A charcoal grill is an essential part of any outdoor party or get-together. They provide a unique smoky, tender taste that gas grills or pellet grills are unable to deliver. Apart from great taste, charcoal grills are easy to control. They provide fast ignition, easier to transport and burns way hotter to give that extra crispy texture. Most of the time we either think about how to keep the heat going or how to put out a charcoal grill. This is because these are the two factors that need additional knowledge to carry off successfully.
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For this reason, as much as it is important to keep the heat last longer for a hassle-free grill. You have to know how to turn off the charcoal grill because this is essential for safety purposes.
How to Keep the Heat Last Longer?
There are various ways you can keep the heat of your grill last longer so that you don’t need to worry about your fire burning nice and hot. To make sure the fire lasts longer, instead of leaving the charcoal as it is, stroke the coals regularly. Leaving the coal to stay in place makes them burn unevenly and eventually makes the flames go out.
When stroking the coal doesn’t provide the desired outcome, try to add some lighter fluid instead. To make the heat more even, pour the liquid into different places around the grill. Apart from these, adding small pieces of newspaper, allowing sufficient airflow and at times adding more charcoal can also help the heat to last longer.
How to extinguish charcoal grill?
Just as you need to know how to put out a fire in a fireplace, you need to know what you should do with a charcoal grill as well.
But, why put out a fire when it’s still burning? The reason is simple – you cannot leave it like that for safety reasons.
Another major factor while using grills comes to mind is how to stop charcoal grill or what to do with charcoal after grilling? This is because the cleanup process afterward can be messy. It is also about cleaning the debris and clutter.
Knowing how to put out charcoal grill properly can help in saving fuel. It also prevents any risk of further flaring up.
To extinguish the fire properly you’ll need:
- Heat proof gloves
- A bucket of water
- Aluminium foil
- Metal spatula
- Grill tongs
- Wire brush
- Baking soda
- Fire extinguisher
Turn off the grill
Make sure any additional airflow does not come in to fuel the fire and for that close any vents if present in the grill. You can then remove the rack after and close the lid slowly. Charcoals generally take a lot of time to fully cool down. That is why it is recommended to leave the grill for about 24-48 hours with all vents closed. Thus, you can be absolutely certain about the extinguishment.
How to dispose of charcoal
Once you cross the 48-hour time span, when you can be quite sure that the grill has cooled down, the first thing that comes to mind is what to do with charcoal ash. You’ll be seeing a lot of charcoal ash and briquettes the next day. To clean them up, place an aluminum foil in a bucket and scoop the ashes to dispose of.
After removing them, wrap the sheet carefully and dispose of it in a trash can. One thing to keep in mind is to avoid plastic bins or cans at any cost. This is because any sign of an ember causes the risk of plastic burning or melting. To remove the briquettes, it is advisable to use a pair of tongs to prevent any risk of burning or injury.
Avoid using water
While it is common to use water to put out a fire in almost every instance, but this is not quite commended to cool down a charcoal grill. To explain this first we need to know, why does water put out a fire. Using water on a fire cools down the condition as it can no longer sustain the heat. But coals, on the other hand, burn at a very high temperature and using water directly onto them can cause a harsh level of steam and can even lead to leave a crack on your grill.
A common question that arises when talking about how to put out a charcoal grill is that does salt put out a fire, and yes it does, effectively.
Does salt put off the fire? Yes, it does. Using salt or baking soda is one of the safest ways to put out a fire.
Clean the grill properly
To remove the remaining ash from the grill, use a metallic spatula after which clean-up the chambers and pay attention to the vents as they can create an obstruction due to the ashes. Apart from this, you can also use a wire brush and at regular intervals can clean the grates along with using silicon spray to increase the lifespan of your grill by acting as an anti-rusting agent.
Can You Reuse Charcoal?
Yes, charcoal can be reused. Reusing charcoal can save money along with other benefits. After grilling you might find quite an amount of charcoal is left and it’s a waste or disposes of it. Have a large bucket of water and remove the charcoal from the grill. Submerge the coals in the water so that they can fully extinguish. Let each piece of charcoal stay in the water for at least 30 seconds before removing and transfer them to a dry non-flammable surface.
Is There Any Faster Way To Cool Down A Charcoal Grill?
Apart from the steps and methods discussed above, there aren’t many ways to cool down a charcoal grill safely.
How or why does water put out the fire? We all know and there are many people who pour water onto the coals to cool it down. But it is not recommended as this method can cause sudden temperature imbalance. This will damage the grill.
Using a charcoal grill as well as having a bit of knowledge about reusing charcoal and taking necessary measures along with knowing how to put out a charcoal grill can ensure a safe and proper live grill experience.
