I'm a bonehead


 
A

adam clyde

TVWBB Pro
or just lazy...

I did some grilling the other night... left the charcoal out and, yup, it rained. Hard.

Bag was soaked. I know charcoal burns much cooler if wet... is there any hope in salvaging it? I'd hate to lose 30+ pounds of kinsford. Can I dry the stuff out if I lay it out on a hot sunny day, or is it forever lost, once wet?

Thoughts?
 
I think I would try drying as you suggested. However, I would then reserve it for direct grilling where my coals are very hot or use it in my chimney for starter coals. The problem you might have in using it as your primarly fuel in the WSM is that it might snuff out on you during a long cook and cause you a major hassle.

Paul
 
I agree with Paul. I've tried damp charcoal (primarily via humidity) in the past and I had a hard time getting the WSM up to 225. It hovered around 160, 170 for a while and required fully opening all vents to get it past 200. It then tended to drift lower and lower during the cook. You definitely do not want to use it on an overnighter (unless you don't like to sleep). It worked better for direct grilling on a kettle via a chimney starter.
 
Where do you guys yusually store your charcoal??? I was thinking down in my basement. Any suggestions?
 
I keep mine in the garage propped up on some wood so that it doesn't sit directly on the concrete. I do that just in case the concrete gets wet from parking the car in the garage after it has been out in the rain. As for the basement, it really depends how damp it is. If it is fairly dry, that should be fine. If it is damp, that could eventually work its way into the charcoal. At a minimum, keep the bag closely shut and propped up on something if you have a leaky basement.
 
I keep mine in a workshop/storage area which has a concrete floor. I have a couple of boards on the floor so the unopened bags aren't sitting on concrete. After opening, I store that bag in the same area but in a plastic garbage can that has a latching top. Haven't had a problem so far. Sometimes I take a kitchen draw string trash bag and put the bags in them. That really is better but I often don't get around to doing it.

Paul
 
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When I buy charcoal on sale I buy a lot of it. Usually from Home Depot or Menards. I visit the plastic bag area and pick up some plastic construction garbage bags. They are heavier and bigger than regular garbage bags. I place my bags of charcoal in these and wire the top closed. The bags are heavy enough to be used several times. Keeps them dry regardless of rain or snow (leaky garage roof).
 
I think everyone has done this at least once. You could try drying it but its probably not going to burn the same, mine didnt. Either give it plenty of drying time and use it in a kettle or toss it. Charcoal is cheap enough.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by paul h:
Where do you guys yusually store your charcoal??? I was thinking down in my basement. Any suggestions? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Paul H - As you can read above, I store my charcoal outside, uncovered in the driving rain.

smart.

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Well, not that I've done this...
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I saved the charcoal into another container (see below) and mix it about 1/4 - 1/3 with fresh charcoal. It will sputter, spark, spit, and fly, so be *very* careful. I used it on the bottom of a Minion method -- with the idea that the fresh will dry it out. Lost some temps at the end of the cook, but kept it over 215. Generally found that if I put it in the top-end of a chimney for grilling, it worked best.

I went to an Ace Hardware that had a grand opening. They had the 33 gallon Rubbermaid trash cans with lids @ 2/$7. I bought 4 and store my briqs, smoke wood, Weber starters, and other items in them. They seal quite tightly and have stood up to the Arizona monsoons, keeping everything bone dry. This allows me to keep them outside and save the garage for all the junk I seem to collect.
 
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