Charcoal question help

NoDak1959

Does most of the charcoal burn down and turn to ash? After a cook some of the larger pieces turn white on the outside but is still black inside. Is this charcoal still OK to reuse? Want to do a long cook for a butt and don't want the thing to die out overnight.

Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.

 

MrCookingNurse

I always reuse what's left UNLESS I am doing a long low and slow, then it takes some experience to know what I save and when to start a new. Also gotta pay attention to lump when you wanna get it hot for pizza or something. Not as big a deal but without the fuel it aint getting over 500. Simple rule I use is before a long low and slow I just clean it out and start new. I have put the stuff your talking about in a bucket to save and use later just being cheap.

Happy egging!!

canegger

The white on the outside is just ash on the pieces it is fine to use and will still burn. When you snuff it out the coal will go out and have a layer of ash and will be fine for the next cook

henapple

If there's anything left in the glass, finish it.

NoDak1959

Thanks again all. Yeah I'm kinda cheap too. I mean why through it out when can be used for shorter duration cook. On the other I just got a Cyber Q for temp monitoring hoping I can sleep rather than monitor all night.I'll just reload for the butt cook.:)

MrCookingNurse

Wel you failed to mention that boss man! Still need to get your lump and fire straight but you should sleep like a baby! Hopefully not a baby that's teething, mines up all night!

Charlie tuna

I bought a bag of Lump from Sam's Club, "Best Of The West", cost $11.78 for a 20 pound bag.  Opened it up and it was much different than the Royal Oak i have been using.  It was mostly made from raw tree limbs.  One in particular was a limb about six inches in diameter and twelve inches long.  I bult that into my first load of this new lump as it was combined with the old left over lump from previous cooks.  The next time i went to cook and removed my plate setter to add lump, there sat the unburnt tree limb looked exactly like when i put it in??  I tried two more cooks and this limb didn't show any signs of burning.  I thru the balance of Sam's Club's lump in the garbage!!  And i have noticed they aren't sell much of it in the store, only the first pallet sold quickly.  Didn't take long for people to realize it was junk.