Charcoal gives you the ultimate authentic BBQ experience. Grilling with charcoal may seem like a tricky task but once you get the groove of it, there is no going back. When you cook with charcoal, you have to get insight into things like burning time, type of charcoal, wind capacity, weather conditions, and many more.
In this article, we will discuss the most-asked question of how long does charcoal last? So, that you can cook a delicious charred grilled meal with the right understanding and knowledge.
An Introduction To Charcoal
Charcoal is an all-natural compound that is made by burning a carbon-rich material such as wood at a high temperature in a low-oxygen environment. The burning procedure of wood or any other carbon-rich element at high temperatures with low pressure is known as pyrolysis.
During pyrolysis, volatile compounds such as tar, methane, and water get evaporated in the air. So, the wood is pressurized to decompose into elemental carbon. There are different textures and types of charcoal such as black, porous, lightweight and. Brittle. All kinds of wood can be made into charcoal but the most popular ones are alder, oak, maple, and hickory. The following are the two most common types of charcoal that people use in daily life:
Lump Charcoal
Lump charcoal is termed fashionable or organic charcoal. It is probably made up of furniture, building materials, forest scrap branches, hardwood, and wooden flooring materials. Collectively, lump charcoal is pure carbonized wood that produces less ash and will still ignite after getting wet.
Briquettes Charcoal
Briquettes are made up by burning a combination of materials such as wood particles, mineral char, and sawdust. Every material has a particular property that makes charcoal more high-quality. The material is mixed and pressed together to make a single briquette. There are also chemical additives in the briquettes such as limestone, starch, borax, etc. that can help with things such as more ignition, controlling the burn rate, and many more.
How Long Does Charcoal Last?
The answer to the question how long does charcoal last? It depends upon different factors such as the type and amount of charcoal, the grill, outside weather, wind flow, and several other factors. A 2-kilo pack of charcoal can burn for at least 1 to 5 hours when they are protected from wind and other factors are also in control. Now, the question about how long does lump charcoal stay hot? Lump charcoal usually burns for 2 to 3 hours. While the answer to how long charcoal briquettes last is briquettes burn for about 4 to 5 hours. If you mix both of the charcoals, then you will get an average running time of 3 to 4.5 hours.
If there are more additives or binders in the charcoal, the burn time will get lower. In a low-oxygen environment, the charcoal burns slowly which means the burning time will be prolonged. While in an oxygenated environment, that charcoal burns faster so the burning time will be short. If you want that your charcoal burns for longer, then you must keep on adding one or two new pieces once in a while.
Does Charcoal Expire or Go Bad?
Charcoal is a natural substitute that has an indefinite life span meaning you can store it as long as possible but only if you have the right storing conditions. Maintaining the right conditions is necessary if you want that your charcoal lasts much longer than expected. You have to store the charcoal in a cool dry place where it can be kept away from moisture and places where the temperature changes regularly.
You can use an air-tight container so that the charcoal is properly stored without any exposure. Under no conditions, can you bring moisture in contact with the charcoal as it has a porous surface so it will absorb the moisture in no time. If your charcoal gets wet, you can try to dry it immediately otherwise it will not light up. It is very much possible to dry wet charcoal in sunlight or by using hot air to remove the moisture. the answer is how long does charcoal last in the bag? As long as you maintain the right conditions for the charcoal.
Tips And Tricks To Keep Charcoal Burning Longer
Cooking with charcoal can be a tricky task if you are a beginner at it. Here are some effective tips and tricks that will help you to cook more efficiently with charcoal:
- When you light the charcoal, you may catch a chemical aroma mainly coming from additives and binders. The smell usually Tops out at a lower temperature, so keep this information in mind to time your recipe properly.
- You can use different items such as heat-resistance gloves or long-handled grilling tools to help you with charcoal cooking.
- If you want to reuse your charcoal, you must not extinguish it with buckets of water. Rather than that, you should lightly spray water on it to stop the burning process otherwise it will absorb too much moisture.
- If you are using old charcoal to fuel the grill, you must use new charcoal as well. It will help with having a better and more consistent fire for the grilling process.
FAQS
Is It Ok To Use Old Charcoal?
Yes, you can use old charcoal for grilling. Before reusing it, try to pick out bigger chunks than smaller ones, and remove the ash as much as possible. To reuse your charcoal, you must store it in a dry and cool place. To use the old charcoal more efficiently, you must add some new charcoal in it to help the combustion procedure.
How Many Times Can Charcoal Be Reused?
Yes, it can be used twice or thrice after the first use. Experts say that you can use the coals one more time even though they are used once, the charcoal will reignite a second time. So, it will be a waste of money or time if you just throw them away after using them only for one time.
Can You Partially Burn Charcoal?
Ans. Yes, you can partially burn charcoal. You should reuse your charcoal in order to save money and effort. If you like to reuse your burned charcoal to fuel another cooking session, then you must not submerge it in water or extinguish them in any way. Instead of that, you must carefully spray down the burned coal with water to prevent further overheating or burning.
Can You Reuse Charcoal After It Gets Wet?
If the charcoal is low-quality, it will crumble after getting wet. However, if the charcoal is of high quality then you can dry out easily by keeping t in the sunlight.
How Do You Know When Charcoal Goes Bad?
Charcoal itself does not get expired or go bad. However, if you use briquettes then the added additives can expire which will ruin the charcoal.
The Final Takeaway
Charcoal is a very exquisite material when it comes to cooking a delicious grilled meal. It gives you the most authentic and traditional taste of BBQ. Now, for a good Charcoal BBQ, you must handle the coal in a sensitive and managed way.
You should store the charcoal in a cool, dry place without exposure so that no moisture gets into it. The answer to the question of how long charcoal lasts? When you light up charcoal, it keeps burning for about 1 to 5 hours which allows you to cook the food for an extended period. After you have cooked the food, you should spray the charcoal with minimal water rather than damping water buckets. It will allow you to reuse the charcoal once again for another time so that you can save your money and effort.