Before you even attempt to fire up your Good-One Open Range for the first time there is a couple things you need to take into consideration.
There are many different types and brands of charcoal on the market from natural hardwood lump charcoal to briquettes. We highly recommend that when using any type of smoker or grill to use lump charcoal. Not only are the favors from the woods more prevalent but it also burns hotter and you are able to reuse un-burnt charcoal which is unique to the hardwood lump charcoal. What makes lump charcoal a higher quality cook is the way it is produced. Lump charcoal is basically just burn wood that is charred to a certain point and then has the oxygen cut off to turn it into charcoal. The higher quality lump charcoal manufactures such as The Good-One lump charcoal use all natural hardwoods such as pecan, oak, and hickory from central Missouri, which helps gives your meat more of a consistent smoked flavor. While most lumps are made from natural hardwood many toss in scrap lumber, flooring, ect. You need to be very careful of the charcoal that you select a very good source to check up on the quality of the brand you are using is www.nakedwhiz.com. This website is a data base full of useful information and a rating system for lump charcoal throughout the US.
My suggestion for you would be to use 100% natural lump charcoal. Here are the reasons:
· Briquettes have petroleum base and are only 10 percent real wood.
· Briquettes burn at 900 degrees
· Lump charcoal burns at 1250 degrees
· Lump charcoal burns twice as long
· Lump charcoal leaves less ash
· You can reuse any lump charcoal when you are done cooking, just shut you damper and intake spinners.
· Lump charcoal leaves no creosote build up, unlike briquettes.
· You will use half as much with lump than with briquettes.
· You food will taste extremely better with 100 percent natural lump charcoal.
· Use a chimney to start your lump, it’s faster and 100 percent cleaner than lighter fluids
If you cook with natural lump for 2-3 months and go back to briquettes, you will taste the difference.
All lump charcoal is not created equal. If you want a hot fire in your fireplace to heat your house and you want it to burn as long as possible before you reload, you would more than likely use a hardwood that would burn for a long time and put out the most heat. Would you pay the same amount of money for a cord of soft maple, or pine that you would for oak or hickory? They are two different types of wood; they create different amounts of heat, and distinctly have different burn times. Well if you would not pay the same for these two cords of wood for your fireplace, why would you do it for a bag of lump charcoal that has different types of wood and expect the same results? The problem with the lump charcoal industry is that it is not regulated. Manufacturers from around the world can put anything they want in their bags, as long as it is wood. Your smoker, whether it is a Good-One or any other brand requires good quality charcoal to burn hot and long. It must also burn clean, without lot soot or other agents which would cast a bad taste on your food you are cooking which you plan to ingest into your body. Would you drink lighter fluid? Then why would you start your fire with it knowing that it is going to directly transfer into your food. So what I am saying is go to the source you trust to buy your lump charcoal. The Good- One lump charcoal is 100% Oak, hickory and pecan deep out of the heart of Missouri. These are all woods consistent with burning hot. They are dense enough to have a long burn time. Our charcoal is specifically blended for Good-One owners simply because we want them to have a pleasant and successful cooking experience. We refuse to cut corners on inferior quality wood to make a few extra bucks. Even if you don’t own a Good-One, we don’t mind sharing our premium charcoal with you to create a pleasant cooking experience for you.
Chris
