Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Charcoal storage - exposed to the elements?

Options
cssmd27
cssmd27 Posts: 345
edited May 2012 in EggHead Forum
Hi, I'm new to the forum but I've lurked off and on for years and have had by BGE for about 5 years now.

So, I have a question (actually, I'll probably have a lot now that I'm officially on board) about charcoal storage.  Does leaving the bags exposed to routine rain and the elements create any problems long term?  By long term I'm talking about 12-18 months at the extreme and I'm not talking about issues related to the bag degenerating but rather just the charcoal itself.  Also, I'm not talking about leaving it soaking in standing water nor issues associated with it being wet right after a rain and being difficult to ignite and burn.

I've gone overboard in purchasing charcoal and have exceeded my garage capacity.  I know I leave a bag or two that I'm using outdoors and short term it never seems to suffer ill effects.  And, I've left my wood chunks outside for years and haven't noticed much difference.  So, does leaving charcoal outside cause any problems that you guys know about?

Thanks and I'm looking forward to contributing!
Dallas (University Park), Texas
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Options
    if wet or even damp it will be hard to ignite and get going.  damp charcoal can take a long time to get to temp, even if you don't notice that it is damp.  extended high humidity is enough to cause it. but nothing will 'happen' to it that would be permanent when it dried.


    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jmille15
    Jmille15 Posts: 8
    Options
    Just ship the extra to me.. I will find a place for it.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DIXIEDOG
    DIXIEDOG Posts: 109
    Options
    A couple bags work great in a plastic trash can, they'll stay dry and ready to go.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
    Options
    Deck box is good too. I keep 2 bags outside in the deck box and the rest in the garage. I found wet lump to be very "sparky" too. It's not great to let it get wet but I'm sure we've all muddled through with wet lump before. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ShedFarm
    ShedFarm Posts: 499
    edited May 2012
    Options
    Yep! Deck boxes work really well for holding any overflows of lump...image

    The above box is holding 20, 10lb bags of Royal Oak, and was purchased from Lowe's.
    BJ (Powhatan, VA)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cssmd27
    cssmd27 Posts: 345
    Options
    Thanks guys! Just to be clear, I wasn't speaking of using it while it was wet or damp. I'll always have plenty of dry bags to allow any dampness to fully evaporate. I was just wondering if getting wet occasionally would cause any fundamental problems with the charcoal.
    Dallas (University Park), Texas
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
    Options
    Thanks guys! Just to be clear, I wasn't speaking of using it while it was wet or damp. I'll always have plenty of dry bags to allow any dampness to fully evaporate. I was just wondering if getting wet occasionally would cause any fundamental problems with the charcoal.
    That's what I was taking about too. It' seems the times I've used charcoal that had dried after getting wet, it was very sparky and popped really loudly. It could have been a one-offf since I've only done it a few times but I remember thinking at the time that it had to be the moisture. If it's just temporary, you could throw the bags in a trash bag or plastic trash can until you use it up


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories