What do you do with the leftover lit coals in your smoker?


 
S

Seth Boardman

TVWBB Fan
So usually I just open the vents completely after my cook and just let whatever is in there completely burn out. Is there a way to put the coals out and reuse them for the next cook? I feel like it's kind of a waste just to let them keep burning after the cook. I don't have a ton usually but still a bit wasteful.
 
I do the same.

In addition to saving fuel for the next cook, doing this also means you can start every cook (regardless of expected duration) with a completely full load. So you'll only run out of fuel on the very longest of cooks.
 
I also close down the vents so the unburnt is saved. I prefer the burn consistency of fresh fuel for smoking so I transfer the partially used fuel to my Performer and use it there
 
I generally will reuse them once in my kettle and depending on what I'm cooking in the WSM. If it's an expensive brisket I'm typically going to use all new charcoal. If I'm cooking a nice steak I use all new charcoal.
 
After I cook, I shut all the vents down and let it die by suffocation. Once it is 100% out (I usually wait until the next day), I preload my chimney starter. Hint: put several NEW, UNBURNED briquets at the bottom of the starter before you start piling on the used stuff from the bottom of the smoker. If you put the old ones in first, there won't be enough airflow around the briquets to get it going.
 
I’m with Dustin and Tracy, shut the vents completely and use the old coals in the kettle for the next run there. I rarely use a full load of fresh coal in the kettle ever anymore. It’s one of the beauties of being able to shut everything down. It just works! It’s easy to simply fill the WSM with fresh every time and KNOW what’s there. The kettle is more “flexible” with using a combination of fresh and “old” coals.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I’m with Dustin and Tracy, shut the vents completely and use the old coals in the kettle for the next run there. I rarely use a full load of fresh coal in the kettle ever anymore. It’s one of the beauties of being able to shut everything down. It just works! It’s easy to simply fill the WSM with fresh every time and KNOW what’s there. The kettle is more “flexible” with using a combination of fresh and “old” coals.
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Hot dogs and burgers, and even chicken, cook just fine over recycled charcoal. I have a metal bucket in which I store my used briquettes; as long as I can pick up a piece of charcoal without it disintegrating I consider it fair game to be reused in the kettle. And the WSM always gets loaded with new briquettes (or recycled lump, which is just like new only smaller).
 
Larry D. said:
Hot dogs and burgers, and even chicken, cook just fine over recycled charcoal. I have a metal bucket in which I store my used briquettes; as long as I can pick up a piece of charcoal without it disintegrating I consider it fair game to be reused in the kettle. And the WSM always gets loaded with new briquettes (or recycled lump, which is just like new only smaller).
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You work harder than I do! I shake the charcoal ring, that which does not fall through, goes to the kettle baskets then, I shake those, about 1/3 chimney of fresh coal, top it off with the old, touch it off and it’s time to cook!
Anything will cook just fine, use your coal twice, don’t waste tons of new stock.
 
shut down the vents then I empty the left over coal from the wsm into a metal bucket with a lid, use it in the kettle on the next cook....I cook the entire meal on the kettle like putting bake potatoes on first then the meat ...any residual grease drippings in the coal get burned off before the meat goes on
 
Seth Boardman said:
So usually I just open the vents completely after my cook and just let whatever is in there completely burn out. Is there a way to put the coals out and reuse them for the next cook? I feel like it's kind of a waste just to let them keep burning after the cook. I don't have a ton usually but still a bit wasteful.
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Jumping on the “shut it down” and “re-use ‘em” bandwagon from the WSM to the performer. Matter of fact, I re-use the leftover charcoal from the performer cooks for future performer cooks. No charcoal waste here!
 
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I take them out of the smoker and use them to light the fire pit so we can have s'mores! Kids love it and means that no coals are wasted.
 
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