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Showerthought: I heard a guy at the hardware store say he only uses Kingsford briquettes for his brisket.
He was telling his friend that lump charcoal burns too hot and uneven for a long cook. It made me think about how I've always used B&B lump in my offset, and my results can be a bit all over the place. Maybe I should try a bag of briquettes for my next 14-hour smoke and see if it holds temp better. Has anyone else switched from lump to briquettes for long cooks and noticed a real difference?
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harris.ray2mo ago
The guy's right about lump burning hotter... but it's the offset's job to even that out.
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lucas631mo ago
Remember when my buddy's brisket tasted like lighter fluid? He was using cheap briquettes in his offset.
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calebh792mo ago
Maybe we're all missing the point about smoke flavor. Briquettes often have binders that can give off a chemical taste during a really long smoke. That's a trade-off for steady heat. I've had brisket where the smoke just tasted off, and I blame the briquettes. A good offset should manage lump charcoal's heat if you're paying attention. Steady temps are nice, but not if the flavor isn't clean.
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