Crazy Thoughts about a Charcoal Storage Container.

motowfo · January 2016

I keep waking myself up at night thinking about a charcoal storage container that you could pour a bag of lump into and in the bottom there would be a screen and a little catch space for those small bits and dust. Maybe even a door at the bottom that would allow you to empty the scrap bits out without having to empty the entire container.

Has anyone seen anything like this?

Moto

GregW · January 2016

I haven't seen one. However I did make a screen to separate the smaller pieces of charcoal left in the bottom 1/4 of the bag. What I found out by running the charcoal through the screen was there was really nothing left down in the bottom of the bag that was large enough for me to use.
It was one of those things that sounded better than it actually worked out.

I was trying to screen out some Royal Oak that really must have had rough handling in transit to the store. I''m sure that had a lot to do with the screening failure.

RRP · January 2016

motowfo said:

I keep waking myself up at night thinking about a charcoal storage container that you could pour a bag of lump into and in the bottom there would be a screen and a little catch space for those small bits and dust. Maybe even a door at the bottom that would allow you to empty the scrap bits out without having to empty the entire container.

Has anyone seen anything like this?

Moto

I haven't seen one for a while - yet I haven't been looking either, but I'm positive that Rubbermaid used to make such a beast!

RRP · January 2016

Or start with this and modify:
http://www.organizeit.com/charcoal-storage-bin.asp

Carolina Q · January 2016

You wake up at night over this, huh? Seek professional help.

I store mine in the bag it came it. Dump load after load into my egg, dust and all. It ALL burns and NONE is ever wasted. There are no "scrap bits".

jtcBoynton · January 2016

You can use two 5 gallon plastic work buckets (with your favorite home supply logo on it). Drill some holes in the bottom of one and then stack them. Won't hold a full 20 pound bag at once. Some use this set up to filter used lump.

GregW · January 2016

Carolina Q said:

You wake up at night over this, huh? Seek professional help.

I store mine in the bag it came it. Dump load after load into my egg, dust and all. It ALL burns and NONE is ever wasted. There are no "scrap bits".

I have trouble getting the really high temps that I like for steaks if I use the small pieces and dust in the bottom of the bag.

HeavyG · January 2016

I use a few plastic storage boxes. Each one holds about a half a bag of lump (I think they are about a 5 gallon size).

All the fines just settle to the bottom after a few quick shakes.

I use a scoop whenever I need to remove lump and never really have a problem with any fines leaving the storage box.

Thatgrimguy · January 2016

You could use something like that plastic ceiling tile stuff. I have thought about building something like this too. But I started buying large amounts of Rockwood and don't have enough dust to care anymore.

(http://www.homedepot.com/p/Plaskolite-4-ft-x-2-ft-Suspended-Light-Ceiling-Panel-1199233A/202025149)

LRW · January 2016

Why waste time screening lump. That's what the bottom of the bag is for.

DoubleEgger · January 2016

Might I suggest...

Shiff · January 2016

Carolina Q said:

I store mine in the bag it came it. Dump load after load into my egg, dust and all. It ALL burns and NONE is ever wasted. There are no "scrap bits".

I agree. Everything in the bag gets used on my BGE. Once in a while a bag will have a lot of powder at the bottom. If it seems like too much, I just leave some of it in my Kingsford charcoal container for my next cook. The small pieces cook just fine.

motowfo · January 2016

You guys are awesome... still gonna think about this... I believe a couple of pieces of plywood and some chicken wire might just make this happen!

lwrehm · January 2016

2 5 gallon buckets, one with the bottom cut out and replaces with expanded metal. Best of all it was free, just had the parts laying around the garage.

saluki2007 · January 2016

I dont seem to have trouble with the small bits and dust, but I usually try to put that on top and let it burn with the rest.

Legume · January 2016

I say go all out. Start with one of these, rig up
your screen and set the whole thing right over your egg so you can just fill it through the top.

slovelad · January 2016

I imagine it being like a giant frying tupaware. Where you put he fish fry in the bottom, shake violently. And then all the fish fry settles back to the bottom

Doc_Eggerton · January 2016

I wake up thinking about recipes, but never lump. I have the perfect container, the one it came in.

