Charcoal 101: Not all charcoal is created equal
Charcoal 101: Not All Charcoal Is Created Equal
This week’s guest article is written by Ed Reilly, a self-described “BBQ-ologist” who has been studying barbecue for 25 years. He’s worked in the industry for 35 years, including in sales for Weber, Char-Broil, Sunbeam, Old World Spices, and B&B Charcoal. He’s also a certified judge in five different sanctioning bodies. In today’s article, Ed writes about what separates different types of charcoal. You can reach Ed on Facebook. If you would like to write a guest article for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.
Cooking meat over a charcoal fire has been around since the beginning of humankind. By all accounts, it’s been part of our cooking routines for at least 2.6 million years. Roasting meat over a charcoal fire produced more caloric intake than raw meat alone and radically transformed our species into modern homo sapiens.
While charcoal has been around millions of years in various forms, a lot has changed in the past hundred years and consumers can now go to store to pick out a bag of fuel for their live-fire cooking. Today, I want to help unravel a few myths and break down essential information you need to understand different types and styles of charcoal.
Charcoal is incredibly versatile and useful for outdoor cooking. (Photo by Wai Chan)
The two main types of charcoal are lump and briquettes. The key difference between the two is that lump is usually made with 100% natural hardwood, and briquettes are made with wood byproducts. But there are many more.
So what are all the key differences between the two main types of charcoal? To determine which type is right for your cooking situation, let’s dig into more information about both and what is best suited for your next cookout.
Lump charcoal burns easily and cleanly. (Photo by Wai Chan)
Lump Charcoal
Lump charcoal is made by burning pieces of hardwood into carbon in special low-air ovens. The process of making lump charcoal technically goes back thousands of years. The craftsmen in the middle ages known as ‘colliers’ built earthen pits and covered them with dirt to control the burn. By limiting the amount of air to the fire most of the moisture and other organic compounds are vaporized and you are left with a pure carbon lump of charcoal. When the charcoal is lit the carbon compounds combine with oxygen other gases and it causes it to burn hotter than wood. Because lump charcoal burns hotter and more evenly, it has been used by cooks and blacksmiths for centuries.
Lump charcoal is now produced in low oxygen kilns or retorts capable of holding up to 100 cords of wood at a time. The most popular types of woods used are oak, hickory, walnut, chestnut, alder, and mesquite. There are other exotic lump charcoal varieties made from quebracho, guayacan, bintochotan, coconut, kiawe, pimento, and eucalyptus wood. Many manufacturers use repurposed wood scraps from sawmills, flooring, furniture, and other building materials.
Lump charcoal is 100% natural and is easier to light, heats up fast, burns hot (800-1200 degrees), and produces little ash waste. (Pro tip: The ash can be used as fertilizer in your garden). There are no additives or binders in lump charcoal and the wood is harvested from renewable sources. Lump charcoal is responsive to airflow, making it easy to adjust the temperature and there are wide varieties of wood species that can produce smokey flavor profiles on your food.
To sum it up, lump charcoal advantages include:
Made from natural hardwood, such as maple, oak, mesquite, or hickory.
Lights quickly, and easy to adjust the temperature.
Burns hotter and generally requires less product.
Imparts more wood-fired flavor to foods.
Charcoal briquettes light up incredibly well in a chimney starter. (Photo by Wai Chan)
Charcoal Briquettes
Charcoal briquettes are a manufactured product made up of several ingredients including wood char, coal, nitrates, lime, starch, minerals, and borax. Charcoal briquettes were first popularized in the 1920s when automobile maker Henry Ford and Thomas Edison teamed up to turn tons of wood scrap from his auto business into valuable consumer products. Briquettes still contain components in addition to charcoal to improve the heating and the length of performance of the product.
Briquettes are made by heating wood scraps and sawdust in oxygen-controlled ovens (pyrolysis) that convert the wood into carbon. The best materials are hardwoods such as beech, birch, maple, hickory, and oak. Some manufacturers also use softwoods like pine or other organic materials like fruit pits and nutshells.
