Switched from lump charcoal to briquettes for longer cooks and now I'm second guessing everything

Tbh I used to be all about lump charcoal for everything. Thought briquettes were for amateurs who didn't care about flavor. But about 6 months ago I did a 14 hour pork shoulder on my offset smoker in Austin and ran out of fuel twice because lump burns so uneven. Switched to a high grade briquette for that cook and the temp stayed steady for 6 hours straight without messing with it. Now I'm wondering if I've been making things harder than they need to be all these years. But part of me still misses that smokier taste you get with lump. Anyone else made the switch and stuck with it or went back?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles722mo ago

Did you try mixing them to get the best of both?

joseph_torres2mo ago

Man I feel you on this, it's rough trying to figure out which approach actually works without just making a bigger mess. Hope you find something that clicks soon.

nancy_ross24d ago

Oh come on, is it really that deep? People act like picking a cleaning method is some huge life decision. I just grab whatever is under the sink and go for it most of the time. Half the time I'm mixing stuff together without even thinking about it and my place still looks fine. Sure, maybe you ruin a sponge or two but big deal. It's just cleaning, not rocket science.