Mystery Revealed.. Cowboy Charcoal Aka Natural Wood Charcoal

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Thu. Apr. 14, 2011 4:28 pm

Not only the finest grilling charcoal around this stuff is frequently heralded for its ease of starting anthracite coal in hand fed and even stokers.

It comes in several brand names of which one is Cowboy Charcoal. Don't be dismayed if when asking for it you receive some strange looks.

The true name of this product is Natural Hardwood Charcoal of the lump variety.

It is charcoal in it's purest state...no sticky binders added to hold it in briquette form...no sand fillers to give you 60% more for your money...no petroleum distillates to ease lighting it. Just pure carbon as nature intended it...all volatiles removed.
Edited to add: Fillers I've experienced were most likely granular crushed limestone and not sand.

Available at a Walmart near you...see picture here>
IMG_1247.JPG

Lump Natural Hardwood Charcoal

.JPG | 183.3KB | IMG_1247.JPG
Last edited by McGiever on Fri. Apr. 15, 2011 10:59 am, edited 2 times in total.


 
User avatar
VigIIPeaBurner
Member
Posts: 2579
Joined: Fri. Jan. 11, 2008 10:49 am
Location: Pequest River Valley, Warren Co NJ
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker Koker(down)
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Casting Vigilant II 2310
Other Heating: #2 Oil Furnace

Post by VigIIPeaBurner » Thu. Apr. 14, 2011 8:40 pm

McGiever wrote:...8<...It is charcoal in it's purest state...no sticky binders added to hold it in brickett form...no sand fillers to give you 60% more for your money...no petroleum distillates to ease lighting it. Just pure carbon as nature intended it...all volatiles removed.

Available at a Walmart near you...see picture here 8<[/attachment]
Sand fillers? IIRC from the smoker forums that it's natural coal ;) dust used with binders. It's cheaper for some manufactures to use a coal product, dust from (higher ash ?) coal sources to get high consistent heat. Once the charcoal is burned, there appears to be sand. Actually, it's coal fines ash, wood ash and binder clays. Cheaper briquettes use more coal and cheap binder clays. They are harder to light, just like coal is, and burns down to more and heavier ash.
  • Edit... maybe the following paragraph is off topic for this section. Should have posted in Food and Recipes?
Meat smokers who use charcoal like consistency so they get predictable heat/temperature curves. Quality briquettes are manufactured to reach that goal: one briquette will burn as long and hot as the next. Not always so true with all natural lump charcoal pieces but it's next to impossible to beat its flavor premium :) To try and tap into the true flavor of cooking food with natrual lump charcoal, Kingsford made a "Competition" briquette series (red bag) made from all natural wood (hardwood?) charcoal and minimal binders to hold it together. I tried three bags and it was hard to taste that I wasn't using lump. And yes, the burn was more consistent. I've got a bag of Earl Stub's briquettes I got a Lowe's to try that I think are the same as 'competition grade' briquettes.
  • It's time to drag out the WSM cooker ... ah that smell of hardwood smoking slow cooking meat drifting around in the air ... :D

 
User avatar
I'm On Fire
Member
Posts: 3918
Joined: Thu. Jun. 10, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Vernon, New Jersey
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machines DS-1600 Hot Air Circulator

Post by I'm On Fire » Thu. Apr. 14, 2011 8:48 pm

This thread makes me want to smoke the venison I have in the freezer. Problem is, my smoker has a tendancy of turning into a grill because my water pot has a hole in it.

 
User avatar
mooseman100
Member
Posts: 150
Joined: Sat. Mar. 05, 2011 10:31 pm
Location: winchester, va
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520

Post by mooseman100 » Thu. Apr. 14, 2011 8:59 pm

Get a Trager or other pellet smoker. I got tired of smoking and the water pan running empty or haveing to stoke teh fire. Got a Traeger and have made some awesome food on it.

 
smokeyCityTeacher
Member
Posts: 768
Joined: Mon. Oct. 19, 2009 10:41 pm
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 30-95

Post by smokeyCityTeacher » Thu. Apr. 14, 2011 8:59 pm

Can you light it with a match or do you need a firestarter to get it started ?

If its not easy to light - its not helpful

 
User avatar
RAYJAY
Member
Posts: 433
Joined: Sun. Nov. 09, 2008 7:06 am
Location: UNION DALE PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: VAN WERT - 600 VA HOT WATER
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: HARMAN- MAGUM STOKER
Coal Size/Type: BUCKWHEAT ON BOTH
Other Heating: NG BOILER

Post by RAYJAY » Thu. Apr. 14, 2011 10:23 pm

been using it for years now great for starting the coal fire, if you buy mice for starting thats what in them, I just use the wood charcoal and some newspaper starts right up never a problem

 
cabinover
Member
Posts: 2344
Joined: Wed. Feb. 04, 2009 7:13 am
Location: Fair Haven, VT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Hybrid Axeman Anderson 130
Baseburners & Antiques: Sparkle #12
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Buckwheat, Nut
Other Heating: LP Hot air. WA TX for coal use.

Post by cabinover » Fri. Apr. 15, 2011 9:46 am

smokeyCityTeacher wrote:Can you light it with a match or do you need a firestarter to get it started ?

If its not easy to light - its not helpful
Get thyself a chimney starter. They're only $12-$13 and work great. Take two paper towels, drizzle some canola or olive oil on them, throw 'em under the chimney, fill with charcoal, touch it off. Within 10 minutes (or 1 good drink's time) you'll be ready to flip it over, dump it out, and start cooking.