Briquettes are made to burn longer and more consistently than lump charcoal, but not quite as hot (600-800 degrees). The specific temperature rate enables you to control the cooking process and set distinct heat zones or extend the burn time using the Minion or Snake method. Briquettes are less likely to break apart inside the bag, so you can typically use 100% of the bag.
To sum it up, charcoal briquette advantages include:
An easy-to-predict cooking process and less monitoring.
Keeps consistent temperatures for a long time.
Less expensive.
Less breakage in transport means more usable products per bag.
Bottom Line
Both fuels have advantages and disadvantages, and both can be used to make great food. You can decide how important each of these factors are, but it ultimately comes down to what you need and what results you want to achieve. Experimenting with different types of fuel and knowing how both perform can greatly enhance your cooking experience.
Fuel is the final ingredient that can impact your cooking, but it may be the first taste you perceive when eating. So it is important to use the best quality charcoal you can afford when you cook because it is both a heat source and a flavor source.
In the end, choosing your charcoal is really a matter of preference. There is no right or wrong answer — the fuel source truly depends on you. Be sure to buy the highest quality products from brands you trust and work smartly within your budget.
Ed Reilly
BBQ-ologist
B&B Charcoal, a family-owned Texas-based business established in 1961, offers premium hardwood charcoal. Our products are species-specific, so there are no blended wood issues. Our charcoal briquettes are made with 100% oak char without any additives and little starch binder. You’ll feel and see the quality the minute you open a bag. Click here to learn more about B&B Charcoal.
—The latest issue of Food & Wine features a celebration of barbecue in America.—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Food & Wine dedicated a major portion of their latest issue to the celebration of barbecue in America. In addition to the issue’s 2020 survey of the best barbecue in every state, Gowri Chandra highlights eight of America’s unique regional barbecue sauces and Caroline Schnapp writes about how she learned the meaning of barbecue at Durham, North Carolina institution, Bullock’s Barbecue. Senior editor Margaret Eby gets sentimental about Rusty’s Bar-B-Q, located between a racetrack and a Bass Pro shop in Alabama. Adrian Miller pens an obituary for David McAtee, the Louisville pitmaster who was killed by law enforcement on June 1st. Illyanna Maisonet pays tribute to Sacramento’s Post Oak Barbecue, where Texas BBQ meets Vietnamese cuisine. Further showcasing the complexity of barbecue in America these days, Nina Friend delves into Jewish Barbecue and Khushbu Shah examines the seekh kebab.
READ MORE
The barbecue community suffered two huge losses recently. Mike Wilson, the legendary Alabama pitmaster and founder of Saw’s BBQ passed away over the weekend. In Wilson, North Carolina, Parker’s Barbecue lost longtime employee Johnny Brunson, known to patrons as ‘Mr. June’, who started working at the restaurant at the age of 15 in 1950.
In Men’s Health, Josh St. Clair wrote all about how you can dine at each of the barbecue restaurants featured in the new seventh season of Chef’s Table: BBQ on Netflix. The series features restaurants such as Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, Texas and Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, with locations in Charleston, South Carolina and Birmingham, Alabama.
READ MORE
The Houston Chronicle’s J.C. Reid wrote about how new life has been given to Dozier’s BBQ, one of the oldest barbecue joints in Fulshear. Part of what makes the new version of Dozier's BBQ so interesting is its new pitmaster — Jim Buchanan, who had recently become available after closing his Galveston craft barbecue joint, Buck’s, in January. “As someone who’s been a fan of Dozier’s since I was a kid I want to honor the legacy here while bringing in modern techniques,” says Buchanan.
READ MORE
AmazingRibs.com, one of the most important barbecue sites on the web, has been selected by the United States Library of Congress to be included in its historic Food and Foodways Web Archive. Of the thousands of food websites, only 43 are archived at the Library of Congress. Other sites in this archive include the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, James Beard Foundation, Southern Foodways Alliance, Grub Street, Jose Andres, Pioneer Woman, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery, Everyday Dorie, Stone Barns Center for Food And Agriculture, Seafood Watch, Eater, and Leite's Culinaria.
READ MORE
ADDITIONAL READS
After several delays, Matt Horn will open the anticipated Horn BBQ in West Oakland this month.
