Posted by Barbecue Doctor on May 07, 1996 at 09:46:08:
I want to know how to make lump charcoal from scratch.
Anyone out there have advice on how to do it with a cheap home
made rig?
I understand the process involves slowly burning wood
in an oxygen deprived environment for as long as ten days.
Lump charcoal is my fuel of choice for barbecue smoking.
It adds very little flavor by itself, so I also
add some chunks of cured hardwood like hickory, oak, pecan,
cherry, apple, or pear, depending on the meat I'm cooking. I let
the h
ardwood slowly smoke while the charcoal is burning hot.
Lump charcoal has advantages compared to brick charcoal.
With brick charcoal you have to "burn it off" first before adding
to the cooker or you'll get a "kerosene" taste -- with lump ch
arcoal
this precaution is not necessary, you can add it straight in without
bad flavor effects. Lump charcoal burns hotter, longer, and flavors
better than brick charcoal.
Lump charcoal has the disadvantage of costing about twice as
much
as a premium brick brand like Kingsford bricks. I have a
hard time finding lump charcoal in the grocery stores, the only
thing available around here is "Old Time Real Charcoal" -- which
is really good stuff.
Any suggestions?
-BBQ Doc