While cooking on the grill and deciding on the kind of charcoal, many people often ask: can you mix lump charcoal with briquettes?
Both lump and briquettes are simply two different kinds of charcoal, so is mixing them in a combination permissible, or will it result in a disastrous and regrettable situation for the cooking grill?
This discussion has been ongoing for a long time now. Therefore, in this article, we will analyze on your behalf whether can you mix lump charcoal with briquettes and provide a definite and reliable answer.
Can You Mix Lump Charcoal With Briquettes?
Lump and briquettes are charcoal, but can you mix lump charcoal with briquettes? Yes, you can, and there is no harm in combining the two kinds of charcoal aside from the fact that you get to face a few of the pros and cons of each altogether.
As the lump charcoal tends to burn faster and hotter than the briquettes, cooking with the two can be more challenging in the sense that with the mixture, it will be a bit tricky for you to judge the heat temperature in an open grill.
However, judging the temperature in a close BBQ grill with the lump charcoal and briquette mixture will not be a task because you can use a thermometer regardless of the number of fuels you have blended.
Best Way To Formulate A Charcoal Lump and Briquettes Mix
Knowing that charcoal lump and briquette mix is permissible and can manifest as a reality in a cooking grill, you may have a lot of further concerns regarding how to create the mix.
For example, should the two charcoals be randomly mixed, is one of them supposed to be dumped in the back while the other is mixed in a shack, or is that lump charcoal fastened burning quality going to be a problem for charcoal briquettes, etc.
To address all your queries, we state the best way to formulate a charcoal lump and briquette mix.
Method
After having conducted a lot of reading and in-depth research of all the online forums for can you mix lump charcoal with Briquettes, we have concluded that the best way to mix the two is not axially to mix them but rather layer them. You go ahead with one kind of chosen charcoal and then layer it on top with another.
You can do this by lighting up a chimney of charcoal briquettes, and when they are lit, on the charcoal grates, make a bed of the briquettes. Then, add the lump on top of that. Through this, what will happen is that eventually, the charcoal lump, too, will light itself up through the already-lit charcoal briquettes.
Additionally, the small charcoal lumps will not fall off the grates. Instead, they will sit over the briquettes neatly to avoid being problematic.
Another way that people prefer mixing the lump and the briquettes is by starting their grills with the briquettes, and as soon as they start to burn out, they switch to charcoal lump as an alternative.
Some individuals also prefer making zones of the briquettes and the lumps, but we do not see any benefits reaping out of the zone method or switching to the charcoal method. All these last two mentioned methods do is that it makes controlling heat even more difficult.
Regardless, how you want to proceed with mixing the lump and the briquettes is still at your discretion. Though we have provided you with the best method if you want to and feel like you can deviate from our method, switch up to others, mixing and matching the charcoal lumps!
Advantages Of Mixing Charcoals
Higher Heat
Combining the charcoal lump and the briquettes in your grill will give you a higher heat outcome than you would have otherwise attained by using many charcoal lumps.
Even if the quantity of lumps is minimal and backed up by briquettes, the generated heat will be enough to cook your food quickly.
Smoky Flavor
The charcoal lump is composed of whole pieces of wood, unlike briquettes, which are made from sawdust, because of which the uneven shapes of the lump may not fully carbonize. Hence, the lumps will tend to burn hotter while giving off a smoky flavor to your wood, indicating that the food was cooked on wood and not a grill.
Longer Burn Time
Most people who only use charcoal lumps worry about the hot burning temperature and that the faster burning of the lumps will not give their food the required cooking time. However, this worry has been eliminated because the bed of briquettes that you have under the charcoal lumps has a longer burning time, and every piece carbonizes at its fullest.
The composition quality of sawdust and other additives makes each briquette equal in shape and size, promising an expansive cooking time for your food.
Drawbacks Of Mixing Charcoals
Controlling Temperature
We have previously established that lumps and briquettes differ in the time they take to burn and the heat they reproduce. Therefore, both charcoals will be reacting differently to you. Adjusting the air intake and controlling the temperature will be complicated.
If the air intake is not adjusted mindfully, then either a lot of heat or very little heat will be produced.
Shape Of Lump
Charcoal lump, made of whole wood, acquires very uneven shapes and sizes, making its burning procedure sporadic. The smaller pieces will burn fast and light compared to the bigger pieces, which will take longer to burn and produce smoke and heat fully.
Similarly, when the lump is coupled with briquettes on a grill, it tends to throw off a lot of sparkles, which can be dangerous, especially if you have kids roaming around the grill. You would have to be very cautious with burning charcoal lump.
Sparkles are released because the lumps inside are not carbonized and retain moisture. Often, with sparkles, you will also notice a lot of unnecessary ash being produced, so the only by-product is not the dangerous released sparks.
Conclusion
Now that you know what to do for can you mix charcoal lumps with briquettes and how to mix them in the right and the best method, you will undoubtedly be getting the best of both worlds.
There are both advantages and drawbacks to using this mix in a grill. Thereupon, you decide whether you want to go ahead with utilizing both charcoals together or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which lasts longer, briquettes or lump charcoal?
Briquettes can last longer than charcoal lumps, which burn out quickly, producing a lot of heat. As well lump charcoal and briquettes have different burn times due to of their distinct characteristics. Lump charcoal tends to burn hotter but for a shorter duration, while briquettes offer a more consistent and longer burn time, though at a lower temperature.
Can you add lump charcoal while cooking?
Yes, you can add lump charcoal while cooking over the already burning coals, which might enhance the overall grill’s temperature. Lump charcoal lights and heats up quickly, making it convenient to add more during your cooking process to maintain or increase the heat.
What burns faster, charcoal or briquettes?
Lump charcoal burns faster and hotter, reducing your cooking time because of the excess produced heat and leaving very little ash behind. Lump charcoal, being a more natural and less processed form of charcoal, catches fire more quickly and burns hotter, but for a shorter duration.
Why is the shape of lump charcoal uneven?
Lump charcoal is uneven because it is made out of whole wood, and this uneven shape of the lump also constitutes why they can often have a varying burn time. Lump charcoal is made by burning wood in the absence of oxygen, a process that preserves the original shape and structure of the wood pieces used.
