DennisLinkletter Posted November 5, 2006 Report Posted November 5, 2006 KO-KA LUMP? From day one, people have been asking me to send charcoal... I really don't want to do something unless I can do it better or at least stand out from the crowd. I have a great new twist in how to process and package natural coconut charcoal.. So recently, I've been scouring Indonesia, asking about hardwood lump charcoal. There is of course Tamarind charcoal, my sample shown here. Here is Teak charcoal.. Locals here say it burns the longest... As the wood is prized and very expensive.. this is all made out of branches and stumps. This is the most expensive lump.. purported to burn the hottest. It's the choice fuel for ceramic kilns and for metal smelting.. It is very different looking.. beautiful actually, it shimmers and breaks like stone. (This was the only shot taken with a flash)
Curly Posted November 5, 2006 Report Posted November 5, 2006 What kind of prices for any of this stuff?
PJFLASH Posted November 5, 2006 Report Posted November 5, 2006 What kind of flavor does the Tamarind add? I love Tamarind Shrimp and of course Pad Thai and all the Thai dishes that use the fruit of the Tamarind in their recipes. I wonder if cooking with the wood would add an essence of that flavor.
samantha Posted November 5, 2006 Report Posted November 5, 2006 Does it start easily? Have you cooked with it yet? How much smoke from it?
gerard Posted November 5, 2006 Report Posted November 5, 2006 Re: KO-KA LUMP? KO-KA LUMP? First, lose the name. Sounds like Caca lump - which I have no problem finding - it goes by the name Kingsford Charwood. From day one, people have been asking me to send charcoal... I really don't want to do something unless I can do it better or at least stand out from the crowd. I have a great new twist in how to process and package natural coconut charcoal.... Ahh... so this is what had D_J so adamant that Coconut Shell Lump was preferable to CEL. Well that, and the opportunity to brown nose you without the rest of us knowing. There is of course Tamarind charcoal......... Here is Teak charcoal.......... Are you announcing that you are now offering these or are you just considering and looking for feedback? Whatever you pick, I sure hope you can assure a steady supply cause making promises you can't keep would be very bad for business
ThreeDJ16 Posted November 5, 2006 Report Posted November 5, 2006 Re: KO-KA LUMP? Ahh... so this is what had D_J so adamant that Coconut Shell Lump was preferable to CEL. Well that, and the opportunity to brown nose you without the rest of us knowing. First off....bite me Gerard!!! Looks to me that he is considering several types of charcoal other than coconut. After using both CEL and lump for a while, I just found I prefer the lump as I can use it for either low & slow or high temp where I only liked the CEL in low. I thought Dennis could get either. And I had no idea about all this charcoal, I had only discussed the coconut as that was what I wanted! But I am for any good charcoal I can get cheap! Now a question for Dennis on the charcoal. The biggest item that completely ruins charcoal for me is sparking. I know some of the more exotic woods can be troubled with that. I was really curious about the shiny one as those were always the ones that seem to spark the most for me. So please test them for sparking at high temps while you are testing. -=Jasen=-
Firemonkey Posted November 5, 2006 Report Posted November 5, 2006 The biggest item that completely ruins charcoal for me is sparking. Try loading a chimney with mesquite some time. Looks like Vesuvius! Its almost hard to get your hand in there to dump it. Never a problem in the grill though, only when you concentrate the heat in a chimney. Since I load the grill and light with gas, is no prob - not even when running the temp up to sear. Dennis, the Tamarind intrigues me as well. Any more details on its performance / flavor, etc?
samantha Posted November 5, 2006 Report Posted November 5, 2006 Dennis...since many of the exotic woods have more oils in them in their raw state, does this still exist in the charcoal state? I am wondering since some people are very allergic to the sawdust of the exotic woods.
DennisLinkletter Posted November 6, 2006 Author Report Posted November 6, 2006 It's considered the best in the world. Dennis...since many of the exotic woods have more oils in them in their raw state' date=' does this still exist in the charcoal state? I am wondering since some people are very allergic to the sawdust of the exotic woods.[/quote'] I'm confidant that if they were properly carbonized any oils would be vaporized at much lower temperatures than are used making charcoal. I've contacted a factory that makes Japanese Bincho white charcoal from RHIZOPHORA PICULATA or red mangrove. It's considered the best in the world. The best will go to Japan the seconds may become Komodo...
