• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking With Bliss
  • Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Desserts
  • How To
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Weeknight Recipes
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipe Index
    • Weeknight Recipes
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » How To

    How to Put Out Charcoal Grill After Cooking

    Published: Mar 23, 2022 by Cree · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Learn how to put out a charcoal grill after cooking in this easy to follow guide.

    This guide covers 3 steps that will ensure that your coals are extinguished safely and properly, so your grill will be ready for the next time.

    Before we continue, it's important to note that after you are done grilling, the charcoals are extremely hot and should not be handled in any way shape or form. This can result in severe injury and PLEASE keep kids away from the grill at all times.

    Also, be mindful of your surroundings, making sure your grill is away from dry bushes, trees, or other things that could cause a fire hazard.

    After you're done grilling and have removed all your food from the grill grates, proceed with the steps below on how to put out a charcoal grill.

    Jump to:
    • Step 1: Burning Out Coals
    • Step 2: Clean Grill Grates
    • Step 3: Dispose of Charcoals
    • Subscribe

    Step 1: Burning Out Coals

    Keep in mind that your charcoals are extremely hot and should not be touched or handled in any way after grilling.

    • Close the lid on your grill and the vents to allow the coals to burnout completely on their own. The goal is to cut off the oxygen supply to the coals and smother the flame.
    • Due to the coals being extremely hot at this point, it could take overnight for them to cool completely. This also depends on how much charcoal you used.

    Step 2: Clean Grill Grates

    Now that the coals have cooled completely, let's get into cleaning the grill grates since you will be disposing of the burned coals and ash anyway. Additionally, this is one less thing you need to do the next time.

    • When you are done cooking, use a safe grill brush, a ball of aluminum foil or whichever method you use to scrub away any stuck on food or char from the grill grates.
    • If using a grill brush, make sure the bristles are not loose, worn, broken, or appear weak as this could potentially end up in the food that you are cooking.
    grill grates being scrubbed with grill brush.
    • Mist cooking oil over the cast iron grill grates to prevent rust from forming and your food from sticking the next time.
    • Remove the grill grates for a moment.
    grill grates removed from grill.

    Step 3: Dispose of Charcoals

    After the charcoals have cooled down completely, you can now dispose of them in a nonflammable bin.

    close up image of burned coals and ash.
    • If by chance, you placed foil in the grill barrel before adding the coals, you could fold the foil over the coals and ash and carefully lift it out and toss it in the bin. This makes for easy clean-up.
    foil being folded over coals and ash for quick cleanup.
    • Add new foil onto the barrel of the grill and place clean grill grates back on.
    • Close the lid and cover your grill with a durable cover that's designed for your type of grill. This will protect it from the weather and keep it looking nice..

    We hope you have found this guide helpful on how to put out a charcoal grill.

    Do you just let charcoal burn out?

    You can allow charcoal to burn out on their own; however, there is a safe way of doing it. After you are done cooking your food, close the lid immediately on your grill as well as the vents. This will cut off the oxygen supply to the coals and smother the flame.

    How long does it take charcoal to burn out?

    It can take a couple of hours or overnight for the coals to burn out completely.

    Should I pour water on charcoal?

    No, if you want the charcoals to burn out after grilling, immediately close the lid and the vents on your charcoal grill. This will cut off the oxygen supply to the coals and smother the flame.

    Subscribe

    Subscribe to our email list below for other helpful information as well as tips and tricks for making cooking that much easier.

    More How To

    • steamed claims with cajun marinade in black bowl garnished with chopped cilantro
      How to Steam Clams
    • tri tip on wooden chopping board with knife and rosemary
      How to Cook Tri Tip in the Oven
    • london broil that has been cooked in oven served on a bluish gray dinner plate
      Best Way to Cook London Broil
    • seared shrimp on oval platter garnished with parsley
      How to Cook Frozen Shrimp

    Reader Interactions

    Thanks for visiting! Please feel free to leave a comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi There, I'm Cree! Welcome to Cooking With Bliss. I absolutely love cooking and sharing recipes with my family, friends, and all of you. Whether you're vegetarian or a meat-lover, there's something here for all to enjoy. More About Me here!

    Download my FREE cookbook

    Weeknight Recipes

    • yellow rice in white bowl with parsley garnich next to striped napkin.
      Saffron Yellow Rice In Rice Cooker
    • stuffed chicken breast on white plate with striped napkin.
      Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast
    • seared chicken breast on white plate with fresh green salad
      Best Healthy Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast
    • pasta and veggies in white bowl with pesto before mixing.
      Basil Pesto Pasta With Veggies (No Pine Nuts)

    Popular Posts

    • london broil that has been cooked in oven served on a bluish gray dinner plate
      Best Way to Cook London Broil
    • oven baked chuck roast recipe in cast iron skillet with potatoes and broccoli
      Oven Baked Chuck Roast Recipe
    • panko chicken with sides and dipping sauce on white plate.
      Pan Fried Panko Chicken Breast
    • Easy Baked Ziti served in a square burgandy baking dish
      Baked Ziti with Ground Turkey
    Image showing where Cooking With Bliss was featured.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top ↑

    About

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Subscribe

    • Cooking Tips: Sign Up here!

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Cooking With Bliss