Can you save leftover charcoal?

[travisty]

Hey, so lately I have been doing lots of small practice cooks for a competition I'm doing. Most I've done have been chicken, so it only cooks for 2-3 hours at most, then I waste 75% of the charcoal (therefore burning through $5-$10 per cook).

Ive tried doing smaller batches of charcoal, but the temps are significantly more difficult to control if I don't do a full basket minion type setup.

I've heard you can just kill the fire and save your leftover charcoal for later? I can grasp how to kill the fuel, but just want to know how well recycled charcoal works, what the details are on how to reuse it, ETC.


FYI I'm using a UDS, and I just use the Kingsford original briquettes (not doing lump for this particular competition as I'm newer to UDS smokers and just working on one thing at a time) I've just been letting it burn out fast by putting my basket out on the ground.

 

[noboundaries]

I ALWAYS reuse my briquettes, both in my WSM and my Kettle. 

Long smoke in the WSM (greater than 6 hours):  I knock the ash off the used briquettes and clean out the bottom of the smoker.  Then I put the used briquettes back in, add some wood, put a layer of cold charcoal on top of the used, add a little more wood, then add the hot briquettes from the chimney. 

Short smoke in the WSM (less than 6 hours): knock the ash off the used briquettes, add some wood, add hot briquettes.

 

[travisty]

 
I ALWAYS reuse my briquettes, both in my WSM and my Kettle. 

Long smoke in the WSM (greater than 6 hours):  I knock the ash off the used briquettes and clean out the bottom of the smoker.  Then I put the used briquettes back in, add some wood, put a layer of cold charcoal on top of the used, add a little more wood, then add the hot briquettes from the chimney. 

Short smoke in the WSM (less than 6 hours): knock the ash off the used briquettes, add some wood, add hot briquettes.

Okay, thanks!

So you're just storing them in between in a bag or bin like you would regular? About how long after the cook are they good to handle/bag up?

Sounds like then to clarify: On shorter cooks, you just use the used charcoal in the basket, and then light new charcoal to put it on top once lit. Then on longer cooks, you essentially mix the used charcoal with some new charcoal, and then pour new lit charcoal on top?

Do you ever re-light the used briquettes as your main starter for a new cook (like in a chimney, and poor onto new briquettes)?

 

[travisty]

I actually might be able to scavenge my old wasted charcoal out of the field behind my house. Basically, I've just been dumping the old stuff back there, and a lot if it is still lumped up. Hasn't rained between my last few cooks.

 

[lancep]

I would always keep the leftovers in a Home Depot bucket. For grilling I would light half a chimney of new and pour the used over it. Once fully engaged spread and grill as normal. For smoking I would use it as the lighting source over a layer of new in the chimney.

 

[SmokinAl]

I just leave it in my WSM.

When I'm done smoking I just shut all the vents & the fire goes out.

Then next time I just shake off the ash & clean it out & add new charcoal on top of the old.

Al

 

[noboundaries]

 
Okay, thanks!

So you're just storing them in between in a bag or bin like you would regular? About how long after the cook are they good to handle/bag up?

Sounds like then to clarify: On shorter cooks, you just use the used charcoal in the basket, and then light new charcoal to put it on top once lit. Then on longer cooks, you essentially mix the used charcoal with some new charcoal, and then pour new lit charcoal on top?

Do you ever re-light the used briquettes as your main starter for a new cook (like in a chimney, and poor onto new briquettes)?

 
I just leave it in my WSM.

When I'm done smoking I just shut all the vents & the fire goes out.

Then next time I just shake off the ash & clean it out & add new charcoal on top of the old.

Al

I do the same thing as Al, but with a couple of additional thoughts.

1.  I make sure the charcoal is dry.  If rain is predicted, I cover my WSM and Kettle with a waterproof tarp.  If water gets inside of your smoker or grill, you can get mold growing quite easily. 

2.  If the used charcoal has drippings on them, like you might get in your UDS, I'm a little less inclined to reuse the charcoal.  I've done it plenty of times with no ill effects, taste or health wise, but I try not to. 

3.  If the used charcoal has not had drippings and has been kept dry in the WSM and Kettle, I've gone a month or more and the used charcoal was fine.  I'm more prone to use charcoal that has drippings on them in my Kettle than my WSM.  I kind of switch back and forth between using my WSM and my Kettle.  In April I used only my WSM for a total of five smokes.  The last time I used the WSM it ran for 21.5 hours.  There won't be much usable charcoal left in it, but if there is, I'll use it. 

In May I've only used my Kettle, a total of seven times so far. 

If you are going to "store" used charcoal, put it in a metal bucket with a lid you can buy at HD.  I put ash in my bucket.  I had a neighbor at a previous location lose his garage when he threw away charcoal he thought was cold.  It wasn't and POOF!  Bye bye garage.        

 

[tropics]

Same as Al & Ray Shut the vents walk away,when the smoker or kettle is cool enough I cover it

Richie

I use my saved as a starter in the chimney 

 

[travisty]

Thanks so much everyone! Awesome info! The cooks im currently doing are less than a week apart, so I could have saved myself quite a bit of cash with these tips! Ill start saving it from now on, just leave it in the basket.
I use a pizza tray with holes as a diffuser, plus im doing mostly chicken, so not too much drips into the basket.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Big advocate of doing this. In my WSM's and UDS the left over is stored right in the basket. Once cooled I shake the ash off and place the basket back in the smoker.

I cook without a diffuser 90% of the time. The drippings on the charcoal have never been a problem or gave an off flavor. They are pretty much carbonized instantly.

 

[grillmonkey]

I have been recycling charcoal for 30 years. I close the vents when I'm done to extinguish the used charcoal. Used to just pile it up and add new charcoal before they invented those fancy cans, now I add the used charcoal on top of the new charcoal is the can and reuse it. Never had any problems with it.

 

[kjarva]

I always re-use mine. If it's unburned when I shut the smoker down, or it's only been partially burned on a small corner it gets used again. Never had an issue doing it and the flavour is just as great as brand new charcoal!

 

[jimmyinsd]

I do it all the time, shut the vents and walk away, its one reason why I like the weber grills and my UDS so much is how airtight they are.  

the only issue i have ever encountered is that I notice in the UDS that, like others have mentioned,  humidity tends to build up in there and the coals will soak it up.  When I go to use it the next time it will burn white/brown smoke quite a while getting rid of that nasty moisture before I can get the thin blue I am looking for.

I like the idea of dumping it into a separate device to get it out of the damp UDS and will have to look into some kind of sealed metal container.

 

[daveomak]

Cook...   cut off the air supply....   save for later......   You can dump them in a steel bucket and seal it with a lid or foil..  coffee can...  what ever...

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• daveomak
• May 8, 2017

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• daveomak
• May 16, 2017

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• daveomak
• May 16, 2017

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• daveomak
• May 16, 2017

 

[browneyesvictim]

Re-use for sure! No sense trowing away fuel to me. Doesn't matter if there are drippings on them or not. That there is just added flavor just like those lava rocks are supposed to do in a gas grill. I do notice however, that partially burnt coals will tend to draw moisture more than fresh briquettes and can cause a slower lighting, but they do dry out eventually. This is why I always start fresh coals in a chimney and put them on top of the old ones with fresh chunks of wood.