# Royal Oak Briquettes



## LarryWolfe (Jun 12, 2010)

I'm on my second bag of Royal Oak briquettes after finding 18lb bags on sale at Wegmans for $5 something each.  I hate it and would prefer dealing with the ash from Kingsford if I need to used briquettes for now on.  Why? I find it's hard to light compared to Kingsford Briquettes and RO Lump, it stinks when I first light it and again, it's hard as hell to light and does not seem to get very hot.  

I love an regularly used RO Lump with no issues and Kingsford Briquettes with no issues and Stubbs with no issues.  

Has anyone else had any problems with RO Briquettes or did I just get two maybe damp bags and that's why they were so cheap?


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## Smokey Lew (Jun 12, 2010)

I have never used the Royal Oak briquettes but I used their lump for the first time yesterday for a couple of pork butts. It seemed to burn quicker than what I've used in the past, Frontier lump from Lowe's Home Improvement Center. It could have been other variables that caused the quicker burn time but I was curious if you have had a similar experience with it.


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## davemc (Jun 12, 2010)

Never used Royal Oak Briq....Have you ever tried Green Egg lump or Wicked Good lump....I have been testing both out and kinda leaning towards Gree Egg as the best. Very smoky.

Mc


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## LarryWolfe (Jun 12, 2010)

davemc said:
			
		

> Never used Royal Oak Briq....Have you ever tried Green Egg lump or Wicked Good lump....I have been testing both out and kinda leaning towards Gree Egg as the best. Very smoky.
> 
> Mc




Yes, and I'll stick with Royal Oak lump due to the big price difference!


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## JIMMYJAM (Jun 13, 2010)

I have only used Royal Oak lump....I like it because it burns good, with little ash....I try to be all lump all the time. This side of the country...Cowboy lump seems to have the market for lump in the bag lol. dunno how cowboy did this, but I buy it ...every week almost, but I will say It has tons of rocks, trim, as in real trim from houses, I have seen plywood, blocks....I hate it lol, and love it at the same time. That is why when I see Royal Oak at Walmart..I buy 6 bags LOL. As for there Briquettes it has to be better then cowboy hahahaha.


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## Uncle Bubba (Jun 13, 2010)

Try Stubbs, Humphrey's, or Rancher/Trader Joes.  I use nothing else when in need of charcoal and all three are excellent.


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## bbquzz (Jun 13, 2010)

Uncle Bubba said:
			
		

> Try Stubbs, Humphrey's, or Rancher/Trader Joes.  I use nothing else when in need of charcoal and all three are excellent.




I wish Rancher would push to get their product in other than Trader Joes. In my short BBQ life I found it it be the best I've used, but it is a 50 mile trip to Trader Joes, so it is RO for me


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## davemc (Jun 13, 2010)

Seems like I read somewhere that Royal Oak is the supplier for Green Egg Lump. Anyone heard that?

Mc


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## LarryWolfe (Jun 13, 2010)

davemc said:
			
		

> Seems like I read somewhere that Royal Oak is the supplier for Green Egg Lump. Anyone heard that?
> 
> Mc



I've heard that too, but do not know for sure.


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## bigwheel (Jun 13, 2010)

Royal Oak Briquettes are hurrible. Give about half the burn times and at least as much ash as Kingsford. I would not take some if it was free. 

bigwheel


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## BluzQue (Jun 14, 2010)

Haven't used Royal Oak briquettes, always like their Lump though.  When I use
bricquettes I only buy Stubb's now. Burns clean, uniformly & nice & hot.  Picked up
a bag of Kroger lump this weekend (out of laziness, didn't want to go to another store).
I was surprisingly pleased with it.

 8)


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## bigwheel (Jun 14, 2010)

At one time Kroger store brand briquettes was rumored to be an old fashioned and mo betta version of something or other. I forget right now. I tried em a few times. Sure put off some nasty black smoke as they was trying to get lit or if you added some. Would definitely preburn some of the nasties out of em or be prepared to fan the firebox door when some got added. 

bigwheel


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## Oz (Jun 14, 2010)

Publix store brand lump down here. Low ash, good aroma, no trash  and no pops and bangs like Cowboy. 
My bag of Stubb's briquettes are distributed by Cowboy Charcoal LLC of Tennessee! Is that the same company that produces Cowboy  lump?