The best part is no stinky gasoff. I don't mind the smell but the taste leaves a lot to be desired.


 
cabinover
Member
Posts: 2344
Joined: Wed. Feb. 04, 2009 7:13 am
Location: Fair Haven, VT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Hybrid Axeman Anderson 130
Baseburners & Antiques: Sparkle #12
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Buckwheat, Nut
Other Heating: LP Hot air. WA TX for coal use.

Post by cabinover » Fri. Apr. 15, 2011 10:05 am

I like the charcoal pictured above but have been wondering about less expensive charcoals. Up here it's sold by Aubuchon Hardware and is like $8.99 or so for a 8.8# bag. Yup, I've also used it to start the AA when someone has forgot when it was loaded last. :oops:

I was surfing the other day when I came upon some stuff called Wicked Good Charcoal. Made in Maine and available in lots of places as well as shipped (big $$ though when you add shipping). I'm gonna see if my local distributor has any. I'd like to try the briquets and see how they work for me.

Found this blog this morning about Kingsford Competition Briquets. http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/kingsford ... tition.htm

It's a good read and doesn't seem to have a bias that I can see.

 
User avatar
Smoker858
Member
Posts: 212
Joined: Tue. Nov. 03, 2009 1:29 pm
Location: Parsippany, NJ
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
Baseburners & Antiques: Reading Stove Works Penn circa 1900
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: nat gas

Post by Smoker858 » Sun. Apr. 17, 2011 4:52 pm

Water Pan in smoker WSM Bullet. Forget the water. Fill it with sand and cover with 2 layers heavy duty Foil. The wide roll Alcoa. Leave a belly in the middle to hold any meat juice that collects. Let it cool when done . Replace foil.

 
User avatar
SMITTY
Member
Posts: 12520
Joined: Sun. Dec. 11, 2005 12:43 pm
Location: West-Central Mass
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520 Highboy
Coal Size/Type: Rice / Blaschak anthracite
Other Heating: Oil fired Burnham boiler

Post by SMITTY » Sun. Apr. 17, 2011 5:02 pm

Thanks for the post McGiever -- I was just thinking about re-upping my charcoal stash for next season. Great info! I'll be headed to Wal-Mart. ;)

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17980
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Mon. Apr. 18, 2011 6:15 am

I bought a big bag of charcoal to have for the EFM...it only took three pieces to get it running, so I think this bag will last me about 10 years. :funny:

 
User avatar
I'm On Fire
Member
Posts: 3918
Joined: Thu. Jun. 10, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Vernon, New Jersey
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machines DS-1600 Hot Air Circulator

Post by I'm On Fire » Mon. Apr. 18, 2011 6:26 am

Smoker858 wrote:Water Pan in smoker WSM Bullet. Forget the water. Fill it with sand and cover with 2 layers heavy duty Foil. The wide roll Alcoa. Leave a belly in the middle to hold any meat juice that collects. Let it cool when done . Replace foil.
What's the advantage of doing this? I'm still trying to figure out what the water is supposed to do.

 
cabinover
Member
Posts: 2344
Joined: Wed. Feb. 04, 2009 7:13 am
Location: Fair Haven, VT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Hybrid Axeman Anderson 130
Baseburners & Antiques: Sparkle #12
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Buckwheat, Nut
Other Heating: LP Hot air. WA TX for coal use.

Post by cabinover » Mon. Apr. 18, 2011 8:31 am

I think the water is to help keep a moist environment to aid in liquid retention by the meat. All I'm going on is the bottom of my ugly drum smoker is prone to having a couple inches of water in it so that when you remove the cover it's like leaning into a sauna bath rather than dry heat.

Works pretty good on pork butt anyway. :)
Last edited by cabinover on Mon. Apr. 18, 2011 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
User avatar
VigIIPeaBurner
Member
Posts: 2579
Joined: Fri. Jan. 11, 2008 10:49 am
Location: Pequest River Valley, Warren Co NJ
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker Koker(down)
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Casting Vigilant II 2310
Other Heating: #2 Oil Furnace

Post by VigIIPeaBurner » Mon. Apr. 18, 2011 3:40 pm

cabinover wrote:I think the water is to help keep a moist environment to aid in liquid retention by the meat. All I'm going on is the bottom of my ugly drum smoker is prone to having a coupel inches of water in it so that when you remove the cover it's like leaning into a sauna bath rather than dry heat.

Works pretty good on pork butt anyway. :)
Precisely - and the full water pan, be it full of water or sand, also acts as a heat sink to even out the moist or dry heat radiated to the cooking chamber above. I'm really getting the hankering for some BBQ pulled pork with some eastern Carolina sauce ... :drool:

 
cabinover
Member
Posts: 2344
Joined: Wed. Feb. 04, 2009 7:13 am
Location: Fair Haven, VT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Hybrid Axeman Anderson 130
Baseburners & Antiques: Sparkle #12
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Buckwheat, Nut
Other Heating: LP Hot air. WA TX for coal use.

Post by cabinover » Mon. Apr. 18, 2011 3:55 pm

That and a vinegar based finishing sauce......we don't have a smiley licking his lips here do we? :D

Going to the store tomorrow for a big butt and cabbage for slaw.


Post Reply

Return to “Hand Fired Coal Stoves & Furnaces Using Anthracite”