Not snark, just ribbing you

YukonRon · January 2016

I will admit I sleep very little. The lack of slumber is not due to the issue of the storage of lump, in a manner to which a container will multi task, as a charcoal separator.
I dump the entire bag into a storage bin.
Darwinism ensures the fines and powder gravitate to the bottom. When the usable lump is depleted from the bin, I dump the bin into the refuse container. The fines and dust help control odors associated with the large plastic herbie curbie, especially in the summer, after our shrimp boils.

Toxarch · January 2016

First world problems.

Jupiter Jim · January 2016

Back when I first started egging I sorted lump but quickly gave it up for more funner thing in life! Now when I get to the bottom of the bag I will cut the bag down and just grab the good pieces and toss all the fines, some times I dump the bottom of the bag in a 24 soda can cardboard flat and pick out the good pieces.

Jupiter Jim · January 2016

Back when I first started egging I sorted lump but quickly gave it up for more funner things in life! Now when I get to the bottom of the bag I will cut the bag down and just grab the good pieces and toss all the fines, some times I dump the bottom of the bag in a 24 soda can cardboard flat and pick out the good pieces.

EGGcellent_Smithers · January 2016

How about a 5-gallon plastic bucket with a GritGuard at the bottom? That would let the smaller pieces and dust settle. Pick the bigger pieces out to use on the Egg.

http://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-IAI503-Guard-Insert/dp/B00ABYVTZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453909565&sr=8-1&keywords=grit+guard

yumdinger · January 2016

I made my own, exactly the way you described it 3 years ago. like to leave my lump outside next to my egg. It is just more convenient for me. I used the bag dump for a while but got sick of all the dust blowing all over when I dumped. I wanted to clean it up a bit so folks on the deck didn't turn into coal miners.

The Dog food store had a special, buy 2 bags of food and get a free container. I was a simple green plastic container 30" tall or so with a snap on lid. I use that container which fits about 10lbs of lump. I bought some chicken wire (mesh ) from the hardware store. I shaped it to fit in the bottom leaving a 2" lip. The lip (bent the chicken wire downward) provided perimeter support for the chicken wire but also created the 2" depth i wanted for the dust to fall into.

The chicken wire itself didn't provide enough support so I grabbed a few nuts and carriage bolts that fit through he chicken wire. I used them as supports, I think I have 3 bolt legs through the mesh that now serve as legs for the mesh.
It works great so don't lose anymore sleep over it!
Go find a container that works and grab some mesh. 5 minute project.

RRP · January 2016

Jupiter Jim said:

I dump the bottom of the bag in a 24 soda can cardboard flat and pick out the good pieces.

Yo, Jim...every time I get near the end I dump the bag in to a collector bag, after I get a little I bump it all into the hardware cloth sifter I made and then bump the good stuff into the coal bucket!

Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/Ronald44/IMG_0140.jpg

henapple · January 2016

Dump and go....

I

fishlessman · January 2016

next thing you know your awake in bed thinking, what to do with all the charcoal dust

i solved that problem with just dumping and burning, i sleep well at night

Canugghead · January 2016

saluki2007 said:

I dont seem to have trouble with the small bits and dust, but I usually try to put that on top and let it burn with the rest.

+1

DaveRichardson · January 2016

If you've got the plywood laying around, build a small cabinet and make the charcoal bin where it is hinged and tips out like an old Hoosier cabinet and its flour bin. Drill out a couple of large holes and fasten expanded metal screen to the bottom of the box so it dumps into a drawer.

Good idea! I like it!

MelSharples · January 2016

I bought 2 identical large plastic bins from target, maybe $8 each, and 1 locking lid. I drilled several holes (large and small) in the bottom of one and stacked it inside the other. I pour a bag of lump in, pick up the inner bin and give it a few good shakes. I am left with relatively dust free charcoal in the top bin and a bunch of charcoal dust in the bottom bin. I have thought of trying to add a cut out area with a screen of some kind in the bottom that would further allow the passing of small particle and dust but I haven't put that into action yet.

GregW · January 2016

I have a chiminea that gets all the charcoal unfit for the egg.

Crazy Thoughts about a Charcoal Storage Container.

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