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## Tri Tip (Jun 15, 2010)

We Get Rancher out here at OSH its good and are the longest burning hardest lighting briquette. Don't like RO Lump. Burns too fast and puts a yuck flavor on my chicken if not fully lit when cooken on it. Thanks for the info Larry. We got RO Briqs all over out here and I just haven’t gotten em since I don't like RO lump. My favorite is Stubbs. Smells like wood burning and we get 20 + hours in our UDS's on a 15 lb bag. K has some great flavor but stinks stinks stinks. We just did a comp and the air was filled with beautiful aromas of Oak, Red Oak, Hickory, Cherry, Almond and Maple. Then the guy in the next camp over fired up two 22.5 WSMs with K and ruined the whole evening


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## DaveG (Jun 15, 2010)

Larry, I tried RO briquettes, but I didn't like them for the same reasons you described. I second the Rancher at Trader Joe's. $6.99 for 18 lbs isn't bad for what you get and it doesn't smell


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## mar52 (Jun 16, 2010)

I'm a BGE dealer and my rep told me for a fact that their lump is manufactured by Royal Oak.

I've been using the Egg lump because it's delivered to me wholesale.  I would like to know the price of a large bag of the RO.  We're getting $29.95 for the BGE lump and I really think that's a very high price.


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## LarryWolfe (Jun 16, 2010)

mar52 said:
			
		

> I'm a BGE dealer and my rep told me for a fact that their lump is manufactured by Royal Oak.
> 
> I've been using the Egg lump because it's delivered to me wholesale.  I would like to know the price of a large bag of the RO.  We're getting $29.95 for the BGE lump and I really think that's a very high price.



That is EXTREMELY HIGH!!  I can get a 20lb bag of Royal Oak Lump from the Roof Center for $11 and some change.  10lb bags from Walmart for $5 and some change.


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## Tri Tip (Jun 16, 2010)

mar52 said:
			
		

> I'm a BGE dealer and my rep told me for a fact that their lump is manufactured by Royal Oak.
> 
> I've been using the Egg lump because it's delivered to me wholesale.  I would like to know the price of a large bag of the RO.  We're getting $29.95 for the BGE lump and I really think that's a very high price.



Restaurant Depot Carries the same size bag 20 lbs for $10. Walmart carries the 10 lb bag for $6.50. BGE lump is a rip off!


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## bigwheel (Jun 16, 2010)

Well neva used non of the BGE stuff but have used RO lump in times past and did not notice anything horrible wrong with it. My old chum Big Dave relgiously uses kingsford mesquite flavor briquettes to whup a bunch of booty at the area contests. I've had my chicken sooted up by every brand of charcoal on the market and the only one which will not be krewlish to a person in that regard is Ozark Oak. It burns fairly quick but clean. just right for cluckers. 

bigwheel


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## mar52 (Jun 17, 2010)

Thanks, guys!  No more BGE lump for myself. Triple is just not right.


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## BuffaloBBQ (Sep 15, 2013)

bigwheel said:


> Royal Oak Briquettes are hurrible. Give about half the burn times and at least as much ash as Kingsford. I would not take some if it was free.
> 
> 
> 
> bigwheel





Could be what my last problem with keeping temps was about...I was using Royal Oak briquettes.


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## bigwheel (Sep 16, 2013)

Could be at least part of the issue.


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## WileyP (Sep 16, 2013)

bigwheel said:


> Royal Oak Briquettes are hurrible. Give about half the burn times and at least as much ash as Kingsford. I would not take some if it was free.
> bigwheel


 
Don't hold back, now, bigwheel - Just tell us how you really feel about it.






Wiley


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## Bob In Fla. (Sep 17, 2013)

Boy, these last few posts brought back a Blast From The Past, reading the rest of the thread...

IF you have a _"Gordon's Food Service"_ near you, try their natural lump charcoal.  It has all the good points of the Royal Oak, but without the _moon rocks_ and the _fiberglass bits _(so far, anyway).  Much larger chunks, too.  It's about the same price per pound as the Royal Oak, unless you find a good sale on the RO.