greggd Posted November 6, 2006 Report Posted November 6, 2006 KO - KA Dennis: There are many facets to the term "best there is". You can sell identical CEL (I believe it is sourced) and compete favorably by packaging it better, actually delivering product, making sure it is completely dried, give accurate weights, avoid customer service nightmares etc. That can be a baseline, opening price point, product. There is a large amount of pent-up demand that can help support the marketing and awareness of your KK line. I will leave the more arcane types of hardwood charcoal to the experts on this forum. Those products would be your step up. I have had a bad experience trying to buy CEL. No tears requested, I am lucky by comparison to many others. The upside is I learned about your company. However, I have a K7 that seems to be holding up well. Indeed, I would like to support your endeavor with sales dollars. This coal appears to be the only avenue that I will have in the foreseeable future. I will try whatever you decide to market. You track record thus far is impressive. However if you do CEL, I know have 7 Chicagoans that are eager for a supplier. Gregg D
LeadDog Posted November 6, 2006 Report Posted November 6, 2006 You know greggd's post reminds me about the moldy charcoal and maybe how that came about. There have been times when we have shut our charcoal pit down, cut off the air to the pit, for several days. Then we would unload the pit and bring the charcoal home. Then at some point in time later the charcoal catches back on fire! Now what do you think we did? We hosed it down with water to keep it from all burning up. We don't package our charcoal in plastic so there is no reason for it to ever mold but I can see how charcoal packaged in plastic could get in a situation where it could mold. We BBQ all the time with charcoal that has been hosed down and rained on and it works fine for us, just in case you were wondering.
Farmer John Posted November 7, 2006 Report Posted November 7, 2006 Dennis - we are in various locations so we could buy as a group and meet or (I travel) deliver to others. It becomes a family thing (meeting and delivering)if we can get some good quality KKoal. Boy if we could even get a small sampling of the Japanese stuff it would be fun to try. John
gerard Posted November 7, 2006 Report Posted November 7, 2006 Re: KO - KA .....You can sell identical CEL (I believe it is sourced) and compete favorably by packaging it better' date=' actually delivering product, making sure it is completely dried, give accurate weights, avoid customer service nightmares etc. That can be a baseline, opening price point, product. There is a large amount of pent-up demand that can help support the marketing and awareness of your KK line. I will leave the more arcane types of hardwood charcoal to the experts on this forum. Those products would be your step up.......[/quote'] Hmmm... these words seem familiar? I wonder why? Oh yeah, I said virtually the same thing a couple of weeks ago. Preach it, Brother Gregg!
ThreeDJ16 Posted November 7, 2006 Report Posted November 7, 2006 Re: KO - KA .....You can sell identical CEL (I believe it is sourced) and compete favorably by packaging it better' date=' actually delivering product, making sure it is completely dried, give accurate weights, avoid customer service nightmares etc. That can be a baseline, opening price point, product. There is a large amount of pent-up demand that can help support the marketing and awareness of your KK line. I will leave the more arcane types of hardwood charcoal to the experts on this forum. Those products would be your step up.......[/quote'] Hmmm... these words seem familiar? I wonder why? Oh yeah, I said virtually the same thing a couple of weeks ago. Preach it, Brother Gregg! Back to your cave, ya grinch, back I tell ya! -=Jasen=- Hehe, I waited till Gerard left before I posted this! Hell, I would pretty much buy any of the charcoal provided it was good and at a reasonable price (and none of the aggrevation like from somewhere else)!
leeherd Posted November 7, 2006 Report Posted November 7, 2006 Please make it happen!!!!! OK Dennis. I can guarantee at least one customer for ya. I am stuck up here in the Northwest home of the over sized gas grill and Charcoal briquettes. Even Wallyworld does not carry lump up here. So Since I am going to have to mail order anyway. I would much rather send my business your way. The Tamarind sounds very interesting.
Fetzervalve Posted November 7, 2006 Report Posted November 7, 2006 Re: Please make it happen!!!!! Even Wallyworld does not carry lump up here. Our WalMart doesn't have lump either, but I did find it at a WM Super Center down the road. I also have purchased BGE lump at an egg dealer (hardware store). You may not have Menards (lumber yard) but they carry Cowboy. You might check Lowes or Home Depot....
greggd Posted November 7, 2006 Report Posted November 7, 2006 KO - KA Gerard: I also agree with you on the name issue. It does not connote ..... cleanliness. How about K2 Koal. Maybe someone could write a jingle "K2 Koal is number one." Another packaging thought. Perhaps you could package a uniform sized extruded lump (I am obsessive compulsive about storage attributes of CEL) in a larger size (25 lbs) square plastic pail. The top would have to be seal-able waterproof for those of us who like to store stuff outdoors. I realize that there are ecological concerns with plastic, but the convenience (pet foods are an example) might out weigh that aspect. Maybe a rebate on sales to a renewable (name your favorite fuel source) tree. The people you are selling to are a demanding, driven lot. Price will always be a factor, but it is not the largest determinant of a sale or no sale. To paraphrase Barry Goldwater on this election day "Extremism in the pursuit of barbecue excellence is no vice" Food for thought.
Majestik Posted November 7, 2006 Report Posted November 7, 2006 Ko - Ka Sing it: At the Ko-Ka , Ko-Ka Cabana The hottest spot north of ...Surabya? Meh...
greggd Posted November 7, 2006 Report Posted November 7, 2006 Ko - Ka Jingle Majestik: I stand corrected. Gerard's -ahem- excrement allusion is erased. Now I just need time to get Barry Manilow out of my head. greggd
