"Red Lump"

[ckreef]

6 hours ago, tekobo said:

I have only ever used cocoshell briquettes in my KKs and they have been great.  Looking to get a new grill soon and was in the market for "ordinary" charcoal.  I happened to see a TV programme that included this company showing how they make charcoal sustainably in the UK: https://www.oxfordcharcoal.co.uk.  When I rang them up they mentioned the fact that they have some Cuban Marabu too.  That sparked (tee hee) my interest because I remembered seeing you folks talk about Marabu.  I was going to go all in and buy some for the KK as well but I now see from your earlier posts, @ckreef, that you think Marabu charcoal is too sparky for the KK.  Oh well, I might buy a bag of Marabu to try out in the konro and will also try out their locally made charcoal.  I've paid no attention to your recent char burning experiments Charles because I thought I was all set with my cocoshell but I am now on a mission to  try these single species charcoals.  Hard to imagine how alder char differs from wild cherry char but that will be the fun of exploring.  

So far I've tested 10 different types of lump. I have 3 more I will test, KK CoffeeChar, Jealous Devil, and Fogo Brazilian Eucalyptus. I now have those 3 in my possession but it'll take a few weeks to get through the tests. 

 

My opinion (so far) using the normal lumps available:

All the lumps tested worked reasonably well under all circumstances but some worked better for different situations. Most people don't really care but some of us do. 

Marabu is a really hot burning, very dense lump. It's best used for extended high heat cooks such as multiple high heat pizzas especially if you were having a large pizza party. It is sized properly for use in a Konro grill and is probably the only reasonably good substitute for Binchotan. Used for normal cooks in a kamado can be problematic befause it's hard to light and takes a little bit more airflow to keep it going. 

South American hardwood trees are denser, harder trees so they make a harder lump compared to North American trees. South American lump burns better and lasts longer. When I finally get through burning all this extra lump I have laying around the house (I have a good bit leftover from all these tests) I will NOT be buying lump made from North American hardwoods. 

Most people just measure lump by cost without taking in other factors. The cheaper the better, but....... If lump B costs twice as much as lump A, but lump B burns twice as long as lump A did it really cost more? There is more to lump than initial cost. You have a KK so paying a few dollars more for better lump is probably not an issue for you. 

One thing to note is none of my tests took the flavor profile of lump into account. It was simply how well it burned under different circumstances. 

 

[Alphonse]

Charles, thanks for your view here.  It really is about energy content isn't it? 

I have watched your tests with interest and look forward to the others you are planning.  I am with you, I am only buying high energy content charcoal now.   It is readily available via online and the Ace.  

I burned some Fogo Quebracho this week and took note on how dense it is and began to ponder how to measure density.  So I spent a little effort in researching a practical way to measure density of various lump but have not come up with an easy way to do so.  Naturally, there could be a broad spectrum in a particular bag but it is quickly evident that these lumps from South America are more dense and have more energy content than what one gets from North America.  

Thank you for all your charcoal observations, tests, and your posts on the topic.

[tony b]

Let's just hope that they don't burn up all the forests down there to clear land to grow soybeans to sell to China!! 

[ckreef]

6 hours ago, Alphonse said:

...... began to ponder how to measure density.  So I spent a little effort in researching a practical way to measure density of various lump but have not come up with an easy way to do so. 

 

How much weight per cubic foot is the easy method I came up with. Not a real scientific method but gives a reasonably repeatable process that's probably good enough for comparative purposes. 

At this point I can look at a bag, see how much weight is in the bag and have a good idea about density. 

And one really needs to become a lump whisperer. Bang two pieces together and listen carefully to what the lump is trying to tell you. The softer North American lump makes a dull "thud" almost hollow sound. The more dense the lump the more of a "clink" sound. There is a binchotan video where they hit two pieces together. It sounds like two pieces of glass. Marabu is the only sound that comes close to that. 

 

 

Hi - my name is Charles - I'm a lump nerd - I need counseling or at least a good 12 step lump program - help.........

 

Edited August 24, 2019 by ckreef

[Alphonse]

You are definitely a Lump Whisperer for sure.   Thanks for the insights on Marabu here and in other threads as well.  To your credit, I have two bags in my stash.  

Just waiting on my Konro to show up now! 

[tony b]

12 hours ago, Alphonse said:

You are definitely a Lump Whisperer for sure.   Thanks for the insights on Marabu here and in other threads as well.  To your credit, I have two bags in my stash.  

Just waiting on my Konro to show up now! 

Here's where I get reasonably priced binchotan for my yakitori, if you're interested.

https://www.korin.com/grillware/binchotan-charcoals-and-accessories

[tony b]

19 hours ago, ckreef said:

Hi - my name is Charles - I'm a lump nerd - I need counseling or at least a good 12 step lump program - help.......

[ckreef]

16 minutes ago, tony b said:

Here's where I get reasonably priced binchotan for my yakitori, if you're interested.

https://www.korin.com/grillware/binchotan-charcoals-and-accessories

 

I've looked at that page before. Which version have you tried? 

 

I'm going to try some one of these days but at the moment I'm sort of overflowing with lump including 4 bags of Marabu. 

 

 

[Pequod]

Personally, I use the Aramaru. Definitely gets hot enough and at a reasonable price...for binchotan anyway.

[tony b]

7 hours ago, ckreef said:

I've looked at that page before. Which version have you tried? 

I have both the Sumi (which is very close to Dennis' cocochar extruded) and the Aramaru. Next on my list to try is the White Binchotan. According to the website, it's actually made in Vietnam, but the price point is in the same ballpark as the Sumi and Aramaru. 

https://www.korin.com/TK-636-28-03

[tekobo]

On 8/24/2019 at 12:29 PM, ckreef said:

Marabu is a really hot burning, very dense lump. It's best used for extended high heat cooks such as multiple high heat pizzas especially if you were having a large pizza party. It is sized properly for use in a Konro grill and is probably the only reasonably good substitute for Binchotan. Used for normal cooks in a kamado can be problematic befause it's hard to light and takes a little bit more airflow to keep it going. 

Thanks for all the feedback Charles aka Lump Whisperer.  You are helping me edge towards a decision.

 I am intrigued by the different charcoals that the Oxford guys make and offer.  I will get in touch next week to see if I can get one of each at a sensible price (including any they may have a few of but are not advertising) so that I can do my own experiments before committing to a larger order.  My char journey has been simple and uneventful to date.  I hope I will have a fun time trying out different chars and seeing how the make a difference to the cooking time, method and taste.