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## bbquzz (Sep 17, 2013)

I agree Gordon Foods lump is every bit as good as RO if not better. Here in the north I can find GFS lump year around, WM only carries RO during the "Grilling Season." GFS has other great food stuff to, if you have one in your area check it out.

BTW - If I am reading correctly this "very old" thread is talking about RO Briquettes not lump, can't say I've ever found or tried RO Briquettes.


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## Max1 (Sep 17, 2013)

I have used them before, but  for me it is not practical. For as little as I use charcoal, it is not worth the extra money.


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## bigwheel (Sep 17, 2013)

Yes..I dont like RO briquettes. Always found their lump variant tolerable. Just dont find it available much around here.


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## MI Smoke (Sep 17, 2013)

I have 30 bgs of RO briquettes in my garage, don't have a problem with it .

By the way, i think Royal Oak makes the lump for Gordon Foods


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## bigwheel (Sep 17, 2013)

Glad the RO Briquettes work for you. The times I have tried them over the years they seem to last about half as long as crappy old Kingsford.


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## boozer (Sep 17, 2013)

I thought everyone used kingsford for briquettes, and cowboy for lumps, and lots of wood. I was wrong?


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## MI Smoke (Sep 19, 2013)

bigwheel said:


> Glad the RO Briquettes work for you. The times I have tried them over the years they seem to last about half as long as crappy old Kingsford.


 
I haven't did a test to see what burns longer. But, I use the briqs with hickory in them.  I have use Kingsford with hickory, and I like the R.O. better (I thought I ended up with a better smoke flavor).
I also like they way they burn in my PitMaker.
It works for me (and that's what counts)


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## MI Smoke (Sep 19, 2013)

boozer said:


> I thought everyone used kingsford for briquettes, and cowboy for lumps, and lots of wood. I was wrong?


 
I use kingsford when i grill, R.O. lump (I don't use much lump), and I use lots of wood.
Use what works for you, and when I find it on sale, by the heck out of it. 
When I do steaks, it like to burn down hickory wood to coals


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## bigwheel (Sep 19, 2013)

Back before swearing off nasty old charcoal..Ozark Oak was the cats meow for quick grilling on the chicken blaster. Large bore mesquite lump for slow to fast direct on the big pit. Chef's Choice is the tool. Comes in 40 lb. bags and wildly varied on the size of the chunks. Sometimes there is small trees down in there. Does not play well with R2D2 water smokers.


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## dummy que (Sep 20, 2013)

*R.O. brickets*

use R.O. brickets quite often halve not had any trouble getting them started in my smoker (LANG60) just load the old chimeny lite news papper and away we go in my rig i get better burn time than b.b. kingsford (clorox) R.O. does make GREEN EGG,KROGERS,WALLMART,WINN DIXE,HOME DEPOT when hicorey spec. was sold to BOB EVENS they kept liquid smoke and sold the charcoal div. to R.O.


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## MI Smoke (Sep 20, 2013)

bigwheel said:


> Back before swearing off nasty old charcoal..Ozark Oak was the cats meow for quick grilling on the chicken blaster. Large bore mesquite lump for slow to fast direct on the big pit. Chef's Choice is the tool. Comes in 40 lb. bags and wildly varied on the size of the chunks. Sometimes there is small trees down in there. Does not play well with R2D2 water smokers.


 
Ya that the problem I have using lump with my WSM (runaway temps). When I pull the dome off to wrap, or glaze, I get temp spikes. I find that briqs doesn't seem to do that as much, unless you overload it. 
As far Kingsford BB tasten funny, maybe ur mommas gave u more taste buds than mine


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## bigwheel (Sep 20, 2013)

Yes the water smokers can be finicky on what they like to burn. Ozark Oak is the only lump that seems to work in mine. Has mostly smallish fairly uniform shaped chunks...which puts out good heat but dont last long. The large bore mesquite dont pack in there right. Our old chum Big Dave Pauling got very proficient at winning on Chicken using Kingsford mesquite flavor Briquettes. So guess all that stuff can work. If other aspects are done right.


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## dummy que (Sep 20, 2013)

*Gfc*

gfc lump is made by royal oak:toimonster:


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