Blackwood Canyon Lump Charcoal
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Quick Stats
Date Of Review: March, 2004
Purchased From: Provided by Blackwood Canyon
Date Purchased: February, 2004
Price: Not determined time of review.
Weight: 6.6 pounds
Burn Time:
Ash Production:
Type of Wood: South American hardwoods, see commentary below.
Strange Material?: None
Scrap Lumber Pieces?: None
Smell: Mild pleasant smoke with just a hint of perfume.
Country of Origin: Paraguay


Quick Links
Other Information: Click Here
Unusual Or Unique Statements: Click Here
Statements From The Bag: Click Here
Lighting Instructions: Click Here
Photos of Contents: Click Here
Other Photos: Click Here
Photo of UPC Code: Click Here
Contact Information: Click Here

Rate And Comment On This Charcoal: Click Here


Commentary

We were contacted by Blackwood Canyon and asked to do a review of a new product they are working on and which hopefully should be showing up in stores soon. It is a lump charcoal made in Paraquay from South American hardwoods. Don't mistake this for their mesquite charcoal. The mesquite bag has orange artwork, while this one has a red sort of color. Also, the mesquite charcoal has a diagonal banner on the top left of the front of the bag with says "With Mesquite", while this charcoal's bag says "Grab'n Go Handle." Basically, for now just look for the handle.

Regarding the species of wood used to make this charcoal and the forestry management practices used, we received this information from Blackwood Canyon:

"There are four species of hardwoods used to make this lump charcoal from Paraguay. The lump Charcoal is made exclusively from hardwood slabs and edgings collected from sawmills located in Santa Rosa del Aguaray, Department of San Pedro (Paraguay, South America). This system enables the selection of hardwood species only with premium charcoal conditions. The four main wood species are Kurupay (Anadenanthera colubrina); Lapacho (Tabebuia spp.); Yvyra Pyta (Peltophorum dubium) and Guatambu (Belfourodendron riedelianum). All four of the woods were chosen specifically for their density and charcoal making characteristics. The forestry management practices are superb. My partner in Paraguay cares deeply for the environment. All of the charcoals are manufactured under the supervision of the National Forestry Department and the Environmental office of Paraguay. My partner in Paraguay is also undergoing the process of joining the Forestry Stewardship Council. (it takes time to join the FSC)."
For information on the FSC, visit the FSC website.

The first thing you should probably notice about the packaging is the handy handle. We like this. Charcoal bags can be messy and the handle gives you a way to easily carry the bag without holding it against you and messing up your clothes.

The distribution of sizes is pretty good with not too much chips and dust. Lighting was about average, taking 3.5 sheets in our chimney starter test. This is quite good considering it is one of the denser charcoals we have tested. The smoke is very mild and pleasant with just a hint of the perfume that we detect in most of the foreign hardwood charcoals we have tested. Like the statement on the bag warns, this charcoal will spark a fair amount when fed with a good draft of air. When cooking at lower temps in a closed cooker, the sparking disappears. Ash production was low. Burn time was average compared to other brands. We liked this charcoal a lot and give it our Above Average rating. Although it is not currently available, we look forward to it showing up in stores.

To the left is the rating that our readers have given this charcoal. If you have used this charcoal and would like to rate it and leave your comments, Click Here

To view reader ratings of all brands, Click Here.


Other Information

None.


Unusual or Unique Statements

Caution: Because the natural wood used to make this charcoal was exposed to the elements, it may throw off sparks when igniting. Use in a safe place.


Statements From The Bag

"Grab'n Go Handle", "100% Natural Lump Charcoal", "Product of Paraguay"

"No sodium nitrates, no limestone, no starch, no anthracite coal(!) No kidding. Unlike leading brands of artificial "briquettes", Blackwood Canyon is 100% pure and natural."

"The difference is 100% natural. Yes, it's different. We know this isn't the charcoal you're used to. For starters, it's real. It's all solid natural wood. (Ever wonder what the ingredients are in briquettes?) It's lumpy. Each chunk is hand cut, so they come in odd shapes. (Ever wonder why the other guys' briquettes are all identical?) It's 100% natural. Our charcoal contains charcoal. Period. No chemicals or additives are combined and pressed in a factory. (Oh, that's why those briquettes are identical.) Our charcoal burns hotter, searing in juices. It also burns cleaner, longer and completely. You can even use it in a smoker, where you wouldn't want chemical-laden briquettes.


Lighting Instructions

Keep it natural. Try these cleaner no-petroleum lighting techniques:

If you must use starter fluid, refer to instructions on can. We recommend two cleaner, dependable methods of firing up your grill. Either way, you'll get the great flavor of foods grilled over pure and natural wood charcoal!

The Chimney Method: Put the chimney on the lower grill, filling the bottom "chamber" with two crumpled sheets of newspaper. Fill the top to the brim with charcoal. Light the newpaper, and when the coals are ashed over (turn white), carefully pour them on the grill. Replace top grill.

Another Clean Method:

  1. Put larger charcoal pieces in a ring on the lower grill. Saturate three crumpled paper towels with vegetable oil; place in center of ring.
  2. Cover towels loosely with more charcoal. Light towels (always keep coals uncovered until ready to cook).
  3. As center coals start to ash over (turn white), move cooler coals (on outer ring) to center using tongs. (Tip: Keep a separate set of tongs handy for moving coals around the grill.) Once all coals ash over, break up and spread out as desired.
  4. Replace grill and begin cooking. Enjoy! For extended cooking time, add more charcoal as needed.


Photos Of Contents

This is the contents of the bag. Those are 1 inch squares on the measuring bar.


Here is a closer view.


Here are the larger pieces we found in the bag.


Here are the contents of the bag sorted into large, medium, small, and too small/chips/dust.


Other Photos

This is how the bags arrived.


Photo of UPC Code

Here is a photo of the UPC code on the bag:


Contact Information

www.bigbriq.com

P.O.Box 342
Flossmoor, IL 60422

1-708-799-8415


About This Review

If you are unfamiliar with our testing procedures, you may wish to read How We Review Lump Charcoal before reading this review. Also, you can read How We Score Lump Charcoal to learn about our scoring system.

Prices listed in our reviews are current as of the date of the review. We do not attempt to keep these prices current.

The conclusions and final rating given any charcoal are based upon the opinion of the author. We recommend that you use our rating only as a guide. You should read the entire review and decide what is important to you in making any buying decision.

Performance ratings are designated with stars, 1 star being the worst and 5 stars being the best:

= Performance is Far Below Average
= Performance is Below Average
= Performance is Average
= Performance is Above Average
= Performance is Far Above Average

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