Why do I find rocks inside bags of lump charcoal?
I frequently find golf ball-sized rocks in bags of lump charcoal. Usually after the fire has burnt out.
Is this some by-product of the charcoal manufacturing process or an under-handed attempt by the manufacturer to cheat on the weight of the bags?
Best Answer
I've often seen small stones in charcoal, and it makes sense.
Charcoal is often a byproduct of logging, made from lower quality wood such as branches and thin growth at the top of trees. During felling and trimming, this will lie in the dirt while the more valuable wood is dealt with. Then it will be picked up by machinery, loaded, and taken away to be burnt into charcoal. Some contamination from soil is inevitable, and that will include a few stones as well as smaller stuff that adds to the dust in the bottom of the bag. Even treestumps can be used, and digging those out is also likely to bring some soil with them.
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Why is there rocks in my charcoal?
Mainly found in bags of lump charcoal, the rocks or pieces of concrete you find are a direct process of the huge commercial process that's behind the making of charcoal. Rocks and other debris can be picked up from the gathering of wood at the lumberyard, transport, and processing at the commercial charcoal kilns.Does lump charcoal spoil?
If you would like your charcoal briquettes to last longer than six months, store them in a dry place with low humidity levels (less than 50%). Lump charcoal lasts much longer because its porous nature absorbs moisture more easily which helps protect it from breaking down. Lump charcoal should last over a year.Is lump charcoal still good if it gets wet?
Unfortunately, cheap charcoal will usually crumble when it gets wet, rendering it totally useless, as it will turn too powered as it dries. However, higher quality charcoal can be dried-out and used, although, it will typically only be good for slow burning and will give off much more smoke as it burns.How do you know when your lump charcoal is ready?
Lump charcoal is sensitive to airflow and venting due to its shape. Typically it is ready within about 15 minutes and will stay hot up to an hour. Since it lump charcoal does burn quicker than briquettes, additional charcoal can be added at regular intervals.Everything you need to know about Lump Charcoal
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Answer 2
When buying lump charcoal (which is my preference) I've found that the brand is really important. Some of these producers are sourcing their wood from worksites or other potentially contaminated locations. Keep an eye out for dimensional lumber, for example. You probably don't want charcoal made from pressure treated lumber. But it can get far worse: PVC, metals, and other debris can find it's way into the bag.
In my preferred brand, I have found an occasional rock. Generally, they are roughly the size and shape of a piece of charcoal. While I'm annoyed to pay charcoal prices for a rock that I don't need or want, the quality of the rest of the charcoal is very good. This leads me to think that this is not intentional but just part of ramping up production. I don't think people are looking at every log or stick that's going into the 'cook'. They are probably scoping up wood with a front loader or some sort of large claw and some rocks are picked up inadvertently.
I would keep an eye out for things like plastic but a few rocks are part of the cost of using lump charcoal, IMO. If you are getting a lot of contaminants in your charcoal, look for another brand. Where I live, the smaller hardware stores and butcher shops have the good stuff.
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