KE, yes, briquettes have "staying power", but I'm not crazy about the flavor of the smoke they produce, or the amount of ash they produce. Burning lump hardwood charcoal, or better yet, wood, gives a much cleaner tasting smoke, and less ash.
Now that I've got some wood, I only use charcoal to get the fire going.
Four chimneys of charcoal? Wow! How much food are you cooking?
If you remember my grill, it's huge. I've recently learned that to produce really great-tasting, juicy-tender meats like bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, or pork tenderloins, "less is better" for charcoal. I've always loaded up two chimneys full of charcoal, got that going, and then seared/murdered my meat on the grill. Now, I load up just one chimney, get that going, spread the coals out evenly (they aren't really touching, but do give out an even heat), and drop the fire grate down to it's lowest position. Once I get the meat on the grill, I shut the lid and "fire-roast" the meat, usually turning it once every 5 minutes. After 20 minutes, I'll temp it with my probe thermometer to see if it's done.
Usually, the bone-in, skin-on breasts are given to me by my g'mother, and it actually takes 35 - 40 minutes to cook them. I also brine the breasts, as well as pork tenders, for an hour or so before I grill them.