Charcoal grilling delivers exceptional flavors, but do you know how to deal with those hot coals once you finish cooking? Learn the safest ways to put out a charcoal grill, the equipment you need, and even what to do in case of a flare-up!
Food grilled over charcoal gets the best smoky flavor and makes for unforgettable BBQ parties. The aftermath is not as fun.
You’ll need to safely extinguish those still burning coals and clean the grill to have it ready for future use. Some methods, such as pouring water straight into the grill, are actually risky so keep reading to find out how to do it properly.
Why You Should Extinguish Your Charcoal Grill
Even if you’re not in a rush, it’s recommended you put out your charcoal grill as soon as possible.
There’s always a risk of flare-ups or burning nearby objects and allowing it to keep burning will consume additional fuel too.
Remember, coals burn very hot and they can take as long as 48 hours to cool down. Letting the coals burn unattended can endanger both people and pets, so it’s best to handle them right away.
Recommended Supplies
- Wire brush – Non metal brush is best due to wires breaking off.
- Heatproof BBQ gloves
- Metal spoon, spatula, or small shovel
- Aluminum foil
- Grill tongs – Look for heavy duty and longer ones so you don’t burn yourself.
- Heavy-duty metal bucket or trash can
How To Put Out A Charcoal Grill With A Lid
If your charcoal grill has a lid, it’s very easy to extinguish it. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- Make sure the grill is in a safe area, where pets and children can’t reach it.
- Close the lid and shut the air vents.
- Wait for 48 hours. The coals might cool down faster, but this is the only way to be 100% sure they are completely cool.
How To Put Out A Charcoal Grill Without A Lid
If your grill doesn’t have a lid, or you’re grilling over a fire pit, it’s still possible to extinguish the coals in a safe manner.
- Make sure the grill won’t be touched by children or pets. Move it in a safe area, if possible.
- Open the air vents.
- Allow the coals to burn down and cool for 48 hours.
- It might seem ridiculously simple, but patience is your best friend in this case.
Fastest Way To Put Out A Charcoal Grill (With Or Without A Lid)
If, for whatever reason, you can’t just wait for the coals to burn and cool off unattended, there are faster ways to put out a charcoal grill.
Be careful though, you will need to handle really hot coals so don’t skip the protective equipment!
Method 1 – Move it & smother it
Supplies you’ll need:
- Metal spoon, spatula, or small shovel
- Heatproof BBQ gloves
- High-quality metal trash can or bucket with a lid
Instructions:
- Take off the grates and anything else that prevents you from easily accessing the coals.
- Wearing heatproof gloves, use your metal spatula (or a handheld shovel) to move the hot coals into the metal trash can or bucket.
- Cover the trash can or bucket with a lid and place it in a safe area, out of reach for children and pets.
- Wait for 48 hours until the charcoal cools off completely.
Method 2 – Move it & extinguish it
This is undeniably the fastest method to put out a charcoal grill, but you will need to be extra careful. For this option, you will extinguish the coals using water in a different container.
Supplies you’ll need:
- Metal spoon, spatula, or small shovel
- Heatproof BBQ gloves
- Heavy-duty metal bucket or similar container
- Buckets of water or a hose
Instructions:
- Remove the grates so you can easily access the coals.
- With your heatproof gloves on, use the spatula or shovel to transfer the hot coals into the metal bucket.
- Move the bucket into a safe area where steam and smoke won’t affect anyone or anything.
- Using a bucket or a hose, slowly stream water on the coals. Maintain as much distance as possible between you and the bucket of hot coals. Hot steam will come out!
- Keep adding water until the coals are fully extinguished.
Can I Pour Water On My Charcoal Grill?
No, you shouldn’t spill water straight into your grill. You definitely can, but it’s risky in more than one way. Here are a few things that can happen if you pour water on your grill while the coals are still hot:
- The sudden change in heat can damage the cooker or even crack it.
- You can get serious burns from the sudden cloud of steam and hot ash.
- The bottom of your grill will be seriously muddied and tough to clean.
