Lump Coal Storage

blukat

Looking to get something to store my lump coal outdoors close to my egg.  Any rain proof recommendations?

apinion

I use a rubbermaid locking lid tote type container. Its large, but I'm slowly outgrowing it.

Raymont

+1

mwatts

+1

DoubleEgger

This is what I use to store lump and chunks. A 20lb bag of lump will fit in it standing up. I use the bin to sort through the lump instead of dumping it in directly. It's by Rubbermaid and I got it a HD or Lowes. I don't remember. 

Ladeback69

I just use a 33 gallon trash can from Lowes. I used to dump it into the can, but now after dumping some in the egg I just put the bag in the can with some of my smoking wood.  Deck boxes work great too if you through it quick.

stlcharcoal

I don't recommend those sealed containers.  You may think you're sealing OUT the moisture, but you're actually sealing it in (unless you acclimate everything inside the AC, put the lid on, then move it outside.)  With the lid on you make a mini sauna inside and the charcoal is going to absorb all the moisture.

Best thing to do it just roll the top of the bag over and leave it in the garage, or better yet somewhere inside the AC.  If you're going to leave it outside, leave it somewhere to breath so you're not letting it soak up any more moisture that what is ambient.

Benjir

I like the idea of a deck box , it would keep the wife happy she gets angry with all my grill stuff out. I have my egg under a covered porch so that helps with the moisture issue

pescadorzih

I just store my opened bags in the shed. Unopened bags are in the  basement.

Gonnaneedabiggeregg

I use a suncast deck box.  Roll the top over the bag and store inside.  Unopened bags in the garage.  The box is large enough that I store my other egg stuff in there also.  Works well for me.

DoubleEgger

stlcharcoal said:

I don't recommend those sealed containers.  You may think you're sealing OUT the moisture, but you're actually sealing it in (unless you acclimate everything inside the AC, put the lid on, then move it outside.)  With the lid on you make a mini sauna inside and the charcoal is going to absorb all the moisture.

Best thing to do it just roll the top of the bag over and leave it in the garage, or better yet somewhere inside the AC.  If you're going to leave it outside, leave it somewhere to breath so you're not letting it soak up any more moisture that what is ambient.

What about putting damp rid in the box? 

stlcharcoal

DoubleEgger said:

What about putting damp rid in the box? 

Yeah, that's a good place to store them since the charcoal would keep them dry.  LOL.  That thing wouldn't last more than a few days outside anyway.

Seriously, charcoal is one of the best and cheapest desiccants & odor absorbers.  Lose the baking soda and put a chunk in the fridge.....after a week or two put in a new chunk and throw the old one in the BGE.

Skiddymarker

I store in a garden shed, next to the lawnmowers, but after opening the bag it sits in the back hall where I keep all my stuff - plus, only the dog or I use the poor people's entrance....
Deck box is a good idea if it has ventilation, just like under a hot egg, air space and movement is your friend. 

blukat

Thanks for all the great suggestions, I currently keep it in the garage, I like the deck box for the opened bags.  Think I saw something like that at Sams club the other day.

paqman

I use a compost/garbage bin that I got from Home Depot.  It fits perfectly under my prep table.  It is rain proof.  A 18 lbs bag of lump fits just fine in the container.

Ladeback69

stlcharcoal said:

I don't recommend those sealed containers.  You may think you're sealing OUT the moisture, but you're actually sealing it in (unless you acclimate everything inside the AC, put the lid on, then move it outside.)  With the lid on you make a mini sauna inside and the charcoal is going to absorb all the moisture.

Best thing to do it just roll the top of the bag over and leave it in the garage, or better yet somewhere inside the AC.  If you're going to leave it outside, leave it somewhere to breath so you're not letting it soak up any more moisture that what is ambient.

@Stlcharcoal, I've been don't it for about a year now and had now problem with it being wet or lump lightning, but as I said now I usually dump some out of the bag, then roll the top down and place it inside the plastic trash can.  Here is what I use.

st¡ke

Simple carbon lump doesn't absorb odors to any degree. Neither in fact does that ubiquitous box of baking soda in the fridge. Virtually no ability to absorb odor just by sitting there. 

Activated charcoal is something else ENTIRELY. It can ADsorb molecules. 

Activated charcoal has a surface area of something like 2000 square meters per gram. Way way way more than a stupid chunk of lump. And it's a mechanical or chemical bond that causes the adsorption. You have to force the thing you are filtering through it. It won't cause odors to magically get drawn to it and get sucked into it, filtering the air 

stlcharcoal

st¡ke said:

Simple carbon lump doesn't absorb odors to any degree. Neither in fact does that ubiquitous box of baking soda in the fridge. Virtually no ability to absorb odor just by sitting there. 

Activated charcoal is something else ENTIRELY. It can ADsorb molecules. 

Activated charcoal has a surface area of something like 2000 square meters per gram. Way way way more than a stupid chunk of lump. And it's a mechanical or chemical bond that causes the adsorption. You have to force the thing you are filtering through it. It won't cause odors to magically get drawn to it and get sucked into it, filtering the air 

Sure it does......

I have a customer that many years ago (long before Rockwood), parked a 1/2 truckload of charcoal in an old Petco store.  Petco had gone belly up a year before and the property owner couldn't get a new renter because the store reeked of wet dog.  The 20,000# of charcoal left there pallet by pallet over the summer, and in six month when the charcoal was gone, so was the smell.  The building had a renter shortly thereafter and my guy lost his super cheap storage. 

Yes, activated "charcoal" is a different--comes from coal, not wood.  But only the super high quality stuff is upwards of 2000 m2/g.  Most is 500-1000 m2/g.  Lump charcoal (at least ours), is about 250 m2/g.

