A lot of my friends ask me what I use to fuel my BBQ’s. Well obviously my gasser uses……gas but for my charcoal BBQs I actually use lump charcoal. The reasons for this are as follows:
- Temperature control
Lump charcoal can be more readily “regulated” charcoal briquettes are meant to be used for “uncontrolable” environments such as kettles etc. whilst my BBQ-ing at times requires high heat (300C / 600F and higher temps and sometimes low and slow (250F for the duration of an overnight cook).
Especially when you want to sear a steak at high temps and slowly cook later in the same cook lump charcoal seems to respond a lot better than briquettes.
- Chemical free
Most briquettes are made with all sort of “foreign” material whilst lump charcoal only contains the pure ingredient (albeit different types of wood) as they “compress” the wood used with other materials.
Don’t even get me started on the “easy-light” briquettes as they contain all sort of chemicals to make them “easy-light”. Yum yum petrol flavoured food (well not that bad but nor far off either). Get yourself a “chimney” (gotta have BBQ gadget for charcoal/briquettes) and the lighting becomes a lot easier. I’m not 100% sure but I feel that the taste of lump charcoal is noticably better than cooking with briquettes???
- Ash production
This can be a bit contentious as it does depend on the type of lump charcoal used however generally the amount of ash produced by briquettes is more than using lump charcoal. It also depends whether you are into ceramic cooking and your BBQ has a limited fire bowl thus the amount of ash it can hold is not very mcuh (my KK has a slightly different construction and I have never encountered any “too much ash” issues).
- Price
I WISH!!! unfortunately the aforementioned benefits do come with a price. It is cheapier (and easier) to pick up a couple of bags of briquettes from Woolies instead of buying lum charcoal (if you can find it). Anyway I buy my 20kg bags from a local supplier but am giving it serious thought to buy a pallet and buy in bulk as the charcoal doesn’t go off (as long as you store in an enviroment with limited moisture.
Hi paul
I live in Perth and was wondering were I could get Lump Charcoal – have had enough of using fuel beads and am desperate to cook on natural timber. Happy to pay but please direct me in the right direction.
Much appreciated.
Hi Joseph, I know of a couple places in Sydney, but not too sure about distributors in Perth.
I’ll post it on the forum as well sorry I couldn’t be of more help…
Hi Paul, where do you get lump charcoal in Sydney? I’d be really grateful as I much prefer using it to briquettes but can’t find it anywhere! Thanks.
Hi John, I get my charcoal (15kg bag for 33 dollars (current price 28 Sept 08)) at a shop called Impressions. They have a couple of shops:
13 Old Pittwater Road
Brookvale NSW 2100
21B Victoria Avenue
Castle Hill NSW 2154
12 Johnston Street
Annandale
Thanks heaps Paul, I will check out the Brookvale shop. Much appreciated!
Hi
Thanks for useful information. do you know any place in Brisbane or Gold Coast that sells wood lump charcoal?? I would prefer fruit wood. I will appreciate it so much if you direct me to a place in Brisbane or generally in Australia
Thanks for the tip. Just called impressions in castle hill, price for a 15kg bag is $33 dollars.
I just called a chicken rotisserie mob who recommends heading off to your local charcoal chicken shop and asking them where they buy it from. He reckons arseloads cheaper than buying from impressions. Also, hit the yellow pages for “charcoal” in your state, you’d be surprised at how many suppliers there are.
i found this guy at Mt Druitt in NSW:
http://www.emberpak.com/
$28 for a 20kg bag of hardwood!
Thanks for the lump charcoal tip in Sydney – went to the Johnson street shop and got me a bag. Cheers!
Hi all, the impression shop in Brookvale has shutdown…
You can still get lump charcola on Pittwater road (BBQ Factory); expensive though!
Yes I’ll check again with the charcoal suppliers direct, I enquired and indeed its about 20 dollars a bafg but you have to buy a pallet!!) I don’t have 800 bucks lying around at the moment.
Perth area
For Joseph and any one else thats looking Bunning super store sell bags lump charcoal $22 for about five kilos BBQS galore 10 kilos for $44 last time I looked IE: several weeks ago & i agree light years ahead of briquettes
atb del
I have been reading your blogs with great intertest.
Launching a new force in the BBQ Fuel products into the market, over the next couple of months, NovoQ Wood Charcoal & Briquettes.
The website is still in construction mode & hope to be finished soon.
The Wood Lump charcoal, will be ready for distribution in the coming months, in either 2.5 & 5kg Retail Bags & 10kg bags.
The NovoQ Briquettes (Pillow Shape 4kg bags & Log Shape 10kg box) unlike the other briquettes in the market (ie. Heat Beads) are 100% naturally manufactured, using NO chemicals.
