Which charcoal ?

[Nutty]

I just bought some lumpwood charcoal from http://www.treewoodcharcoal.com

The bags arrived packed inside cardboard boxes, to avoid the charcoal being bashed.. Nice touch I thought. They claim restaurant grade quality, guaranteed no addatives and only made from sustainably managed british hardwood.

Will be hopefully, weather permitting, doing my first cook with it tomorrow

[Verminskti]

Usually use the makro blue bags of charcoal but I'm finding it burns too quick. I'm currently on the heatbeads but boy are they expensive. I think the last wee beggy (4kg) was £7 from the range. Where are people getting theirs? (heatbeads ) Especially people in Berkshire.

I could be totally wrong, but I have a sneaky suspicion the blue bag RG stuff in Makro is from DC. It has exactly the same print on the bag etc - could be a coincidence, but as DC are a major importer and distributer it would make sense. I forget how much Makro sell it for. I've never found the stuff from DC burns too quick, but then I dunno if by the time its done the rounds at the Makro warehouses if it's been bashed about and made smaller?

I have trees in the blue bags. Have to pull a dozen bits the size of the chimney starter out to put some wee bits in the starter it's self!

[robgunby]

I have trees in the blue bags. Have to pull a dozen bits the size of the chimney starter out to put some wee bits in the starter it's self!

Ha yeah that's the stuff. It's great, love it

I just bought some lumpwood charcoal from http://www.treewoodcharcoal.com

Pricey!! :O zomg I couldn't do bbq if charcoal cost me that much.

Must be good stuff though. Let us know how you get on with it!

[BRUN]

does this seem cheaper than other suppliers ?

http://www.bbqworld.co.uk/weber-barbecu ... kg-bag.asp

[Nutty]

Pricey!! :O zomg I couldn't do bbq if charcoal cost me that much.

Must be good stuff though. Let us know how you get on with it!

Didn't think it was too bad. The bags are quite big, almost double normal sized charcoal bags. Each bag should do at least 4 or 5 bbqs. Considering its from sustainably managed british forrests, I dont mind paying a bit extra.

It lit really well, had flames coming out the top of the chimney starter within 10 mins probably. Produced great heat, could barely get my hand near the bbq to re-arrange the charcoal once I tipped it out. Did a 1 kilo porterhouse on it straight off, and got superb charring. Good flavour, tho I'm no smoke expert.

[robgunby]

Didn't think it was too bad. The bags are quite big, almost double normal sized charcoal bags. Each bag should do at least 4 or 5 bbqs. Considering its from sustainably managed british forrests, I dont mind paying a bit extra.

You're right that it will certainly be more ethical than the blue bag import stuff, but the price difference is astronomical.
£17 for a 6kg bag is £2.83 / kg
£7 for a 12kg bag is 58p / kg

I don't want to get into the ethics argument, because ultimately, on ethics alone, you are 100% right, but I simply can't afford to pay that much for charcoal.

[gdf]

not sure if its any good but Tesco have 5kg bags of lumpwood for £5

Has anyone used this?

Every time I go in I walk past the big pallet outside and it's tempting to pick up a load. Is that price too good to be true and best avoided?

[robgunby]

General advice for unknown charcoal is to feel around the bag for the size of the pieces. If they feel consistent, give it a go, at £5 it's worth a punt.

[BRUN]

well I did some ribs using it last Saturday, they cooked for 4 hours, and then a chicken went in for a few hours, they were still glowing when I closed all the vents, the pieces could do with being a bit bigger, but for a fiver and the convenience of it, its worth keeping a bag in, and id definitely use it again for shorter cooks like ribs etc

[robgunby]

Sounds better than the rubbish sold in b and q!

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