products. They may impart a petroleum smell and tasted. Lump charcoal is pure hardwood that is partially consumed by a low, indirect fire with very limited oxygen which causes the hard wood to burn, but not flame and to become charcoal rather than ash. The benefit of lump charcoal is it will burn much hotter than briquettes. Much hotter. But, not all lump charcoal is made with quality control consistency and inside the bag you may find vastly different sizes as well as many lumps that have not completed the process of becoming useable charcoal pieces. They will still burn of course, but flame up easily and burn as wood would. For lump charcoal, it is important to know and trust the source. For briquettes, don’t buy the ones with chemical additives. As far as cooking is concerned, I find it is easier to control the heat with briquettes because of their uniform size and consistent heat dispersion. When baking bread and biscuits in a cast iron Dutch oven, briquettes are much easier to deal with. But if I’m cooking a big batch of ribs for a tailgate crowd, then the lump charcoal is a better choice because of the high heat generated and excellent flavor imparted. Also, lump charcoal is a better choice for use in a Green Egg or Kamado Joe because of the high indirect heating needed to heat up the 360 degree ceramic plates that radiantly cook the food rather than direct flames. But, ultimately, use whatever you’ve got…it’ll get the job done. It’s not a high-tech endeavor.
Well said! :)
cool video,i'm goin both double the bbq
Loved the video. "Lump charcoal IS ancestral, goes back to cavemen and that's why I keep the tradition alive." Priceless 😂
Glad you liked it! We'll be sure to keep acting like cavemen haha :)
I’m team briquettes! Consistency is king.
Both have their use and time to shine, and both are real charcoal. Briquettes are made from what is simply powdered lump charcoal (carbonized wood) pressure formed into a uniform size. Of more importance is quality of the product brand when it comes to making your selection.
Yep - there is no substitute for quality :)
Great video! I choose Briquettes!
Lumps wins in this case. No babysitting , time with your friends and a few pints!!!
Nothing beats time with your friends and a few cheeky pints!
Depends what I'm cooking. If I'm doing something quick like burgers or sausages, briquettes are good. If I'm doing something low and slow, it's lump all the way. I once did a whole turkey with Kingsford briquettes. The meat looked absolutely beautiful, but that's when I discovered I couldn't do slow and low with briquettes, because it tasted HORRIBLE! If it's something that's going to take more than an hour, it's lump all the way.
Very interesting! Always good to experiment with different fuel sources from different charcoal brands to see what works best for your setup and taste palate.
Interesting.. if im doing somting quick i take charcoal cause it lights faster in a chimney and u can put it out and save a third for next time.. briquettes takes more time to get white/hot... I would do briquettes if i was with like 10 people and wanted to be grilling for 2-3 hours.. charcoal wouldve died by then... but for taste/fastness/slowcooking/tradition, its charcoal for me.
@@larsvegas1505 nailed it!
Is that Goulburn Bunnings
Nope - this one was filmed in Western Australia :)
Unless you want to spend all your money rather go smaller. I just use the chimney with a tiny amount of lump. When cooked just put the whole thing in a snuff pot. That's what the Japanese do. You're going to have to stop the air in bottom of the chimney by nestling in sand. I'm older and wiser. Smaller is better
Lump for the natural taste
Lump with a block of pecan or apple wood for smoke.
Pecan is always a great choice :)
Weber bricks al the way, love from a pom
Briquettes for long, slow cooks and lump for hot and fast cooks