Saving unused coals after minion method


 
G

Grant Narita

TVWBB Fan
Hello everyone,

Just finished my first WSM adventure. One question I have is, after I am done, if there are still some unlit coals in the pan after using the minion method, can I just keep them there until the next time I use the smoker? Or does keeping them in the pan for a week or two have some negative effect on the coals when you try to re-use them? Like they don't light as quickly or last as long... Thanks for your help.
 
If I am going to be using the WSM within a few days, then I just knock the ash through and reuse the unlit coals left. If longer than a few days, I tend to either bag them up and use them on my Compact indirect or throw them away (especially if the weather has been damp or humid).
 
I pull mine and put them in zip lock bags and use them in my performer at the next cook.
 
I leave them in the cooker, knock the ashes off, and reuse them on the next cook. A lot of folks wire the charcoal ring to the charcoal grate to shake the ash away for reuse. I just shake the ring.
 
I regularly reuse coals, and fashioned a basket out of hardware cloth to hold them in an old galvanized bucket that I leave outdoors overnight just to be sure they're all out. reused coals light just fine, in my humble opinion.
 
I also reuse my coals. After I let the smoker sit with vents closed overnight, I put on my gloves and 'stir' the coals with my hand to get the ash off. I then put them in the zip lock bag, in my Homer bucket in the garage for use next time. Only reuse them 'once' before I leave the smoker vents open to burn them to ash.

Dave
 
I put my unused coals in a small mettle trash can and use them in the chimney for the next Q.

Mark
 
I shake off the ash and use them - to a point. If I'm going to do a long cook like pork butts, I'll take a long look at the old coals and if they look spent, I'll dump and use all fresh. It's a judgement call and something you can't really describe, but at some point the old coals kind of break down and the pile is very small and it's just not worth keeping. Since I always fill up the ring, if I do a short cook (ribs), there will a lot left over and it will be in good shape. I'll use that for sure. Since I store my WSM inside my garage, I don't worry about how long it is between cooks. As long as charcoal stays dry, it will burn.
 
After the cook is over and the smoker has cooled down (often the next day), I put the used coals in an 18.5" grill. I then re-use them in my grills. I have found that a couple of layers of new coals in the chimney with the re-used coals on top work best.

I use NOTHING but new briqs in the smoker (they are more consistent and I LIKE consistency in long smokes).

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
Waste not, want not. I have never let a single piece of charcoal go to waste. After each smoke, I simply close all vents and let the WSM sit and cool overnight. The next day I remove the charcoal ring and shake the bottom rack until all of the ash and smaller pieces have fallen through to the bottom and dispose of them in the garbage. I then replace the ring with all of the unused coals inside, re-assemble the WSM, open all the vents (the airflow keeps mold and mildew from forming), and put the canvas cover on (not the rubberized plastic one Weber provides). The WSM and the leftover coals are now ready for the next smoke.
 
I close all four vents once I am done cooking. Within about an hour, my WSM bowl is barely warm to the touch and I cover her up. Next time I go to smoke, I shake my coal basket to get the ash out, scoop the ash out of the bowl if needed, rake the older coals to the outside, and refill the charcoal basket with new on top / in the middle.
 
Ron A said:
The next day I remove the charcoal ring and shake the bottom rack until all of the ash and smaller pieces have fallen through to the bottom and dispose of them in the garbage.
Click to expand...

^^^This^^^ is a fire waiting to happen. I don't want to criticize and I'm sure this has worked well for Ron, but "The next day" is too soon to put charcoal in the garbage unless the garbage can is a metal can. Charcoal can be smoldering for a long time and restart even after a day. Sure, it's not common, but it's a known risk. Be careful.

Personally, I always put my spent charcoal and ash in a metal can and wait several days before I put it in the garbage. Further, I only put it in the garbage bag the day that I take it to the street. I would never put it in my daily (plastic) garbage can that I have in my garage. I've been told I'm anal, but with fire, I'll take the criticism and keep my house.
 
This is how I wired my 14.5 to the grate, did the same for the 22.5, used some copper wire

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I reuse as well. I close all the vents and let it cool. I'll grab the water pan later in the day but let the coals go for the next day. Following day I use a kitty litter scooper to scoop and shake the coals. Store those in a Home Depot bucket for the next smoke or for use in the kettle.
 
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