Re-use Natural Lump Charcoal

JMCXL

Recently purchased a cooking book that suggested that you should not reuse any Lump Charcoal that didn't burn in your cook.  I thought one of the benefits of TBGE was you could mix-up the remaining charcoal, clean out any ash, add more if needed and light it up. Maybe I mis-understood... 

Comments - suggestion

Carolina Q

Nonsense. We all re-use the old stuff. Did the author give a reason?

Shiff

Did the book give a reason?

lousubcap

Don't know the pedigree of the book or if they are closet lump producers but you most certainly can use lump as many times as you stare into the BGE and see it sitting there just waiting to get all fired up.  FWIW-

GregW

The only reason I would remove the old unburned lump charcoal would be to cook steaks. New lump will burn hotter.
As long as I'm doing burgers or chicken or something else that doesn't need really high temps I reuse the old lump.

JMCXL

I thought I was doing something wrong.  as stated that's one of the many great features of TBGE. 

Thanks for the fast response, about to set the XL with AR (3 levels) for Super Bowl cook.

stlcharcoal

You would do that is if the lump got a bunch of grease on it from the last cook, but then you could always clean burn it until the smoke was clear.

Only other time, you wanted to do a long low and slow, or a long hot cook (dozens of pizzas), and you were worried about burning out before the cook was finished.

Otherwise, it will get just as hot as long as there's enough left in the first box.

Carolina Q

What book suggested this?

I have never removed old lump... for any cook. 

lousubcap

BTW @JMCXL- @stlcharcoal is a great forum participant and he does know something about lump.  Whenever you hear anything about Rockwood charcoal, he is the man.  Just offers unfettered recommendations, comments and opinions.  A wealth of information and insights for all who routinely visit this site.  And no affiliation here other than several hundred pounds of Rockwood in reserve.  

XLentEGG

I just cooked two hand cut bacon wrapped fillets with nothing but lump left over from last nights chicken thighs. burned the grease off and had my way with it ! :-)

td66snrf

I've been doing wrong for thirty years. 

tgs2401

Maybe if you had a bunch of leftover wood chips in it and we're cooking a pizza or something that you didn't want to overwhelm with smoke? But even then, I would just pick out the wood and fire it up.

NavyMatty

I will load fresh lump for a low-n-slow so I know it will burn for 16+ hours in my XL...  I reuse the old stuff for direct short cooks and pizza (but will also load fresh for pizza on occasion if a more recent cook included some smoke wood chunks so I don't get any smoke flavor in the pizza).

stlcharcoal

If you're getting ready for a long cook, just stir the charcoal around with the ash tool vigorously.  If it breaks apart and falls through the fire grate, then it was nearing the end of itself useful life.  If it stays together, plenty of BTU's left in there for the cook.  Dump some new charcoal on top and let it rip.  The stuff that fell through the bottom will burn off as well next time you do a hot cook.

I wouldn't worry too much about any smoking woods in there after a cook--the Egg is just like a kiln and should have turned them into charcoal by then.

JMCXL

stlcharcoal said: ...I wouldn't worry too much about any smoking woods in there after a cook--the Egg is just like a kiln and should have turned them into charcoal by then.

I was wondering about the wood turning into charcoal, I thought that happened to a few of the hickory chunks I had from the last cook.

Skiddymarker

Depending on the lump I'm using, some of it sparks like hell when starting. I sometimes remove a few handfuls of the second burn stuff, dump in some new and put the second  burn stuff on top and no sparks!

Legume

Damn, I'm doing it wrong 

Kind of sounds like the mechanic who tells me I don't have to change my oil every 3k, that's just oil change places trying to sell oil changes.  Of course, the oil change places tell me don't listen to the mechanic, they want to fix your car.

I only dump ash out of mine.