Made some baby backs using B&B briquettes. I think they are easier to work with than lump. Harder to light but less prone to sudden acceleration from opening the lid and they lasted longer. Ribs came out great but a little tasteless due to the fact that I didn’t have time to properly salt them.
by Top-Cupcake4775
17 Comments
Im really curious about the experience you are going to make. Briquettes are not recommended for use in a Kamado grill because they contain binders and additives that can produce unwanted odors, residues, and affect food flavor. They also burn less hot, ignite more slowly, and respond poorly to airflow adjustments, which makes precise temperature control difficult in a Kamado
I had to use briquettes once during covid lockdowns and never again. the amount of ash/dust they made was so annoying to have to clean out.. now mind you a shop vac makes it quick but lump is the way to go.
I use Jealous Devil briquettes for my hot and fast steak cooks to great effect. Sure, there’s a little more ash and unburned nuggets that fall through the basket. They use corn starch as a binder and 100% hardwood. Cheaper than lump and I don’t have to wait so long for the cool down after the cook.
Big No-No. Briquettes have chemicals in them that can leach into the ceramics. The manual cleary states this.
I had to use briquettes once for some ribs when I realized I didn’t have enough lump left for my cook. Thought they gave an awful taste to the meat.
if i HAVE to use briquettes, it would need to be B&B brand
Not recommended in general. I didn’t know that there are briquettes like yours which have organic binders or additives that seems to be good to go.
Glad for you it turned out well. There’s always something new to learn 😁
I’ve been curious about this. I’ve never used briquettes in my KJ.
I think when I first bought mine in 2017, on the day of my first cook (burgers), I had completely forgot to get fuel so I went to the store and they had no lump charcoal. All the posts and results were “DONT use!!” I was like, “ok….. thats outs.” I ended up finding at the next store. Ever since I’ve just used lump. How’d the food turn out?
I own a Joe Jr and a 2xl egg. And find most Joe users justify using briquettes because it’s an affordable option just like KJ itself. But if I paid $3000 for my 2xl I’m spending the $2-3 more for lump if that what’s recommended. Just like buying a sports car and putting lower octane.
I used kingsford professional briquettes (from Costco) on one of my first KJ cooks and I hated the taste it imparted on my meat. I felt that I could definitely discern a flavor difference. Lump charcoal all the way for me.
I use briquettes for fast cooks and/or high temps…like steaks, burgers or chicken breasts. They are cheap and I don’t need much. 2 big bags of Kingsford from Costco are about $20. I use a chimney to start them and dump them into the KJ. O can get them ready in about 10-15 mins. I throw some pellets on if I want a little smoke.
My favorite briquettes, but JD lump for my kamado exclusive. Briquettes for my Weber kettle.
The manual for my 1960’s hibachi pot said to use briquettes. The only issue is ash build up and all you gotta do is poke the stick through the damper and make room for air.
Too much ash
This is the amount of ash generated by the amount of charcoal you see in my original post. Certainly more than lump, but nothing that would interfere with a cook. You can see how most of it just fell through the basket and there wasn’t nearly enough to choke off the air pathway. It took me an entire minute to vacuum out this ash.
https://preview.redd.it/bs57fo7ck1ze1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3524a61b7f9e3792bb318204ff2e06cc9f5dd388
What is your damage?
To much ash.