Lump Charcoal Gone Bad?

[Acmemfg]

Recently did a couple of cooks on my trusty Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco drum rig.
Struggle is an understatement. I has a HORRIBLE time keeping a proper temperature running. From 190 to 300 plus it was all over the place. Final product was alright but not to my usual quality standard. Only thing I can figure…I was using old previously fired lump charcoal from earlier cooking sessions that I had smothered out, sifted and put back in the firebox. As things progressed I added a quantity of fresh fuel but as the cooking continued it was far from the smooth performance I’m accustomed to. Any similar experiences?

 

[Scarry Knight]

Damp from humidity would be my guess, or too spent and just barely holding together as more ash than carbon.
It doesn't seem to work out well for me, to try and add more than a couple few briquets to an existing burn. I'm usually better off to start them in a chimney before adding. They seem to take too much from the initial fire, in getting started. Check out Cobb Cobblestones they start and burn nicely with a sustained even heat

 

[BandeauRouge]

more lighter fluid. More hydrocarbons means better cooking. FLAMES...