How to Extinguish a Charcoal Grill?

Grills have been the most popular of cooking gadgets since an eternity. And it is not only the joy of cooking that is attached to it. Grilling and barbecue parties most of the time entail a get together of sorts. There is this satisfaction of serving wonderful food to your family and friends. 

Especially when you grill with the help of a charcoal grill. And we know that there is some kind of pride and satisfaction when using a charcoal grill. Also, the authentic taste you get from the grills is not comparable to anything else. As the delicious and lovely charred meat touches your taste buds, you will know how great a charcoal grill is. But another thing that you need to pay attention to is extinguishing the grill correctly. As it can be a fire hazard if you do not it safely. Hence, to help you with our article on how to extinguish a charcoal grill.

How to extinguish a charcoal grill?

Extinguishing a charcoal grill correctly is very important. As this not only helps in conserving fuel but also prevents mishaps. Especially if you are a parent, be it children or pets. The cases of flare-ups and burning are drastically reduced. Although the extinguishing process tends to be longer, you must know that it is necessary. 

Materials required

So there are some materials you must have before you attempt to extinguish your charcoal grill:

• Heat-resistant gloves. 
• Spatula (Metal)
• Tongs
• Aluminum foil
• Metal container.

The process

Further, we will give you the details on what you must do to extinguish a charcoal grill properly. 

• Before you shut it down, wear your heat-resistant gloves, which you use while grilling. And never skip this, as not wearing gloves might cause burns. And when dealing with hot coals, precaution is necessary. Also, safety should be of the foremost importance.
• Then you will need to remove the cooking grates from the grill.
• After that, you will need to close the lid. And then close any vents present in the grill. So this closes off the oxygen supply to the grill, which helps in extinguishing the burning coals. But the coals do not extinguish quickly as they still use up the residual air left inside the grill.
• And keep the grill aside for cooling down. So the cooling process will take some time as coals cool down slowly. Hence, we recommend around 2 days to leave it like that. Although it may not actually take that much time, follow it for safety purposes. Usually the burning embers take up almost two days to die.
• Then you must take out the ashes from the grill. As a lot of grills come with ash dump pans, it is pretty easy to remove. But if your grill doesn’t have it, you must use a metal spatula to scoop out the ashes. Also, there are maybe a few burnt embers at the bottom of the grill, which you must remove.
• Before you take ash out, tear up a large piece of foil. And then scoop those ashes on to the foil. Then you must wrap it up and then dump it in a metal container. All of this further reduces the chances of embers flaring up, if they haven’t died yet. And always use metal containers because plastic can melt.
• After that, if you find charcoal which can be used in the grills, pick them up with the help of tongs. And the tongs you use must be metal to avoid melting.

 So this is how you properly extinguish a charcoal grill properly. And you must follow these steps carefully.

FAQs

Why do I need to extinguish a charcoal grill properly?

There are several reasons you must completely put out a charcoal grill.

So, you might know charcoal burns slowly. When you do not extinguish it yourself, it continues to smolder away. Also, if you leave the burning grill unattended, someone may assume that it has already been put. If someone comes in contact with the grill, children, pets or even adults, it can cause severe burns. 

Besides that, someone might also knock over the grill unaware. If the still hot burning embers come in contact with dry grass or wooden deck, it can cause fire.

Another thing is, burning charcoal gives out carbon monoxide. And that is harmful for you as well as the environment.

Can I use water to extinguish a charcoal grill?

Although you can use water to spray down the coals to cool them. But we advise you do not do it. As the grill is super hot, a shock of cold water will cool it with a jolt. And might cause a crack in the cooker. 

Also, there would be steam. And steam can cause much more severe burns. 

How do I extinguish grill flare-ups?

Usually when you are grilling meat on the grill, it gives out fat. And when these greasy droppings come in contact with charcoal, it causes flare-ups.

At this moment do not panic and douse it with water. As a greasy fire can never be easily put out with water. 

The thing you need to do is immediately close the lid and vents. This cuts off the oxygen flow to the grill and prevents the fire from spreading further.

How do I quickly put out a charcoal grill?

One thing you need to learn before you use a charcoal grill is patience. For you need patience, be it for the grilling itself or putting it away. 

So the best way to put out a charcoal grill is to close the lid. The embers will suffocate because of cutting off air and slowly die down.

If it’s very important, you can spray the coals slightly with water. But there are risks in that.

How do I save the unused charcoal from a grill?

So first, with your gloves on, pick up a pair of tongs. And then with the help of tongs pick up unused charcoal pieces at the bottom of the grill. Keep a bucket of water at ready. And dunk the piece of charcoal in it for 60 seconds after you extract it. After that place it on a dry non-flammable surface and allow it to dry in the sun. Then repeat it for all the charcoal pieces.

Read More

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• 8 Best Gas Grills under $500 – Buyer’s Guide
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Conclusion

Concludingly, we hope that you now know how to extinguish a charcoal grill correctly. And your grilling experience will be much safer.

We also have other informative articles like gas grill vs charcoal grill, recipes on steaks, ribs, etc which interest you.

Visit our website Cookinggearlab for articles on the kitchen and cooking gadgets.