Mystery Revealed.. Cowboy Charcoal Aka Natural Wood Charcoal
- 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
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>
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>
Last edited by McGiever on Fri. Apr. 15, 2011 10:59 am, edited 2 times in total.
- 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
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.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]
- Edit... maybe the following paragraph is off topic for this section. Should have posted in Food and Recipes?
- It's time to drag out the WSM cooker ... ah that smell of hardwood smoking slow cooking meat drifting around in the air ...
- 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
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.
- mooseman100
- Member
- Posts: 150
- Joined: Sat. Mar. 05, 2011 10:31 pm
- Location: winchester, va
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
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.
-
- Member
- Posts: 768
- Joined: Mon. Oct. 19, 2009 10:41 pm
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 30-95
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
If its not easy to light - its not helpful
- 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
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
-
- 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.
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.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
The best part is no stinky gasoff. I don't mind the smell but the taste leaves a lot to be desired.
-
- 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.
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.
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 $$ though when you add shipping). I'm gonna see if my local distributor has any. I'd like to try the briquets and see how they work for me.
Found this blog this morning about Kingsford Competition Briquets. http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/kingsford ... tition.htm
It's a good read and doesn't seem to have a bias that I can see.
I was surfing the other day when I came upon some stuff called Wicked Good Charcoal. Made in Maine and available in lots of places as well as shipped (big $$ 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.
- 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
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.
- 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
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.
- 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
What's the advantage of doing this? I'm still trying to figure out what the water is supposed to do.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.
-
- 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.
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.
Works pretty good on pork butt anyway.
Last edited by cabinover on Mon. Apr. 18, 2011 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- 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
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 ...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.
-
- 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.
That and a vinegar based finishing sauce......we don't have a smiley licking his lips here do we?
Going to the store tomorrow for a big butt and cabbage for slaw.
Going to the store tomorrow for a big butt and cabbage for slaw.