How to put out a charcoal grill safely – Simple tips

By imparting deliciously natural scents and flavors to your meal, charcoal grilling is the purest type of barbeque cooking. The cleanup process required after use is its main downside, though.

You can put out a charcoal grill by simply putting out all the coals, throwing away the ash properly, and then cleaning the grill to put out any potential future fires.

Removing them sooner could pose a fire and burn hazard.

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Putting out charcoal grills

As you may be aware, burning charcoal frequently produces carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide gases. You may reduce the wasteful emission of these potentially harmful fumes by turning off your grill earlier.

Moreover, you can save the remaining charcoal in the grill by quickly putting out the fire, as it is likely still useful.

A charcoal grill may be safely extinguished with reasonable ease. Simply cutting off the oxygen supply and waiting for the coals to burn out will put out the fire.

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Turn off the charcoal grill

Stopping the oxygen flow to the charcoal is the first step in safely putting out your charcoal grill.

Close the lid and close off the air vents. Charcoal grills include exhaust vents on top of the grill lid and movable intake vents controlled from under the grill, simply – the top and bottom vents.

As even a small quantity of air might keep the charcoal burning, be certain if they are all completely closed.

By doing so, you can save the coals from burning and keep the fire from getting oxygen.

If you are cooking at home, you can leave to dine, as your grill ought to be virtually cold by the time your meal is ready.

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Take out the spent charcoal and remaining ash

After turning off your grill and letting it cool, you should scoop up any charcoal briquettes with metal tongs or heat-proof gloves and put them in a different bucket.

Some grills include ash collecting systems that make this process simpler.

Avoid dropping hot coals into the water because the following steam can burn you.

Using a grill brush, remove the ash from your charcoal grill before disposing of it in a pail of water that has been seasoned with baking soda (or salt). Small non-flammable granular materials, such as salt or baking soda, can help soak up grease and douse grease fires that are resistant to being extinguished by water. This mixture can clog your pipes, so don’t pour it down the drain.

When that has cooled, wrap it in aluminum foil and throw it in a metal container, never plastic.

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Handle any burning coals

If you followed the instructions, you shouldn’t have any hot coals to deal with.

However, if you skipped any steps, you can always put out any coals that are still burning inside your bucket by covering them with baking soda or salt, or if they’re obstinately refusing to go out, spray them with more water from a garden hose while standing at a safe distance until they extinguish on their own.

When the coals are finished burning, discard them similarly to how you would discard ash.

Why should I put out my charcoal grill?

That could take a lot of time if you’ve used a lot of charcoal. It will smolder away unchecked throughout that time.

Children, pets, unknowing adults, and even your property are at risk.

It would be simple for someone else to conclude the grill is out and, thus, not hot if you weren’t manning it.

A hot grill burn can be very painful. What if an animal runs into it and knocks it over, scattering hot embers all over the place? A serious fire could be started by a few ignited coals in the grass or on a wooden deck.

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Can I pour water on my charcoal grill?

Coals burn at very high temperatures. Cold water can damage a hot charcoal grill and be harmful to you if you spill it on it.

Poured water can result in holes and splits in your grill’s aluminum. Additionally, it prolongs the process by leaving a mess of sludge for you to clean up from the bottom of your grill.

When water is poured onto a hot grill, a cloud of steam is produced that may result in burns. If you quickly pour water, it might also cause ashes to fly out of the grill.

In other words, do not pour water directly onto a hot grill.

Don’t put half-burned coals in water to put out the flames if you want to utilize charcoal briquettes again for your next grilling session. Instead, gently mist your coals with water to stop them from burning anymore.

Partially used coals should be left to dry after they have completely cooled before storing them in the grill for future use.

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Do you just let the charcoal burn out?

Simply allow the coals to burn out

After grilling, the easiest approach to put out charcoal is to just let it burn out and turn to ash while cooling for at least 48 hours. The grill rack should ideally be removed for convenience while cooling, the lid must be closed and all vents must be closed.

Wrap everything in aluminum foil

When the ashes have cooled, it is time to wrap everything in aluminum foil and discard it separately from other combustible materials (such as that mostly empty lighter fluid bottle or yesterday’s newspaper). Make sure the material used to construct your garbage can is non-ignitable.

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How do you put out an open charcoal grill?

Instead of a freestanding grill, the technique is specifically for putting out an open charcoal fire pit. The process only requires gently pouring water over the coals, making it quick and easy.

To avoid painful burns from the hot steam, make sure you are a few steps away from the pit.

Step-by-step instructions:

  • Put on heat-resistant clothing and gloves
  • A large bucket filled with chilly water
  • Step back from the fire pit a few feet
  • Directly sprinkling or pouring water onto the embers will do until they cool
  • Using a pair of tongs, choose the moist metal coals and spread them out on a piece of aluminum foil.
  • Give the damp coals time to dry
  • Pick up the cold coals and put them in a metal container, so they can be used again.
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How do you extinguish burning charcoal?

Here are some typical techniques on how to put out a charcoal grill

ENDURE THE FIRE FOR TWO WHOLE DAYS

Simply seal the vents and the grill’s lid until the ash has cooled completely for at least 48 hours.

COALS SHOULD BE WETTENED

You may quickly and fully cool ash by slowly pouring water over the charcoal while stirring. This will prevent any chance of latent embers re-igniting.

Be careful:

  • adding water to hot coals can produce hot steam;
  • pour water slowly to prevent this.
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Emergency procedures

Some individuals might believe it’s acceptable to let the coals burn out on their own without assistance, but doing so puts both people and pets in danger. Additionally, it poses a fire hazard if abandoned.

The grill’s flames might occasionally out of control and present major risks. Fortunately, you may quickly put an end to flare-ups by covering all vents and the lid to cut off the oxygen flow.

Reach for your fire extinguisher if the situation is out of your control to put out the fire before it spreads.

Always keep in mind that you should wait until old coals are completely cold before disposing of or handling them.

When disposing of charcoal, use a metal container because hot coals could melt the sides of a plastic bucket.

Stand the charcoal grill on a benchtop or flat non-flammable surface.

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What supplies do you need?

  • Grill brushA ball of aluminum foil is one of the greatest substitutes that work in a pinch if you don’t have a grill brush on hand.
  • Heatproof gloves
  • Grill tongs
  • Metal scooper or spoon
  • Aluminum foil
  • Metal bucket of water
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Conclusion

It may seem simple to answer the question of how to put out a charcoal grill after a joyous and satisfying barbeque activity. After all, all that is required is for you to watch as the charcoal burns naturally until it is reduced to ashes. To cool the coal and put out a charcoal grill safely, you might also consider pouring water on it.

Charcoal burns really hot—much hotter than a gas grill can—which is one of its best qualities. Because charcoal has a lot of energy and is essentially pure carbon. 

Try to use lump charcoal. Since it reacts to oxygen quite well, you may easily regulate the heat using your air vents and chimney. Besides, the food tastes better when they use it because it is the most natural fuel for your grill.

You may also be interested in reading our articles: What is medium heat on a grill and Why does the bottom of my grill rust out.

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