Charcoal Ash: Safe Handling and Disposal

How long charcoal ash stays hot, how to put it out, and how to dispose of it from a collapsible grill safely.

Ash looks dead long before it is. Buried embers can stay hot for many hours, and hot ash in a trash can or plastic bin starts fires.

The safe way

1. Let the coals burn out in the grill.
2. Where water is available and allowed, drown the ash and stir. Repeat until cold to the touch.
3. Otherwise wait until it's completely cold.
4. Transfer to a metal can with a tight lid.
5. Dispose of it where the campground, park or local rules say.

Never

• Never dump hot ash on grass, in a trash can or near a vehicle.
• Never pack a warm grill into a car.
• Never bury hot coals; they can smolder underground.

Empty ash before every cook, too: built-up ash chokes airflow, as covered in airflow.

The one-minute care habit

Most carbon steel problems come from skipping the last minute of a cook. After the grill cools, scrape the grates, empty the ash, and wipe a whisper-thin coat of oil or Seasoning Balm on the cooking surfaces. Store it dry. That habit is the difference between a grill that darkens into a slick patina and one that shows orange freckles every spring. If freckles do show up, it's not a disaster: see surface rust.

Mistakes new flat pack owners make

1. Too much charcoal. A small firebox gets very hot. Start with half a chimney and add.
2. No cool zone. Without an empty end, a flare-up has nowhere to go.
3. Cooking on black coals. Wait for gray ash.
4. Old ash left in. It blocks airflow; empty it before every cook.
5. Heavy oil when seasoning. Thin coats cure; thick coats turn gummy.
6. Packing it warm. Wait until steel and ash are cold, every time.

Fire safety on any collapsible grill

• Outdoors only. Burning charcoal makes carbon monoxide, which you can't see or smell. Never use it in a garage, tent, camper, vehicle, boat cabin or under a roof or awning.
• Non-combustible, level ground. Soil, gravel, sand, concrete, pavers or a fire-safe pad.
• Clearance. Away from walls, vehicles, tents, overhanging branches and dry grass. Kids and pets kept back.
• Seated tabs. Check every tab is fully in its slot before you add fuel.
• Water and gloves at hand. Hot steel looks exactly like cold steel.
• Leave it alone until cold. Don't move or take apart a lit or warm grill.

Questions people ask