Aaron Stewart, pitmaster of Oakland pop-up MexiQ, is hoping Mexican barbecue will be the next big thing.
Daniel Castillo, pitmaster at Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano, shared his secret to making the best pulled pork..
Some of New York’s best barbecue is being served by Solinsky’s in the small town of Stamford in the Catskills.
Proven D.C. Pitmaster Shawn McWhirter opens long-awaited Smokin’ Pig on H Street.
D.C. barbecue standout Federalist Pig Opening a Mobile Barbecue Kitchen in Hyattsville.
Atlanta’s Das BBQ opening a second location this fall with more seating.
BBQ Cafe opens across from Kimball House on East Howard Avenue in Decatur, Georgia.
Meet the contestants competing on the American Barbecue Showdown series on Netflix.
John Dooley is a barbecue aficionado who is on a mission to find the best barbecue in Memphis.
5 places to get barbecue breakfast in Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram highlights brisket sandwiches and breakfast tacos at Panther City BBQ.
—Chef’s Table: BBQ uses one episode to explore the story of Rodney Scott, the pitmaster who grew up cooking hogs in Hemingway, South Carolina before forging his own path to success.—
WATCH
Rodney Scott — Chef’s Table: BBQ
While we couldn’t help but love watching the first episode of Chef’s Table: BBQ about 85-year-old pitmaster Tootsie Tomanetz of Snow’s BBQ, we wanted to shine a light on the equally powerful and personal episode on South Carolina’s James Beard award-winning pitmaster Rodney Scott. Scott grew up cooking whole hog barbecue in Hemingway, South Carolina for his family's small-town store. This episode explores how he learned to work hard to create his family’s unique style of whole hog barbecue and how he branched out to open his own restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina and Birmingham, Alabama. In this episode, Scott shares his positive and uplifting outlook on life and barbecue. WATCH HERE
LISTEN
Blane Hunter of Porky Butts BBQ — Kevin’s BBQ Joints
In this episode, Kevin gets the chance to chat with Blane Hunter from Porky Butts BBQ in Omaha, Nebraska. Blane grew up in Texas then moved to the east coast for culinary school before finding his way to Wisconsin and eventually Omaha, Nebraska. He started competing in barbecue competitions in 2013 and has been in 130 competitions, had 85 top 10 finishes, 22 Grand Championships in 9 different states, including 2016 KCBS Team of the Year and 2017 American Royal Open Grand Champion. Blane chats with Kevin about his culinary background, experience in competition barbecue, and how his restaurant has adapted to the pandemic. LISTEN HERE
READ
The History of an American Institution, Revised and Expanded Second Edition — Robert F. Moss
The full story of barbecue in the United States had been virtually untold before Robert F. Moss revealed its long, rich history in his 2010 book Barbecue: The History of an American Institution. Moss researched hundreds of sources — newspapers, letters, journals, diaries, and travel narratives — to document the evolution of barbecue from its origins among Native Americans to its present status as an icon of American culture. He mapped out the development of the rich array of regional barbecue styles, chronicled the rise of barbecue restaurants, and profiled the famed pitmasters who made the tradition what it is today. Moss has made significant updates in this new edition, offering a wealth of new historical research, sources, illustrations, and anecdotes. BUY IT HERE
—You can get a big payoff from following this simple recipe for bone-in pork loin. (Photo by Daniel Vaughn)—
Bone-In Pork Loin
by Roy Perez of Kreuz Market
For this week’s Recipe of the Week, we chose this recipe for Bone-in Pork Loin from Roy Perez, pitmaster of Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas. Perez seasons the pork loin the night before cooking with a mix of salt, black pepper, and cayenne. He cooks the pork for one and a half to two hours, leaving the meat bone side down on the smoker. This simple recipe results in a smokey crust on the exterior of the meat and a perfectly tender and juicy interior.
—Many of the largest barbecue events of 2020 have been canceled or postponed.—
In light of the constantly changing coronavirus crisis, we are leaving our events section blank for some time. Many events in 2020 have been canceled or postponed thus far. We’ll be updating our events section on our website with the most up-to-date information as we have it.
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