Overview

A practical comparison of lump charcoal and briquettes for 8–20 hour cooks—how they burn, how they taste, and how to manage each for steady pit temps. Clear guidance for kettles, bullet smokers, and kamados.

Ingredients

• 8–10 lb (3.6–4.5 kg) bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt)
• 2 tbsp (30 g) kosher salt
• 2 tbsp (14 g) coarse black pepper (16-mesh)
• 1 tbsp (12 g) paprika (optional)
• 4–6 chunks post oak, fist-sized (7–10 cm)

Equipment

• 22-inch kettle grill or similar
• Bullet smoker (e.g., 22-inch water smoker) or kamado cooker
• Chimney starter
• Charcoal baskets or charcoal ring
• Digital dual-probe thermometer (grate and meat)
• Instant-read thermometer
• Long tongs and heat-resistant gloves
• Ash tool or small poker
• Water pan (for bullets/kettles)
• Windbreak or welding blanket for bad weather
• Metal ash bucket with lid
• Fire extinguisher (Class B/C)

Wood

Post oak

Time & Temp

Time & Temp
Smoke temp: 250 °F (121 °C)
Target internal: 203 °F (95 °C)
Approx duration: 10 hours

Why Fuel Choice Matters on Long Cooks

Over an 8–20 hour cook, your fuel determines how stable your pit runs, how often you touch the vents, how much ash you fight, and how clean your smoke tastes. Lump and briquettes both make excellent barbecue, but they behave differently. Understanding their heat curves and ash output lets you choose the right fuel for the cooker, weather, and meat on the grate.

Lump Charcoal: What to Expect

Lump is carbonized hardwood with irregular piece size and minimal binders. It lights quickly, breathes easily, and runs hot with responsive airflow control. In practice, lump shows a sharper initial rise, a strong mid-cook plateau, and a faster tail-off as large pieces are consumed. It produces less ash by weight (roughly 2–4%) so it rarely chokes airflow, which is ideal in cookers with restrictive bottom vents like kamados. The tradeoff is variability: mixed sizes can cause small temperature swings as pockets ignite and collapse, so sorting out fines and building a consistent bed helps. In a 22-inch kettle, a well-packed lump “fuse” can hold 225–275°F (107–135°C) for about 6–10 hours; in a 22-inch bullet smoker, 10–16 hours is common on a full ring; in a large kamado filled to the fire ring, 225–275°F for 16–24 hours is achievable thanks to its efficiency.

Briquettes: What to Expect

Briquettes are uniform pillows or cubes of char, coal or wood char, and starch binders. Quality varies; look for hardwood or “professional/competition” briquettes without accelerants. They shine in predictability and steady heat with a broader plateau and gentler tail-off than lump. Ash output is higher (roughly 8–10% by weight), which can accumulate and restrict airflow in bottom-vented cookers if not managed. In a 22-inch kettle using the snake method, briquettes can hold 225–275°F (107–135°C) for 10–14 hours in mild weather; a 22-inch bullet smoker with a full ring can run 12–18 hours; briquettes are less common in kamados due to ash volume, but clean-burning, low-ash briquettes work if you monitor grate blockage.

Heat Curves and Vent Control

Both fuels benefit from a controlled light and patient stabilization. Preheat the cooker 20–30 minutes and creep up to target. Expect a ramp, a steady plateau, and a tail where intake settings need small nudges. Lump reacts to vent changes within minutes; move dampers in small 1/8–1/4 turns and wait 10 minutes to assess. Briquettes are slower to respond but hold target temps with fewer corrections. Opening the lid dumps heat and spikes airflow; avoid peeking and use remote probes to track grate and meat temps. Typical long-cook ranges are 225–275°F (107–135°C); choose the higher end in wind or cold to keep a cleaner-burning fire.

Ash Management and Airflow

Ash is a temperature control variable, not just a mess. Briquette ash can blanket the charcoal grate in bullet smokers and kettles, reducing oxygen and causing a slow fall in pit temp. Install an elevated grate or charcoal basket, tap the legs or gently rake to drop ash into the pan every few hours, and keep the bowl vents clear. Lump makes much less ash, which preserves airflow but can create gaps as big pieces burn away; pack the bed tightly and break oversized chunks by hand for consistency. Always start with a perfectly clean ash pan and keep a metal bucket for safe, cool-down disposal.

