How to Put Out A Charcoal Grill Safely

put out a charcoal grill
Use water to safely put out a charcoal grill

When you’re done using your charcoal grill, the last thing you want to do is leave a smoldering fire in your backyard. An unsupervised fire can be dangerous and destructive. Even if it doesn’t catch fire, it is a major hazard if children are around in case the come in contact with the hot grill. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to put out a charcoal grill; with the right techniques and materials, you can put out the fire and prevent it from starting again. How long does it take to stamp out a charcoal grill? That depends on how much fuel there is left in the coals. If your fire isn’t completely extinguished, there is a risk that it will reignite soon after you think it’s out. Follow these steps for safe and thorough extinguishing of your charcoal grill. As always, safety is always a priority, we recommend every home chef and griller have a fire extinguisher on hand.

How to put out a charcoal grill quickly

There are a few different options for putting out your charcoal grill. Some are as extreme as dumping the coals with water to other tactics like closing the dampers and depriving the grill of oxygen so it extinguishes itself. Below you’ll find a few different ways to put out a charcoal grill. Before moving putting out your charcoal grill, make sure your grill cover is a safe distance from the grill.

Use a metal bucket to douse your coals

As soon as you’ve finished up with the grill, put on some thick grilling gloves, and fill up a metal bucket and add water to your coals. A lot of people think that covering the coals with dirt or sand will extinguish them (and it will), but you will never know when the coals are completely extinguished when they are covered. You could try using a water hose, but it’s a lot easier to pour water into a bucket and then dump the water into the grill. This is also a much easier option if your cooking out by an ocean or a lake. Be cautious not to burn yourself. You don’t want to get any of the coals’ embers on your skin. If you do, you could end up with a nasty burn.

Shake out the ash with a metal scraper

Once the coals are doused, you can use a metal grill scraper to remove their ash. This will keep your ash from smothering your coals and making it hard to extinguish them completely. Stay safe while scraping by keeping your gloves on, and keep the grill lid open so that you can see what you’re doing. If you have a side basket, you can tip it into the ash bucket. If the grill is in a safe location like your backyard, time is also on your side. Simply shut the grill and close the air vents and the lack of oxygen will smother the fire.

Don’t forget the damper

As you pour water into your charcoal grill, the water will likely run out of the bottom of the grill. This will help put out the coals, but it will also create a mess at the bottom of the grill. To avoid this, close the damper at the bottom of your grill. This will trap the water inside the grill, where it can extinguish the coals without escaping. Drain the grill once all of the coals are extinguished.

Finally, apply more water to be safe.

Even though you’ve poured water into your charcoal grill and and close the dampers to smother the coals, there may be still a few embers left behind. When you’ve poured out every last drop of water, open up your grill and use a long-handled metal or wooden barbecue-safe shovel to make sure no embers remain. You can poke around and ensure the coals are completely out.

Conclusion

Don’t be in a rush to leave the charcoal grill when you’ve put out the fire. Stay with the grill for 5-10 minutes to ensure the coals are completely extinguished. If you follow these steps, you’ll be sure to extinguish your charcoal grill safely and effectively.