BGE Charcoal

[Gunning Bird]

Have tried several brands. Ended up with the Royal Oak lump, which I understand is the same as the BGE charcoal. Settled with the RO because is comes in bigger chunks - the cowboy stuff seemed to be mostly small pieces which plugged up the vent holes affecting temperature control.

As for the butts, I've tried a lot of things including leaving them on all day, etc. and have finally ended up leaving them on the BGE for 4-5 hours, bringing them inside, wrapping in foil and finishing in the oven at 225 for a total of 9-10 hours cooking time. Fall apart tender and incredibly moist. Leaving them on all day did not add any more smoke flavor. A couple of good sized staves of pecan, hickory or apple last for hours.

[BOOMSTICK069]

A good pulled pork butt can be done in 5-6hrs especially on these type cookers. I don't have the luxury of time for a 10+hr cook and routinely cook one in about 5hrs and I promise you it is fall apart tender when done.

[Dub]

Wicked good for long cooks... Royal oak for short cooks. I've cooked well over 18 hrs on one set of wicked good

Yup. Good strategy. Royal Oak red bags from Walmart. Cheap and full of small to medium pieces.



I really like this Wicked Good. Nice huge chunks throughout most bags.





My local ACE Hardware sells it for $19 for a 22 lb bag.

Local grill store keeps it, too.


Best I've ever used.

[Dub]

A good pulled pork butt can be done in 5-6hrs especially on these type cookers. I don't have the luxury of time for a 10+hr cook and routinely cook one in about 5hrs and I promise you it is fall apart tender when done.

The Big Easy made a believer out of me. Three hour butts that aren't bad at all.


I'd have thought that crazy talk had I not tried it a few times.

[BOOMSTICK069]

Looks good.

[Dub]

Looks good.

It really worked great on my first brisket......held temps great.





I use the cheaper stuff on burgers and such.

[SaltMuck]

Oh, I know. Didn't mean to take away from your efforts. I'm sure it was outstanding.

The Orion and the BGE are two totally different animals in how they cook - and I will have a BGE of my own at some point. The beauty of the BGE is its versatility - it can easily be used as a grill or true smoker. I get that. The Orion is a one-trick pony, of sorts, in that you can't control the temperature. But therein lies its simplicity, which is also nice to have at times. And I always add chips for smoke on anything I cook on the Orion. The idea that it doesn't smoke things is a misnomer. It smokes while the convection is working - it just does that faster. That being said, there are certain things that are just meant to be cooked for longer like ribs and briskets that I think would be MUCH better on the BGE, even though all the ones I've cooked on the Orion have been damn good in their own right.

Rock on. I didn't mean to take away from your efforts. How 'bout a picture???

Didn't take it as that, no problems Simple. You are dead on, I think both cookers have their advantages and drawbacks. I can tell you I was a skeptic of BGE until I got one. It produces a fine product.

I'll get some pics of the next one. It's hard to drool for 18 hours and think of pics.

[HARV]

I use some stuff that's likely not available there. Maple Leaf Charcoal a beech, hard maple and yeller birch blend is my fave.Basques Natures Own all hard maple , I get a big bag of some generic no name shit that's like starting rocks to get going hotter than all get out too and lasts a long time.Don't much like it , it sparks like crazy.Royal Oak when hard up.

[2thDoc]

18 hours is a bit much but not unthinkable. Smoking a butt is how BBQ is made.

I need some wicked good charcoal. someone hook me up.

Cowboy brand sucks. Royal Oak is better. Small pieces, I agree, suck.

you MUST fill your BGE past the interior holes.

I have more tidbits of wisdom floating around in my noggin' that will fall out sooner or later.

[Cooney]

SM, you can get the wicked good at fireside on broad st. for $25.00. I've been through a few bags but I'm not sure it's worth the price. At any rate, Fireside is worth a visit if you've never been.
Feetdown, that's good info about Bilo in Edgefield. I would not have thought they had lump charcoal. Good lookin out

[Dub]

SM, you can get the wicked good at fireside on broad st. for $25.00. I've been through a few bags but I'm not sure it's worth the price. At any rate, Fireside is worth a visit if you've never been.
Feetdown, that's good info about Bilo in Edgefield. I would not have thought they had lump charcoal. Good lookin out

Last trip to Fireside they had a bag of this imported lump open. Massive pieces throughout the bag, it appeared.

$29 for 33 ponds.

I'm going to give it a test run tomorrow on some butts.

[SaltMuck]

Dub, let me know what you think. I'm still working on the bag I bought back in February. Seems to be some good stuff.

[marsh chicken]

Publix started selling some decent stuff I noticed. Tried a bag this week. Good large chunks. Good price, although I can't remember exactly what it was. Cheaper than BGE by several $$

[Dub]

Dub, let me know what you think. I'm still working on the bag I bought back in February. Seems to be some good stuff.

I cooked two butts with it yesterday.

Had my grill running well for twenty mins as I rubbed the butts.


I never adjusted the vents until right after the fourth hour. It ran 275 with little fluctuation.

Gonna try it on a brisket later in the weekend.

Flavor was great.