Flavor and Smoke Quality

Most barbecue flavor comes from your wood, not the charcoal itself. Properly made lump and clean briquettes burn neutral when given enough air. Avoid instant-light or lighter-fluid-soaked fuel; the off-aromas linger and contaminate the pit. Choose mild, clean-burning hardwoods—post oak for a Texas profile, hickory for a classic Southern punch, and cherry or apple for a fruitwood accent. For long cooks at 250°F (121°C), bury 4–8 fist-sized chunks (7–10 cm) across the unlit bed so fresh wood smolders into clean blue smoke as the fire progresses.

Lighting Methods That Work

Use a chimney starter and never lighter fluid. For bullet smokers, the Minion method—one half-chimney of lit coals placed on a full ring of unlit—delivers a long, stable ramp. For kettles, the snake/fuse—two briquettes wide by one tall, circling two-thirds of the bowl—gives smooth progression; tuck wood chunks along the path. With lump, build a tight fuse using medium pieces and bridge gaps with smaller ones. In kamados, fill to the fire ring with lump, nestle wood chunks throughout, and light one to three small spots for a gentle start.

Weather, Cooker Choice, and Fuel

Wind, cold, and rain make your fire work harder. Briquettes often hold steadier in gusty conditions because the burning front progresses predictably, while lump’s responsiveness can mean more vent work unless the cooker is well shielded. Kamados shine in bad weather with lump because of their insulation. In thin-walled kettles and bullets, use a windbreak, run at 250–275°F (121–135°C) for cleaner combustion, and prefer briquettes if you anticipate ash clearing access mid-cook.

Cost and Sourcing

Briquettes typically cost less per hour of steady heat and come in larger, more consistent bags. Lump can be pricier and varies by brand and batch; you pay for lower ash and high heat responsiveness. Skip bargain “match light” varieties and seek reputable hardwood briquettes or single-species lump. Store fuel dry and off the floor; damp charcoal burns dirty and short.

Safety Essentials

Charcoal fires generate carbon monoxide—use grills outdoors with clear airflow and never in enclosed spaces. Dispose of ash only when fully cold in a metal container. Handle hot grates and coals with insulated gloves and keep a Class B/C extinguisher nearby. Food safety still rules the day: keep raw meat below 40°F (4°C) until cooking, avoid cross-contamination, and refrigerate cooked leftovers within 2 hours; cool to under 40°F (4°C) within 4 hours and reheat to 165°F (74°C). Never use treated lumber, softwoods, or accelerants as smoke wood.

Baseline Pork Shoulder: A Simple Control Cook

To compare fuels fairly, run the same cook twice: an 8–10 lb (3.6–4.5 kg) bone-in pork shoulder seasoned simply and smoked at 250°F (121°C). Stabilize the pit, add 4–6 post oak chunks across the unlit bed, and use Minion or snake so the fire walks into fresh fuel and wood. Expect roughly 1.5–2 hours per pound; the stall appears around 155–170°F (68–77°C). Wrap in unwaxed butcher paper or foil when bark is set and looks mahogany, then continue to 198–205°F (92–96°C). Doneness is when a probe slides in with little resistance and the blade bone wiggles free. Rest, still wrapped, in a dry cooler for 1–2 hours before pulling. Log vent positions, grate temps, and interventions to see how lump versus briquettes behaved.

Notes

• Avoid instant-light briquettes and lighter fluid; they leave off-flavors.
• Sort lump to remove excessive fines and break oversized pieces for a tighter pack.
• For kettles, a 2x1 briquette snake typically runs 10–14 hours at 225–275°F (107–135°C).
• In kamados, light 1–3 small spots in the lump and let temps climb slowly for clean smoke.
• Briquettes produce more ash (≈8–10% by weight) than lump (≈2–4%); plan ash clearing accordingly.
• Place wood chunks along the fuel path so each new section lights into fresh, clean smoke.