Cotton wood charcoal

[gazz_46]

Hi

Saw this in tesco and wondered if anyone has used it, says it is from sustainable source and eco friendly but little else...dont know if it contains any accelerators or ok for low & slow, got some anyway will give it a go....

Gaz

[keith157]

Is that the stuff in the orange bags under £4, if so let me know how it goes please, especially in light of the forthcoming shortage of CoCo shell

[gazz_46]

Certainly is.....

Just wondering if the weather will hold long enough to start up this afternoon. may give it a miss all together and boil the wifes head instead, drivin me frikin mental........!

Shes got a bad knee.........sorry had major surgery and off work for 2 weeks so far........seems longer!

[BigG]

I've tried this stuff and it was awful, maybe it was just me but I found it difficult to keep up to expected temps and poor performing all round, slow to light and just seems to smoulder at lower temperatures and it needs more oxygen/vents open to keep it alight or it can smother itself and go out, I'd rather pay double for decent quality charcoal. 'WickedCharcoal' is the best I've ever used. It was definately bone dry so damp was certainly not the issue but thats how it performed, like damp stuff you've had in your shed all winter.
G

[JEC]

Where did you pick up the Wicked Charcoal?

[Steve]

Enjoy the Wicked Good while you can!

I contacted them to find out where it would be stocked and this is the response I got

"Good morning, Steve,

Thank you for writing to us!  However, our WGC 'Weekend Warrior Blend' Lump
Charcoal is not available in the UK.  Last year, a distributor in Germany ran out
of their charcoal, and seeing as they had the same same manufacturer that we do,
with our permission, our manufacturer sent some of our WGC to the German
distributor, who in turn, shipped some to their customers in the UK.  That was
only a one-time deal.

I understand there is a pretty good charcoal here:  LIVERPOOL WOOD PELLETS ... if
you call, ask them for IGNITE's 12 Kg RESTAURANT CHARCOAL.  I personally have
never tried it, but many times a 'restaurant' charcoal is usually a dense,
long-burning charcoal.

Sorry I couldn't be more help, Steve ... and wish you much success with your BBQ
Cpmpetition team!"

It's a shame, I've seen the stuff in the US and it's quality

[gazz_46]

I've tried this stuff and it was awful, maybe it was just me but I found it difficult to keep up to expected temps and poor performing all round, slow to light and just seems to smoulder at lower temperatures and it needs more oxygen/vents open to keep it alight or it can smother itself and go out, I'd rather pay double for decent quality charcoal. 'WickedCharcoal' is the best I've ever used. It was definately bone dry so damp was certainly not the issue but thats how it performed, like damp stuff you've had in your shed all winter.
G

Well i couldn't resist so got me a free range chicken a Jamaican rub and set off after some more smokin experience..

Have to say i did think it took a while to get going in the chimney but figured this was mainly down to the smaller than normal briquette size (approx half that of normal coal) which meant i had almost 3/4 of a bag with very little air space to get lit...persevered and chucked the lot in one side of a foiled grate, with a pan of hot water then paced up and down the garden for 3hrs....don't forget i'm new to smoking and worry like an expectant mother..

My second attempt at smoking and again pleased with the result (if not the rub,very salty) anyhow i found the temps very consistent and quick to react, tried my best not to fiddle or lift the lid tho.

Could be that i performed better this time but complete opposite experience to the damp experience you had?

Chicken came out tender and juicy, looks a little pink in the photo but can assure you it was 175 degrees internally after resting for 30 mins think it picked up some color off the woodchips.





Photography skills still lacking....sorry

Gaz

[keith157]

Hi Gaz, it looks good, if it tasted good and you're still able to read this reply then it was all good

[gazz_46]

Keith

I can confirm i am still alive and no unexpected trips to the loo......Lol

Tasted great, needed to remove the crust / bark as it was very salty from the rub apart from that it was another great experience. The coloring was from the smoke, i used apple chips again and like the mild sweet flavor.

Charcoal seemed to perform well for me but temps were not that low i kept 300 degrees consistently for 3hrs....i left the kettle going on same vent openings for another 2.5 hrs before temps started to drop so think i could manage a 5 or 6hr 250 degree smoke no trouble before needing top up. Absolutely nothing left in the way of unburnt coals this morning on clean up just fine ash which is now feeding the garden.

Like i said tho only my 2nd attempt at any kind of smoking and still getting used to how the kettle reacts / learning to leave it well alone and not interfering....the one tip i can give anyone embarking on smoking.

Freezer is full and planning more experiments, Beef brisket, belly pork, leg of lamb and whole duck any suggestions recipes greatly accepted

Gaz

[igsalk]

i am alway spend to try new products that are eco friendly as i want to be able to do my small share in the environment to be able to help do my share in saving the environment. although i have noticed that this product degrades faster than the other counterparts but still it is a more healthier and eco friendly version so it is the way to go.

I have been using charcoal for years now and i know how it could be harmful not only to the environment but also to the consumers. so i switched.