Is it just me or are "used" charcoal briqettes better than fresh ones?

[Chasdev]

I've been saving all my half burnt briquettes for years now and used to use them to get my stickburner going.
These days since I don't burn sticks they tend to pile up a bit.
Today I was down to the last 10 or so fresh briquettes and had to add 3/4 of a chimney full to cook some yardbird drums.
First thing I notice is much less smoke on initial fire up and then that the heat output was hotter than it would otherwise have been.
They also seemed to be less sensitive to air door adjustments and held steady temp even as they burned down to nubs.
They burned out faster than the new ones but the quality of the hot coals was outstanding.
I guess I know what I'm going to be doing with the rest of them.

 

[JLeonard]

Maybe the preused coals are at the heart of the briquette and more compacted and denser. I dont really know.

Jim

 

[thirdeye]

I use a lot of lump coal and light all my fires with a torch. The used lump is easier to light. But I'm at 5400' so there is less oxygen.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I think used briquettes in the chimney light slower, because they're smaller and they pack tighter in the chimney and air flow is restricted. But I've never done a " scientific " test.

The wife always grimmaces when she finds out I'm doing used charcoal, cause she thinks it takes longer.

 

[cptnding]

I use half burnt briquets all the time. I have noticed that they don't smoke as much starting up.
I do most of my cooking on a kettle and if there's much charcoal left I shut off the vents. The next day I'll sift out the ones that are worth keeping and put them in a plastic storage box.
Anytime I'm grilling anything that is relatively quick like burger or dogs ect I'll use the half burnt ones.
These days charcoal has gotten a lot more expensive. I've always used Kingsford original and up until about 2 years ago Home Depot would run it on sale for half price ($10 for 2 20# bags) and I would buy enough to last a year or two. And now Kingsford has recently shrunk the bags to 16#. Just ran out of what I had stacked in the basement had to pay $20 for a two pack of 16# just yesterday. Ouch

 

[Fueling Around]

I've always used partially burned charcoal. Briquettes were so-so.
I changed to lump and the partial burned is much better for the the next time around.

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

so to save them when your done cooking you pretty much just close offf the vents so the charcoal stops burning?

 

[cptnding]

so to save them when your done cooking you pretty much just close offf the vents so the charcoal stops burning?

Exactly. I leave them over night just to be sure.

 

[Mr. Zorg]

I use half burnt briquets all the time. I have noticed that they don't smoke as much starting up.
I do most of my cooking on a kettle and if there's much charcoal left I shut off the vents. The next day I'll sift out the ones that are worth keeping and put them in a plastic storage box.
Anytime I'm grilling anything that is relatively quick like burger or dogs ect I'll use the half burnt ones.
These days charcoal has gotten a lot more expensive. I've always used Kingsford original and up until about 2 years ago Home Depot would run it on sale for half price ($10 for 2 20# bags) and I would buy enough to last a year or two. And now Kingsford has recently shrunk the bags to 16#. Just ran out of what I had stacked in the basement had to pay $20 for a two pack of 16# just yesterday. Ouch

In general I've found partially burned charcoal briquettes to be sensitive (crumbly) to further handling. I think it's because a lot of the binder used being burned up.

As for cost of charcoal FWIW Walmart in my area is selling Cowboy All Natural briquettes twin pack of 20 lb bags everyday low pricce $17.97 / 40 lbs = $0.45 / lb. I snagged two twin packs (80 lbs) week before last.

 

[Mr. Zorg]

I forgot to put the WM item web link in my prior post this thread.

WM Cowboy Briquets

 

[Fueling Around]

In general I've found partially burned charcoal briquettes to be sensitive (crumbly) to further handling. I think it's because a lot of the binder used being burned up.
...

Good thought. I think it is more of the fuel is burned out and binder and filler is left behind. A hollow shell?
That's why I went to lump without filler and binder.

 

[Mr. Zorg]

Good thought. I think it is more of the fuel is burned out and binder and filler is left behind. A hollow shell?
That's why I went to lump without filler and binder.

No charcoal briquettes I've ever used have been a hollow shell. But it's easy to think of a vegetable starch binder being burned or simply carbonized along with the volatiles being driven off with the heat of other burning charcoals, thus rendering the vegetable starch to no longer having as effective a binder plus mass loss of the volatiles changing both the chemical and physical composition and physical properties.


The only time I ever used Kingsford was back in their days of using clay and sand as a binder. I didn't like the burn characteristics nor flavor imparted. I was a Royal Oak customer with the word "Hardwood" on their bags of charcoal briquettes from the 1970's onward until they decided to restrict Royal Oak Chef's Select Briquets to customers with accounts at restaurant supply business several years ago. I stocked up on some Sam's Club Members Mark charcoal briquettes (which were identical to Royal Oak Chef's Select Briquets) a few years ago but that was a one-time offering thus far

 

[Mr. Zorg]

An example of 1984 vintage Kingsford from the days of sand & clay binder, shown in the ashes. I doubt there's any calcium carbonate in the 1984 product also based on the ashes.

Burn Test: 1984 Kingsford vs 2020 Kingsford - The Virtual Weber Bullet

We conduct a burn test of 1984 Kingsford Original Briquets & 2020 Kingsford for burn time and ash production. Yes, we said 1984! Interesting results!

www.virtualweberbullet.com

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

I guess my experience is different. Using my Santa Maria pit grill I always start with briquets and lump charcoal in a chimney starter. I wait until the coals are burning at least 3/4 of the way to the top (5 minutes or so) then dump them into the pit. Then I add whatever wood is needed over the pile for what I want to cook.

After cooking I leave it alone until the next day to let it all burn out. The only thing I am left with is a pile of ashes and a random rock or two. I do have a random piece or two of charcoal that didn't burn all the way but they are pretty small and not much to think about.

They usually get burned up in the next cook.

 

[chopsaw]

Good thought. I think it is more of the fuel is burned out and binder and filler is left behind. A hollow shell?

Completely agree . Would also say that anything that crumbles is spent . The partially burnt in my experience will shed the ash from the outside and leave what's unburnt behind .
I shake out what's left , and just leave the larger pieces on the charcoal grate for next time .
Any ash in the bottom gets cleaned / removed .