How to Safely Extinguish a Charcoal Grill

During BBQ season, there’s nothing quite like charcoal. It’s one of the best ways to infuse your food with that smoky flavor and allows you to cook at higher temperatures than most other grills. But grilling isn’t just about knowing how to light charcoal — you also need to know how to extinguish your charcoal grill when you’re done cooking.

Gas and electric grills are easy to turn off — just shut off the heat source, and they cool down quickly. But if you’re new to grilling, a charcoal grill can be a bit tricky to put out because the hot coals don’t cool down immediately. However, once you learn the technique, extinguishing a charcoal grill is simple.

How to Extinguish a Charcoal Grill

1. Close the Lid
   The best way to extinguish charcoal is by closing the grill lid, cutting off the charcoal’s air supply. Fire needs oxygen to burn, so by completely covering the grill, the flames will go out, and the charcoal will cool. It may take up to two days for the charcoal to fully cool down. There’s no faster or safer way to extinguish a charcoal grill than letting the coals naturally burn out and cool.

2. Remove the Charcoal
   Once the charcoal is no longer hot, you can remove the larger pieces and store them in a dry place for reuse at your next barbecue.

To save your charcoal after grilling, avoid submerging it in water. Simply spray a little water over the charcoal to prevent it from continuing to burn, while ensuring it can still be reused later.

Once the coals are fully cooled, remove all the charcoal and ashes, wrap them in aluminum foil (or place them in a metal container like an old coffee can), and dispose of them in an outdoor trash bin.

What Not to Do

While it may seem like a quick fix, never pour water directly on hot coals. When water hits the coals, it turns into steam, which could burn you if you’re not careful. The hot water can also damage your grill and may even cause cracks or holes to form in the metal. If you want your grill to last through several summer BBQs, stick to letting the coals burn out and cool down slowly.

How to Put Out a Fire on Your Charcoal Grill

Hopefully, you’ll never need to extinguish a fire, but it’s always good to be prepared. No matter which type of grill you’re using, always keep a fire extinguisher nearby, just in case. Don’t place the extinguisher right next to the grill; instead, keep it in an easily accessible spot. You might occasionally see small flames flare up; these are sudden bursts of fire, usually caused by food grease dripping onto the coals. You can often control the flames by moving the food to a different spot on the grill. Alternatively, you can close the grill lid to put out the sudden flare-ups.