Never said anything about filtering, but it does absorb and hold onto things.  Got a lot of money wrapped up in lab testing on that right now......new  product coming out early next year.  Once it debuts those results/reports by a state university will be out on the website for all to view.

bboulier

I put mine in a shed.

st¡ke

It doesn't absorb. There is no mechanism by which odors are drawn to regular charcoal. Even with activated charcoal it must be filtered. Actively.

the story about the dog store is wonderful.  But gee couldn't a year of airing out have also helped?

Odor isn't magically attracted to charcoal

nolaegghead

I have a lump storage bin.  It's not completely air-tight, but I don't have any issues at all with moisture.  There is moisture in all lump, once it's lit, it starts baking out, and a byproduct of combustion is water.  Not anything I've lost sleep over.

(note, formula makes me appear smarter)

Roadpuke0

Ladeback69 said:

I just use a 33 gallon trash can from Lowes. I used to dump it into the can, but now after dumping some in the egg I just put the bag in the can with some of my smoking wood.  Deck boxes work great too if you through it quick.

+1

theyolksonyou

I wish I was a smart as stike, yep, then I'd argue with the experts on every thing. 

YukonRon

stlcharcoal said:

st¡ke said:

Simple carbon lump doesn't absorb odors to any degree. Neither in fact does that ubiquitous box of baking soda in the fridge. Virtually no ability to absorb odor just by sitting there. 

Activated charcoal is something else ENTIRELY. It can ADsorb molecules. 

Activated charcoal has a surface area of something like 2000 square meters per gram. Way way way more than a stupid chunk of lump. And it's a mechanical or chemical bond that causes the adsorption. You have to force the thing you are filtering through it. It won't cause odors to magically get drawn to it and get sucked into it, filtering the air 

Sure it does......

I have a customer that many years ago (long before Rockwood), parked a 1/2 truckload of charcoal in an old Petco store.  Petco had gone belly up a year before and the property owner couldn't get a new renter because the store reeked of wet dog.  The 20,000# of charcoal left there pallet by pallet over the summer, and in six month when the charcoal was gone, so was the smell.  The building had a renter shortly thereafter and my guy lost his super cheap storage. 

Yes, activated "charcoal" is a different--comes from coal, not wood.  But only the super high quality stuff is upwards of 2000 m2/g.  Most is 500-1000 m2/g.  Lump charcoal (at least ours), is about 250 m2/g.

Never said anything about filtering, but it does absorb and hold onto things.  Got a lot of money wrapped up in lab testing on that right now......new  product coming out early next year.  Once it debuts those results/reports by a state university will be out on the website for all to view.

I have to agree. My work as a chemical engineer can support these facts as offered. In fact, we use charcoal respirators to eliminate oder and remove micro continents in breathable air.

Ladeback69

YukonRon said:

stlcharcoal said:

st¡ke said:

Simple carbon lump doesn't absorb odors to any degree. Neither in fact does that ubiquitous box of baking soda in the fridge. Virtually no ability to absorb odor just by sitting there. 

Activated charcoal is something else ENTIRELY. It can ADsorb molecules. 

Activated charcoal has a surface area of something like 2000 square meters per gram. Way way way more than a stupid chunk of lump. And it's a mechanical or chemical bond that causes the adsorption. You have to force the thing you are filtering through it. It won't cause odors to magically get drawn to it and get sucked into it, filtering the air 

Sure it does......

I have a customer that many years ago (long before Rockwood), parked a 1/2 truckload of charcoal in an old Petco store.  Petco had gone belly up a year before and the property owner couldn't get a new renter because the store reeked of wet dog.  The 20,000# of charcoal left there pallet by pallet over the summer, and in six month when the charcoal was gone, so was the smell.  The building had a renter shortly thereafter and my guy lost his super cheap storage. 

Yes, activated "charcoal" is a different--comes from coal, not wood.  But only the super high quality stuff is upwards of 2000 m2/g.  Most is 500-1000 m2/g.  Lump charcoal (at least ours), is about 250 m2/g.

Never said anything about filtering, but it does absorb and hold onto things.  Got a lot of money wrapped up in lab testing on that right now......new  product coming out early next year.  Once it debuts those results/reports by a state university will be out on the website for all to view.

I have to agree. My work as a chemical engineer can support these facts as offered. In fact, we use charcoal respirators to eliminate oder and remove micro continents in breathable air.

The charcoal in the those respirator filters are activated carbon not just plain coal.  That's why they work, but they have a limit to what they can absorb.   Believe me I have gone through a few filters wi the wife full face resperators  in my day.

DoubleEgger

New product from @stlcharcoal ? Hard to beat what he is putting out now....

mtbguy

Rreminds me I need to order some RW. 

mgd_egg

DoubleEgger said:

This is what I use to store lump and chunks. A 20lb bag of lump will fit in it standing up. I use the bin to sort through the lump instead of dumping it in directly. It's by Rubbermaid and I got it a HD or Lowes. I don't remember. 

I bought one of these deck boxes last week at  Home Depot and they were on clearance for $25 marked down from $100. I wish I bought 2. 

DoubleEgger

That's a great deal. I think I paid about $60. I would have bought all of them for $25 a piece. 

thetrim

I have a brown KETER deck box that I got from Sams for $50.  Works well

odie91

I've personally never had luck using lump as a deiderizer or dehumidifier, but who knows....

on a more related topic, if any of u has a Firehouse Subs, the sell their huge pickle buckets for $2 after they empty the pickles.  Comes with a lid and gasket.  U can never really get the pickle smell out, but luckily it does not impart the pickle smell into your cook.  The $2 goes to charity too