The Quality is as good & higher than the current products in the market, with less ash & more consistent heat, at a competitive price.
Please contact me on ma@novoq.com.au
to enquire further.
Look out for NovoQ BBQ Fuel and ‘Rediscover BBQ’.
Just read all your comments and just thought that I would let you know about Barbehire in Punchbowl (Roselands), Sydney. We sell the natural charcoal for $40 for a 20kg bag.
It is great quality and always available.
It is made from Mallee timber (normally made in South Australia).
It is also known as “stump” charcoal. Other varieties are “branch” charcoal. Named after the part of the tree used to create it. The stump charcoal gives the best heat.
We can also deliver to anywhere in Sydney – prices POA. Best to get a couple of bags if paying for delivery, however pick up is welcome.
Open 6 days. 02 9750 3390.
http://www.barbehire.com.au
Hi!!! I live in Brisbane, and is urgent to find a place to get charcoal Lump. can any one tell me where I can find them??
any wood charcoal is fine.
Hi everyone! Am also from Parkinson, Brisbane and looking to purchase some Lump Charcoal to be used in cooking for my wife’s 50th b-day. Can anyone, please direct us where to buy, please! Heaps, thanks.
i make and sell redgum charcoal,it is produced in nsw region.our coal is all natural and is excellent for bbqs . please call me on 0417202220.our bags are available in 4,10,20kg and bulk bags or containers…
I just ate a Porterhouse roast cooked with Redgum BBQ charcoal from the NSW region and it is the nicest flavour i have ever tasted from a charcoal BBQ. The supplier of this charcoal can be contacted on 0417202220.
I am Looking for Charcoal supply around Perth apart from Bunnings. Can anyone help.
Cheers
Mike Gilmour
Just letting people know,our Redgum charcoal is now screened a lot better than at first.
We only do a 4 and 10kg bags ,our lump charcoal in our bags have no fines and size ranges from 150mm to 25mm chunks.
Our new screening process and bagging system gives us our PREMIUM lump charcoal.
Our redgum charcoal is easily lit with a couple of fire lighters and lasts well,weve had great feedback from peole using webers ,green eggs,kamodo cookers and people with homemade 44 gallon drum cookers ,they all are happy .
You can contact me on 0417202220.
Regards Peter Yeoman ,
Riverina red gum charcoal.
Oxley NSW
aussiebbqs and heaters at Murarrie in Brisbane stock redgum charcoal
Hi Paul,
I come from Kenya and we use wood charcoal – burnt under a heap of soil!! Is there a different way and materials that can be used in making charcoal. I would deeply appreciate your feedback.
Gilbert
Can anyone provide a comparison of effectiveness and flavour using red gum versus mallee charcoal? Thanks
iam looking for a supplier who sells wood charcoal in hornsby or near abouts, can anyone help?
Dear fellow BBQers,
I have been making premium ‘stump’ lump charcoal from Ironbark and have been very happy with the results. I can send via Fastways to most places so e-mail me and we can talk. Am located just North of Toowoomba so it is cheap to deliver into Brisbane.
Hello Fellow Oz BBqers,
I am due to return home from the US (back to Melbourne) and whilst here have gained a passion for low and slow american style BBQ so am bringing my smoker back home. Does anyone know where I can get chemical free briquettes, lump charcoal and some decent wood (hickory, apple, peach etc..) near Melbourne. Ill drive for it so it doesnt need to be close, but the same state would be nice
Riverina redgum charcoal has a depot in Ballarat about 100klms from Melbourne.contact number 0417202220
Hi peter,
i will try the place at murrarie that you suggest. I need some good charcoal!
Thanks,
Jeremy
Howdy mate,
I sell mangrove and hardwood charcoal from Indonesia
minimum quantity is 20″ container
let me know if you have any inquiry
my company name is pt ibumakmur nusa indah
based in jakarta
you can google it.
taro_kajihara@hotmail.com
Ivan’s Butcher in Chester Hill, Sydney sell lump charcoal.
10kg for $25 or;
20kg for $30
To the answer of Can anyone provide a comparison of effectiveness and flavour using red gum versus mallee charcoal?
I have used both. I use a big green egg and found the mallee out performs the red gum in effectiveness. I have found it cheaper about $28 for 20KG at gaganiss brothers in SA.
Its the only charcoal besides the original green egg lump charcoal from the US that can get the egg to 700F. It burns longer than the US lump charcoal.
I usually add small amounts of fruit wood to add to the taste so I’m not sure what flavour is better.
Hi all charcoal users,
We are doing some research into the demographics of who uses charcoal.
We Would appeciate your help, by going to our simple online survey. It takes under 2 minutes to complete.
Cut and paste this address into your browser:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGpzVkFDSFRuWExiSjVBQllaTHBTYXc6MQ
Regards
Andrew