mguerra Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 They seem to have vanished. I asked to be notified when the next batch of hickory will be available, but their website is goners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNakedWhiz Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill Yeah, that would be a downer if he truly has closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill I contacted him today, and he stated that they are no longer selling the charcoal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted October 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill S... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNakedWhiz Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill I have 1 10 pound bag for sale. Who'll give me $100,000? Do I hear $100,000? So, if you only had one bag of some really good charcoal left, how would you use it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill Maybe we need to buy some forest land in Tennessee and start making our own shagbark hickory. Johnny's was the best lump charcoal I have ever used. And the smell.....just incredible. I'm really bummed. Hey doc, do you know any shrinks that specialize in emotional distress due to charcoal loss? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paswesley Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill @slu: The only known cure for stress induced by charcoal loss is, "a hair from the dog..." I hear that Dennis is selling the best coco extruded charcoal in the world. It'll blacken your mouth I'm certain, but should make for a good pacifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill Fortunately Dennis' timing is impeccable. The charcoal should arrive today at the Bay Area terminal. I'll let you know how it taste!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted October 22, 2011 Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill When I get the volatile levels dialed in, I promise my Coffee Wood lump will make you forget this shaggy Hick-ory charcoal. Not only is the smoke profile (flavor) sublime, it's a very dense and hot burning charcoal that is the fuel of choice for all the foundries here in Indonesia.. And it's green to boot, trees are bulldozed over every 15 years and replaced with young trees with higher yields.. Mark my words.. Coffee Charcoal is going to be coveted by the BBQ world.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu Posted October 22, 2011 Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill Yah, but does your coffee wood have nuts? http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_ma ... /ovata.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill Yah, but does your coffee wood have nuts? Who needs nuts when the seeds: Produce most widely used product in the world after oil. is world's second most popular drink after water and contains the world's most used drug? Too bad the smoke is not psychoactive also... As I said.. mark my words.. Coffee charcoal and coffee chunks for smoking will make a name for itself in the culinary world. Someday I'll be known as the guy who brought coffee wood smoke flavor to the States! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddysurf Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill As I said.. mark my words.. Coffee charcoal and coffee chunks for smoking will make a name for itself in the culinary world. Someday I'll be known as the guy who brought coffee wood smoke flavor to the States! I'm not about to bet against Dennis. Shall I begin to organize a NorCal pallet order now, or do I need to wait a bit?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Charcoal that absolutely makes a cook special and different. Life is too short, I basically don't want to do something if I can't do it much better and make something special. I have no desire to sell the red wine in one gallon boxes or jugs.. I want to make charcoal that absolutely makes a cook special and different.. To get the flavor profiles I want out of the charcoal, it needs to be perfectly carbonized.. leaving enough volatiles to make it reasonably easy to light and give off enough smoke to add flavor to the food. If you over carbonize, you get char that's difficult to light and smokeless... under carbonize and it flames like wood and gives off thick acrid nasty smoke. Problem is that trees don't come in standard sizes.. The small branches are over carbonized before the larger branches are half way cooked.. We're now cutting and hand sorting the wood and cooking batches of the same volume pieces.. This is a huge pain in the ass but is the only way to get the results I need/want.. The temps in the retort also have to be monitored and regulated for proper pyrolysis/carbonization.. Our retort is 2,500 Liters/660 gallons.. Question: Should I sell coffee charcoal that produces more/extra (clean) smoke and it's flavor is it's most important feature or cook it longer and get cleaner great quality charcoal and let people add coffee wood chunks? I've found with chunks, I like to pre-burn them a bit before I put in my meat.. I don't like that initial thick, grey acrid smoke.. If you mix chunks in around your charcoal so it lights at different times during your cook you're getting this less than tasty first smoke.. A smoke pot, pipe or tinfoil pouch with holes set into the hottest charcoal can create an after burner type situation that greatly cleans up the smoke. In my playing around I've found that I like the flavor from the less cooked, more smokey coffee char more than what I get if I throw in chunks and the meat at the same time.. This less cooked, more smokey coffee char also gives off a little smoke from the beginning to the end of your cook. This is why I alway recommend people using a completely new basket of charcoal when doing a low and slow.. Once you have taken it up to high temps, you have cooked out all or most of the volatiles.. Or do I sell two types.. Standard and Extra Tasty.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted October 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill It's pretty obvious from past discussions; you are going to get requests for both! With carefully thought out rationales. But why bother using an exotic wood, at least exotic from a barbecuers perspective, to make clean flavorless smoke? If we are going to buy coffee charcoal we might as well get a unique flavor from it. Something to talk about and brag about at the party or cook off. You can get clean flavorless heat from propane, and then add the smokewood of your choice for the flavor. So why sub coffee charcoal for propane? Let the "coffeeness" come through in the final product. There's my "carefully thought out rationale". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcoliver Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill I agree, I assume this charcoal won't be cheap so there may not be enough wow factor to warrant the extra cost for just a great burn especially now that we have coco. I think the benefits of the coffee charcoal are going to be in the flavor, I would go with the real tasty version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill I would produce coffee charcoal for the flavor of the smoke, subtle but poignant. Burning characteristics are important as well, namely, fuel stability and capacity for high temperatures. All of these features were attributes of the Halls Hill charcoal. This is why I lament the loss of availability. I'm sure Dennis will design a fine product. Speaking of which, Dennis how brittle will the charcoal be and will this pose a problem in terms of shipping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paswesley Posted October 24, 2011 Report Share Posted October 24, 2011 Re: Hall's Hill Dennis: This may be a stupid question, but why stop now? Is coco charcoal the only type that is extruded? Will the coffee char be extruded? I assume coco char is extruded because the shells form such thin crispy pieces when it is carbonized. What about taking a normal lump charcoal, crushing it and then extruding it? Would this be a good approach if it could retain the coffee flavor, ash content, moisture content, and volatiles that you require? Would not extrusion produce a better product than lump? With lump, I hate the way some bags are so loaded down with smalls. Plus, you already own the extruding equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
