Had a chat with a guy from KC who convinced me to try lump charcoal for brisket

I always figured briquettes were fine, been using them for years. But this fella at a comp in Memphis spent like 20 minutes explaining how lump burns cleaner and gives a better bark. He said his brisket went from good to great after he switched. I was skeptical but tried it on my last smoke and honestly the crust came out way nicer. Not sure if it's worth the extra cost every time though. Anyone else make the switch and stick with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan5251mo ago

My first time using lump I forgot to wear gloves and ended up with little charcoal splinters in my fingers for a week. Looked like I got in a fight with a pencil and lost. But man that bark was something else. I still keep a bag of briquettes around for when I'm feeling lazy or cheap though. Like the other guy said, Tuesday night burgers don't need the fancy stuff. But for a brisket that I'm gonna babysit for 12 hours, I figure I might as well spend the extra five bucks. Just gotta remember the gloves next time.

jamie_adams1mo ago

Man, same thing happened to me after a competition in Texas. Switched to lump for brisket and that bark difference is real, but yeah the price tag makes me miss briquettes sometimes.

gavin2281mo ago

It's funny how the small things we use every day can be so different once you really pay attention. You get used to briquettes because they're cheap and consistent, but then you try lump and you see what you've been missing. I notice that pattern a lot now with things like my morning coffee or even the kind of salt I use for cooking. Everyone says fancy ingredients make a big difference, and they are usually right, but then you have to decide if the extra cost is worth it for your daily routine. For something like a weekend brisket, it's probably worth it. For a Tuesday night burger, briquettes do just fine.