Charcoal Ashes

[Rusty James]

Is this stuff safe to spread out on the lawn, or would it be better to dispose of it in the trash?

I usually sling the stuff as far as I can throw it, or put it in the flower bed.

I remember years ago, as a child, when the neighbors had ash piles in their yards from burning coal and wood. I live in old construction, and the tree roots in one spot are pushing up old slag piles out of the earth. Makes me wonder if something valuable is down there.

I even found an old WWII newspaper under the floor years ago.

 

[Chris Allingham]

Most of us dispose of ashes in the garbage.

From a recent newsletter article I wrote:

"Many gardening websites caution against using ashes from briquets because they may contain ingredients other than wood ash. Of course, this depends on the brand of briquets you use. Some brands are just wood char and a starch binder, and the ashes from these should be OK for the garden. Ashes from lump charcoal contain only wood ash and can certainly go into the garden.

"The real question is how much wood ash can be used without messing up the composition of your soil? Most gardening sites say to use it sparingly because it is highly alkaline and unless you've got highly acidic soil and you're trying to counter-balance that, you can do more harm than good by adding wood ash.

"To be safe, I recommend that you consult a garden center, a master gardener or a university cooperative extension that is familiar with your local soil conditions to see if using wood ash is a good idea."

 

[Jake Wilson]

"To be safe, I recommend that you consult a garden center, a master gardener or a university cooperative extension that is familiar with your local soil conditions to see if using wood ash is a good idea."

~~~our county cooperative extension service offers a free PH soil check. all they ask is that the soil you bring them has been dried and sifted free of debris like pebbles and rock, so what I'll do is to sift the soil from various parts of my garden by using a window screen from the garage, let the soil dry out in the sun on cardboard then bring to them in a bag. they only need a few ounces

as to what I do with my KBB ash from the grill and smokers...I usually toss it into one of two garden areas I have, both of which are 5 K feet each (50" X 100"). both gardens have been fallow th4e pqast couple years as I've been too lazy to grow anything, other than weeds<LOL>

that's gonna change though...Mrs. jake wants me to grow collards this winter so I'll till part of one garden, after I mow down the weeds I let get out of hand over the summer

 

[Rusty James]

I noticed that Kingsford uses anthracite coal in their briquettes, and it got me to thinking about coal ash ponds in the area. Duke Power had one such pond to breach and leak into a nearby river causing much concern. Another coal ash location has potentially polluted ground water in some communities.

Maybe the kind of coal used in steam-fired coal plants is not the same type used in Kingsford charcoal, but it made me wonder.

 

[Nate H]

So is kbb a concern about cooking with?

 

[Jake Wilson]

So is kbb a concern about cooking with?

~~~it's all I cook with

 

[Rusty James]

So is kbb a concern about cooking with?

Good question. It deserves some research.

 

[Rusty James]

Good question. It deserves some research.

I don't think Kingsford uses much coal in their product, but here is some info I pulled up at a site that sells heaters...


Key Attributes of Using Anthracite Coal

• All Anthracite Coal used in the U.S. is produced in the Northeast Region by American workers.
• It’s currently the most abundant and economical fossil fuel available on the earth.
• It burns at the highest level of BTUs of all fossil fuels, 25 million BTUs of heat per ton.
• It’s very low in sulfur and volatile content compared to other competing fuels.
• It’s primarily mined on the surface, retrieving coal that was abandoned from deep mines underground by drag-line shovels, better known as strip mining.
• All Strip Mining Land is reclaimed and filled, and regulated by the government.
• Environmentally Sound, Anthracite coal is a full-cycle resource. Burn it for heat, use the ashes for acetic landfill and crop fertilizers.
• Safety – It is the safest fuel to use, maintain & burn, using low maintenance and self-serviceable burners. There are no concerns of chimney fires, leaking fuels or gases and is safely stored for extended periods.

Sounds like a good choice considering how Kingsford's briquette making process eliminates a lot of unwanted byproducts anyway.

 

[Brad Olson]

I find that rodent (gopher, chipmunk, groundhog, etc.) burrows are handy for ash disposal...

 

[Rusty James]

I find that rodent (gopher, chipmunk, groundhog, etc.) burrows are handy for ash disposal...

Only chipmunks around here (and a few moles).

Good suggestion, though.

 

[Craig Wallace]

My ashes go in the garbage a couple days after sitting in a metal bucket to make sure they're extinguished. We have those trash trucks with automatic off loaders; after a busy cooking weekend, they dump my can and clouds of coal ash usually plum from the trash truck bin. I'm sure they love me because it flows right into their windows each time. Obviously, I do not think the ashes should be dumped in the yard.

I market fly ash from coal burning power plants for one of the nations largest distributors and needless to say, the EPA has a plethora of lows regarding ash disposal. If one of your neighbors decides to photograph you in action, you may have a mini super fund clean up project happening right in your back yard.

 

[Robert McGee]

My ashes go in a steel garbage can (dedicated to ash) for several days to insure the ashes are "dead", then put in a garbage bag for disposal to the garbage truck.

Dale53

 

[Steven Paul]

I dispose of mine in accordance with local regulations.

(I was only kidding when I said I threw it in a neighbor's yard whom I didn't like. ..mostly)

 

[Ed M.]

I make sure my ashes are fully extinguished and save them in a bucket. We have two wiener dogs who expel a fair amount of excrement. I pick up "said" excrement and put that in a garbage bag lined bucket and spread the ashes over the "poo" to help keep down the odor and get rid of the mess on garbage day. I've heard that charcoal ashes do not make the best of fertilizer.

Not sure if that is true, but it does work for my above stated use, so that is what we do. YMMV.

 

[V_Rocco]

I throw it in the gardens. I have the world's largest tomatoes. I hope it's not the radioactive waste (from the Jalapenos) causing that!

 

[Rusty James]

My ashes go in the garbage a couple days after sitting in a metal bucket to make sure they're extinguished. We have those trash trucks with automatic off loaders; after a busy cooking weekend, they dump my can and clouds of coal ash usually plum from the trash truck bin. I'm sure they love me because it flows right into their windows each time. Obviously, I do not think the ashes should be dumped in the yard.

That is hilarious.

Maybe I should try that, lol.

I market fly ash from coal burning power plants for one of the nations largest distributors and needless to say, the EPA has a plethora of lows regarding ash disposal. If one of your neighbors decides to photograph you in action, you may have a mini super fund clean up project happening right in your back yard.

Ah, well, not in these parts.

Most folks around here are old school - thank God.

 

[Craig Wallace]

I throw it in the gardens. I have the world's largest tomatoes. I hope it's not the radioactive waste (from the Jalapenos) causing that!

You'd get more radioactive exposure on a domestic flight at 30K feet versus burnt briquettes or coal ash.

 

[timothy]

I like my garbage guys and respect a working man's environment, so any ash goes in the doggy do-do bucket just like Ed M.
If you don't like using plastic bags, use & recycle your empty charcoal bags ( just fill and roll em up tight and cinch with duct tape )
I do the same with sawdust or drywall dust from my shop-vac.

Tim

 

[Sean R]

If its just wood, or quality lump...

Back in the days when the you had villages and bakers, the ash from the ovens were a sought after commodity used as fertilizer.

Now... especially with briquettes... I probably just wouldn't. To many random chemicals, not worth it and not worth studying to find out if its OK.
I suppose you could just call the manufacturer... Though I bet most would say no just for liability.

I'll +1 the dog poop comment. I have a small trashcan outside I throw all the cleanup from my dog in. That thing was brutal when I just used propane. When I got charcoal grills, I started dumping the ash in there and its been night and day better ever since.