charcoal

i see a lot of guys on here useing briquets still. i wanted to change to natural but ive discovered that natural lights easer and burns hotter then briquets but briquets seem to burn longer thus useing less charcoal any thoughts on this

Tim, unless you go through several hundred pounds of charcoal a year the cost difference is not a big deal.
Some cookers must use lump , ( most kamodo's)
Advantages of lump,
1) easy to light
2) burns hot if needed
3) very little ash
4) better taste???
Advantages of briquittes
1) a denser fuel, longer burns if your using a offset with small fire box
2) consistent burn & temp
3) cheaper ( between home & hunt camp 500+ lbs / year) & we can find on sale for $0.20/lb

As far as taste there are people who say they can taste the difference .
I'm nearly 60 & taste declines with age I can't.
Taste is different ( there are people who like liver

thanks lostarrow yes i use the cg with a fire box and need the longer burns im 54 and have used both but cant tell a diffrence in taste

Tim: I use 100% natural lump charcoal. It is the only thing I will use. I started out this way and that probably is a major reason why I don't like briquettes. To me, it is not that lump burns hotter, rather briquettes burn cooler. With a bullet smoker being so efficient with heat disbursement, I can get over 12 hours on a single load of lump charcoal. I got less out of briquettes. As for taste, I do notice a difference. I might be prejudice, I don't know. Maybe I want the briquettes to be worse. Whatever the case, I use lump.
Side note: Stay away from anything not natural or says easy light, etc. unless you like the flavor of lighter fluid on your food. Chicken seems to be the worst about bringing out the petroleum flavor. YUCK!
Hope I was able to help you with your decision making. If you experiment, try to be as objective as possible. Pre-conceived opinions will sour the experiment.

I have not done direct taste comparisons, but I *think* I notice a taste difference.

That said, I definitely smell a difference in the smoke. All the briquettes I've used smell bitter. Good lump has a sweet smell that I love even when there's no food on the grill.

I have come across lump brands that smell bad, but I've never smelled briquettes that smell good.