Do you reuse your coals?


 
B

Brian Lieder

TVWBB Member
Just getting used to my weber performer and loving all of it. I use the baskets for coals, and have been leaving my burned coals from the last cook in the baskets and placing new coals over them (maybe a 30% used, 70% new ratio). i give the baskets a little shake to get the real small pieces out, leaving the bigger ones, then add the new.

Is this a bad idea? I noticed that one of my baskets wasn't glowing very well on my last cook, and i think that's the cause. Just wondering if anyone else does this, or if most people empty their baskets and start fresh.
 
I definitely reuse some but its easy to get lazy about that with all the KBB sales. Typically if I'm starting what I know will be a long cook like a brisket or butt I'll use fresh. If I'm just grilling burgers or something I might used mostly used. The problem is that if you get pieces that are too small you won't get air flow and it takes longer to start in a chimney.
 
Brian Lieder said:
Just getting used to my weber performer and loving all of it. I use the baskets for coals, and have been leaving my burned coals from the last cook in the baskets and placing new coals over them (maybe a 30% used, 70% new ratio). i give the baskets a little shake to get the real small pieces out, leaving the bigger ones, then add the new.

Is this a bad idea? I noticed that one of my baskets wasn't glowing very well on my last cook, and i think that's the cause. Just wondering if anyone else does this, or if most people empty their baskets and start fresh.
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You can reuse but i find putting fresh on bottom and putting old on top lights better. I usually do it in a chimney and use my gas assist to light.

Yesterday my chimney wasn't within arms reach (left in garage) so i just used baskets over gas assist with fresh coal over old and it was a mistake. Fire didn't catch the way it should have and cook took too long. My fault for being lazy and not using the chimney.
 
I do it all the time, shake the baskets so the ash falls off, then dump a load of fresh burning coals out the chimney on top and away I go...
 
This is the technique I use with old coals in Weber charcoal baskets:

When done with a cook just shut all vents to extinguish the coals. Then the next time you're going to cook, move the half circle baskets together to form a circle, grip them in the middle with one hand and lift all the old coals out of the kettle with ease. Still using only that hand, shake and/or bang the baskets on top of a garbage can to dislodge the white ash from the remaining coals.

At that point there's two methods I use. For a longer and/or indirect cook, return the baskets with the used coals to the kettle and dump a layer of freshly lit coals on top for the Minion method. For a high heat direct cook put some fresh, unlit coals in the bottom of a charcoal chimney and dump the left over coals out of the baskets on top of those & fire up the chimney.
 
Lotsa good feedback here. I think ill start putting fresh on the bottom to get things going easier, and also be more concious of the size of the lumps in the baskets. I would put small chunks of lump in the basket to fill it out, thinking it would get things going faster, but now I think it's killing the basket by blocking the air. It's all learning....
 
I probably should be using leftover coals but I never do. I usually let my coals get everything real hot so I can clean easier.
 
I take any unused coals and put them in a container in my garage and reuse them for high heat cooks like chicken where temp control is not as imperative as a long cook like brisket or pork butt.
 
I have a metal bucket with a lid that I use to save my leftovers (after the coals are extinguished and cold) for use in grilling, but I almost always start my long smokes with new.

The exception is any decent-sized leftover pieces of lump, which count as new.
 
Always reuse. I have multiple charcoal baskets, so I shake out the ash, pour a layer of fresh lit in an empty basket, then dump the used pieces on top. Always good enough for anything under an hour. If I need to jack up the heat for steak or burgers, I'll add a few pieces of fresh lump on top.
 
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