Can you reuse charcoal in a grill or smoker is a question I asked myself and to answer it I did a lot of testing and here you can read the results of my tests.
I don’t mind spending money but I don’t like to waste money. Letting my charcoal just burn out slowly after grilling made me think I was wasting money.
I found out I was until I figured out how to reuse charcoal in my grill and smoker.
“Can You Reuse Charcoal? My short answer to the question can you reuse charcoal, and save money is YES. But there are some things to take into consideration.”
Why Do You Have Charcoal Left After Grilling?
The problem with a charcoal grill is that to maintain the temperature while you cook you need a lot of charcoal and most of the time I had a hot bed of coals left after you are done with your grilling.
“Charcoal is not cheap so you have to think how to reuse old charcoal in a grill and save money.”
My first tip is to read my extended article on how to put out a charcoal grill after grilling so you have as much charcoal left as possible to reuse.
“In short: My way of doing this is to starve the fire from oxygen by shutting the vents.”
Now you have cooled off charcoal but it is still covered in a thin layer of ashes that have to be shacked off first. I just do this by shaking my Weber charcoal baskets I most of the time use in my grill.
In my post about how to make a 55-gallon drum smoker, I wrote that I use the Hunsaker Vortex charcoal basket and I take it out of my UDS and shake off the ashes in the back of my yard.
My Experience With Reusing Charcoal
I have experimented with several ways to reuse charcoal to save some money and here are my findings.
Reusing Charcoal For Grilling.
I have had no success with reusing charcoal briquettes in my grill. The reason is, in my opinion, that the leftover charcoal is not 100% charcoal anymore because it is pretty hot the first time used.
One important thing to do is to read my article on how to put out a charcoal grill so the charcoal cools as fast as possible and stops burning or even smoldering.
So it can not burn so hot that it reaches the right temperature of around 350 – 400 °F (176 – 204°C) needed for grilling.
I had better results with lump charcoal and I guess the reason is that this is a more natural product and not made from pressed wood.
Even when I added it to fresh charcoal briquettes after my grill was hot the temperature dropped very fast once the “Old” charcoal was burning.
However, yes you can put new charcoal on top of old and get the fire going again.
I noticed that used charcoal briquettes absorb moisture faster than new charcoal. For that reason, you must know how to store charcoal the right way.
Reusing Charcoal For Smoking
I have had better success with reusing charcoal briquettes in my smoker. The reason is, in my opinion, that by using it for low and slow the charcoal that is left will still give off enough heat for my 225 to 250°F (107 – 121°C) for smoking.
I also noticed that I still have to mix it with “fresh” charcoal or else I would get some wild temperature swings in my smoker.
The charcoal will of course stop burning faster in a smoker after turning the vents off because the heat is a lot lower than in a grill.
In a smoker, the charcoal is more smoldering and not so much burning.
Can You Reuse Charcoal For Grilling Or Smoking – My Experience
I would not suggest reusing charcoal briquettes for use again in a charcoal grill for grilling but when used in moderation you can use it for low and slow in a smoker.
Lump charcoal is a better option to be reused in a grill.
The most effective way to use and reuse lump charcoal is when you are using a Kamado-type grill.
That does not mean that charcoal is a total waste after grilling. There are enough other things you can do with charcoal after grilling that can benefit you in a different way.
How Many Times Can You Reuse Charcoal?
I also tried to answer the question of how many times can you reuse partially burned charcoal and my experience is that even in a smoker it is best to reuse it only one time.
After this one time, you really have to dump it and not use it again.
After trying to use it again I had too many temperature fluctuations that I could only contribute to the old charcoal.
There is however a difference between briquettes and lump charcoal as you can read in the frequently asked question section below.
Have you got any tips or ideas to add to this article? Feel free to leave it in the comments.
FAQ About Reusing Charcoal
Q: How many times can you reuse charcoal?
A: In my testing, I found that you can reuse charcoal 2 times.
Q: Can you reuse charcoal briquettes?
A: Yes, you can reuse charcoal briquettes but they will not generate as much heat as the first time.
Q: Can you reuse Lump Charcoal?
A: Yes, you can reuse lump charcoal multiple times since it will keep giving the same amount of heat as the first time.
Q: Can you reuse wet charcoal?
A: Charcoal briquettes absorb moisture and can not be reused. Wet lump Charcoal can be reused.
For more tips and how to get started with charcoal grilling, I suggest you read my How To Use A Charcoal Grill article in more in-depth tips.
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Eddie van Aken
Eddie van Aken brings years of experience from running a full-service restaurant, where he honed his skills with all types of kitchen equipment. His expertise extends to mastering the art of outdoor cooking, utilizing the right recipes to enhance flavors on grills and smokers. Eddie’s in-depth knowledge allows him to provide comprehensive grill reviews and valuable outdoor cooking tips, helping enthusiasts make the most of their grilling adventures. You can read more on the About page for Eddie van Aken