Anyone Use This Brand Of Jap Coals

[Johnny_D]

Sulphur?

Yes your correct, they do ash quite a pale colour.

However i can honestly say that I've never, personally via taste, detected sulphur.

How much higher level do you think they have Sonthert? And (please do not read this as argumentative) how are you sure of the levels in a coal?

Cheers,
JD

[Scoop]

after meeting sonthert, and trying the real jap coals. the easy lights suck...

i use the easy lights...but once i buy myself the real ones im never looking back.

[Sonthert]

According to a chemical analysis I had done, the natural sulfur amount of charcoal is approximately 1100% higher (12x) than it is in Japanese coals. Binders( glue, etc.) probably account for some sulfur in a formed coal (which would be not present in a natural chunk of blackened wood). Sulfur is used as an accelerant. It is very cheap. Potassium/sodium nitrate, chlorate and permanganates are more expensive (and nominally safer, especially nitrates) accelerants. In Japanese coals, there are traces of heavy metals (no surprises there), but increased amounts of calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium and aluminum. This would be explained by: a 90%/10% aluminum/magnesium coating (in a hydroxide form). sodium and potassium nitrates. The calcium could be from calcium nitrate, which would be a weaker, slower oxidizing agent, but the chemical analysis people were unsure. Looking at a natural coal's numbers, the nominal levels of heavy metals, a lot less potassium, sodium, magnesium and aluminum. These things are what are responsible for true Japanese coals lighting characteristics. 3 Kings contained (and has a similar ash to Easy Lites)more sulfur and less calcium and sodium (The sodium is likely a moderator...to not make the reaction so violent as in 3 Kings or especially Lihnari coals). I am extrapolating from the smell, the ash and the lighting characteristics of Easy Lites, the investigations I paid for didn't cover them ,as they weren't on the market at the time. The smell when lighting is from sulfur products, although they have less than Syrian easy lights (which seem to ADD additional sulfur) and less than natural coals, but still a lot more than Japanese coals.