I don't use briquettes to smoke, only to grill. I use lump on a daily basis and it hold the coals, which is where your heat comes from. Briquettes need to be replenished too much and don't retain the coal qualities needed. "manufacture uniformity" is also relative to lump.
When smoking, a few extra dollars is diminished when hours and money are spent in the whole process of bbq'ing.
When smoking, a few extra dollars is diminished when hours and money are spent in the whole process of bbq'ing.