Disposing Of The Ash And Spent Charcoal
Once the used coals have cooled off completely, it’s time to dispose of them.
Just to be safe, always use a metal container to collect spent charcoal, even if it seems like it’s 100% cold.
- Prepare a piece of aluminum foil that’s large enough to hold all the ash and used coals.
- Try to remove as much ash as possible through the ash dump, if your grill has one.
- Then, using a metal scoop, spoon, or shovel, transfer the remaining ash and coals.
- If there are any unburned or half-burned coals, you can store them in a dry place or put them back in your grill for your next BBQ session.
- Wrap the ash and spent charcoal in the foil and dispose of them in a metal container.
Cleaning The Grill
Once the coals have been removed and the grill has completely cooled down, you can start the cleaning procedure.
- Remove the grates and use the grill brush to scrape off the debris. If you have cast iron grill grates, I recommend you use a plastic brush because the metal bristles can damage the surface of the grates.
- Depending on the state of your grill, you may need to use water and soap to remove the stuck-on bits.
- Rinse the grates thoroughly. If it’s cast iron, also wipe it. Cast iron is susceptible to rust, so air drying is not recommended.
- Scrub the rest of the grill and thoroughly clean around the vents.
- For cast iron grill grates, apply a thin layer of oil with a lint-free cloth to protect them against humidity and oxidation.
How To Prevent And Control Flare-ups On A Charcoal Grill
Fatty meats will have a lot of grease dripping onto the coals, which often lead to flare-ups.
It’s a good idea to have a spray bottle filled with clean water nearby. When you see a flare-up, you can spritz a little water on the coals causing it. Be stingy and spray water only in the flare-up area to avoid cooling the coals too much or burning yourself with steam.
To prevent flare-ups, you can set up a safe zone where you can quickly move the food away from the fire.
Another thing that can be helpful is to build a fire large enough for the amount of food you’re cooking. Overbuilding a fire will encourage flare-ups and it would also be a waste of fuel.
In case of a huge flare-up with no safe zone, transfer the food on a platter right away. Close the lid and vents to starve the flames of oxygen.
Don’t open the lid before looking through the vents to make sure the flames are actually out. If there’s lots of smoke coming out, you’ll need to wait a bit longer.
Opening the lid too soon will rush oxygen back in and can cause a flashback. Just to be on the safe side, start by opening it just a few inches and keep your face away from the opening.
More Grilling Resources
- Lump Charcoal vs. Briquettes
- How To Light Charcoal Without Lighter Fluid
- The Best Lump Charcoal For Grilling And Smoking
- The Best Grilling Cookbooks
F.A.Q.
The vents you see on most charcoal grills are there to help you regulate the air flow when grilling. If you close them partially, the fire doesn’t get as much oxygen and burns cooler.
When you need a stronger fire such as for quickly searing a steak, open them and the fire will burn hotter.
They are also useful when you’re trying to put down a flare-up. Close them completely along with the lid for the fire to die off.
Keep the lid open while you position and light the charcoal. Close it only after the coals are well lit.
The general recommendation is to use salvaged charcoal only one more time. Even then, you will need to mix it with some new coals to build a proper fire.
Jason’s been firing up the grill for over 30 years after graduating from the US Coast Guard Academy. His love of finely-grilled steak and chicken led him to buy his first Weber grill to put on his apartment patio in 1992. Each military move led to a new grill (a mixture of gas and charcoal) until he fell in love with the Big Green Egg in 2008. Since then, he has added another 4 grills to the collection. Yes, he has a problem. Jason loves smoking in the ceramic BGE with exotic woods including olive wood from Egypt and hard to find varieties such as sassafras and orange wood. Jason takes the term “foodie” to a whole new level, jumping at the chance to take food tours and cooking classes during foreign travels. These have provided inspiration to incorporate new ideas into recipes when he gets back home. He has been featured in Fox News, Parade, Yahoo News, Kansas City Living and more. After retiring from the military and moving to southwest Florida, he has focused grilling and smoking locally sourced meats and fish (read: he likes to catch his own fish!)
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