Swapped to lump charcoal after 10 years of briquettes and ruined my first cook

Ive been using standard briquettes since I got my first Weber kettle back in 2015. Last week I picked up a bag of Royal Oak lump charcoal from the Ace on Main Street because it was on sale. Fired up the smoker for a pork shoulder and the temp spiked to 350 in like 20 minutes. I learned real quick that lump burns way hotter and faster than briquettes so you gotta adjust your vents and maybe use less fuel. Has anyone else struggled with the switch or is it just me messing up my airflow?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.aaron2mo ago

Royal Oak lump is notorious for running hot. I switched a few years back and had the same panic when my first cook shot past 300 before I could blink. You gotta open the vents way less than you think, and maybe start with half the charcoal you'd normally use. Took me about three cooks to stop fighting it.

the_robert2mo ago

Nah, Royal Oak is fine. You just suck at controlling airflow.

johnson.faith2mo ago

lol I actually read something from a BBQ science guy who said Royal Oak often has a mix of different wood densities in one bag, so some pieces burn way hotter than others. That's probably why you see those wild temp swings even when you think you've got the vents dialed in. Not saying you can't work with it, but it's not just you sucking at airflow lol. Some bags are worse than others too, like the ones with bigger chunks of dense wood mixed in with the lighter stuff. I've had a bag that was perfectly steady and then the next one was all over the place, same vents and everything.