With its incredibly realistic fragrances and flavors that it impart on your meal, charcoal grilling is the purest style of barbecue cooking. However, there is one significant disadvantage: the cleanup required after usage. It’s not just about the possibility of garbage and clutter; it’s also about the process of putting out the fire. It’s messier, tougher, and riskier than it appears.
Once you’ve finished using your charcoal barbecue grill, putting it out as soon as possible is critical, but it helps save a lot of fuel while reducing the risk of igniting and burning anything nearby. However, the main question is “How to put out charcoal after grilling?”.
You can put out charcoals by closing the lids and vents on your grill to block off oxygen to the coals. It may take up to two days for the coals to completely cool down, but this procedure is far safer than attempting to extinguish them with water.
How to Put Out Charcoal After Grilling?
- Close the lid of the grill
- Clean the ashes when the coals are completely cooled down.
1. Close the Lid of the Grill
Close your grill lid and the vents until the ash has cooled completely for at least 48 hours. If you are in a hurry make sure you put the coals off before leaving as it will be dangerous sometimes. The other way is to use water but don’t pour water on hot coals as it might hurt you.
Douse water swiftly over burning coals but it will make a mess everywhere with ashes. The best way is to take a tong, put the burning coals from the grill, and drop it in the water bucket. This is one of the best ways to put out the charcoals when in a hurry.
2. Clean the Grill
- You can sweep the ashes out of the grill once the larger mess has been cleaned.
- Remove the grease tray in order to avoid foul-smelling
- Scrub your grates with grill burst to remove the stuck food particles.
- Remove the grate and scrub the rest of the grill to clean around the vents to avoid obstructing ventilation during the next cooking session.
- Wash the grates and the removable parts with a mild detergent agent.
- Close the grill and cover it, and you’re good to go.
How to get rid of Ashes and Charcoal
- You could safely remove the ashes and charcoal briquettes to dispose of after 48 hours.
- Before removing the ashes and charcoal, prepare a wide piece of aluminum foil. With a metal scoop, carefully scoop out the ash and place it in the foil.
- Set any briquettes that can be recovered and utilized later aside for the time being.
- Wrap the foil tightly and dispose of it in a metal container once the grill is free of charcoal and ash.
- Plastic containers should be avoided because even the tiniest ember might cause them to melt and cause difficulties.
What happened when pouring Water on Burning Coals?
When you pour water onto a hot grill, a cloud of steam can cause burns. If you pour water quickly enough, you can also send ashes flying out of the grill. Pouring water directly onto a hot grill is not a good idea.
- Pouring cold water on a hot grill can cause your grill to shatter due to thermal shock.
- A burn threat exists due to the abrupt cloud of steam.
- You could wash the still-burning coals right out of the grill’s bottom.
Another reason is that it leaves a slimy mess on the bottom of your grill. If the substance hardens, you’ll have clogged vents, stuck dampers, and a large cleanup chore on your hands. Experts recommend using water only if you have no choice but to pack up your grill and leave quickly.
Using Water to Put Out Charcoals
Any charcoal that hasn’t been completely consumed is worth keeping. Unfortunately, your grill will continue to burn even after you cover it and close the vents. You can douse charcoal, dry it off, and reuse it if you’re extremely thrifty. Here’s how you go about it:
- Fill a metal bucket halfway full with cold water.
- Put on your heat-resistant gloves and prepare your metal tongs.
- To get a single bit of charcoal, use the tongs.
- Submerge the charcoal in water for 60 seconds.
- Place the smoldering coal on a non-flammable surface.
- Rep with each lump or briquette you’d like to save, stacking them in a single layer.
- Allow to dry completely in the sun.
- Once dried, store in a fire-resistant container until needed.
Risk while not Handling Charcoals Properly
- A burn from a hot grill can be extremely painful.
- A few hot embers on the grass or wood decking might quickly become a major fire hazard.
- In terms of the environment, you’re unnecessarily emitting carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. You’re also wasting charcoal that may be used again.
- Last but not least, the greatest lump of wood charcoal, as well as even the more economical briquettes, are not inexpensive. If you can put them out, you can reuse the charcoal and save money.
How to Handle Grill Flare-ups
A fire can get out of hand in rare instances, even with a grill. Grease leaking from the food onto the hot charcoal is the most common cause. A flare-up occurs when grease causes the flames to fly up from the fire pit. Most flare-ups can be readily managed if you know what to do.
- Return the grill lid to its original position to cut off the oxygen and smother the flames.
- Wear heat-resistant gloves and exercise utmost caution.
- If everything else fails, use your fire extinguisher to put out the flames.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Pour Water on my Hot Charcoal Grill?
Pouring water on a hot charcoal grill can harm the grill and put you at risk. Water poured on a hot grill can cause cracks and holes in the metal. It also leaves a sludge mess at the bottom of your grill to clean up, prolonging the cleaning process.
Why do I Need to Extinguish my Charcoal Grill?
When you are done with grilling don’t rust as there are still lit lumps of charcoal in there unless you manually extinguish the charcoal. This could take several hours if you’ve used a lot of charcoal. Children, pets, unwitting adults, and your property are at risk.
How to reuse burned-off Charcoals?
Combine new and used charcoal in your next cooking session for the greatest results. With low-cost briquettes, this method could not work. If the cheap stuff gets wet, it tends to disintegrate. Plus, briquettes prepared with starting agents (which experts don’t suggest) may be difficult to relight after a bath. This tip is best used with high-quality briquettes and natural lump charcoal.
Conclusion
Grilling safety is always important, especially while working with hot charcoal. Please don’t cover your grill immediately because it can stay hot for hours after you’ve finished cooking. Most importantly, keep children away from the hot grill. It is recommended not to pour water directly favor hot coals as it will be hazardous for you and your grills body. Grill securely so you can get back to grilling. Stay safe, and enjoy grilling.