# What do you do with all that ash??



## bbq engineer (Jun 14, 2009)

I have to admit, I am mostly a lump charcoal guy...but I don't like the way it pops when it is in the chimney. Starting a chimney of lump in the Kansas wind is a dicey proposition, and after about catching my hair on fire in high winds, I decided a change was in order. I bought a bunch of briquettes when it was on sale, and my new plan is that I will start with briquettes, and then add lump. So, I go to fire up my smoker and holy crap...I swear I started with only a chimney of briquettes last time, but i have about three chimneys of ash (OK, I am being absurd to make my point). Question is, what do you do with all of that? Is it good for plants, do you just spread it on your lawn, over the fence into the neighbors yard, into a garbage bag and to the landfill? I have a REALLY large yard that backs to the woods, and I can get rid of it, but I wanted to know what everyone else did with it.


----------



## werdwolf (Jun 14, 2009)

I get just a little with my MES and throw it out over the lawn.


----------



## smokingd (Jun 14, 2009)

I just spread mine around in the trees they seem to like it


----------



## tasunkawitko (Jun 14, 2009)

lawn, garden - all over the place.


----------



## chrome (Jun 14, 2009)

Same as above, and I fill low spots in the yard...


----------



## bigsteve (Jun 14, 2009)

I throw mine away because I *THOUGHT* ash and water make a nasty mix high in acid (?????)  Figured that couldn't be good for plants.  I'm talking about Briqs, not lump.


Am I wrong?


----------



## smoke freak (Jun 14, 2009)

Ash and water form lye, a very alkaline caustic stuff for sure. On the opposite end of the pH scale from acid but still bad for soil in large quantities. Wood ash is a great source of potassium but should be used sparingly...


----------



## travcoman45 (Jun 14, 2009)

Spread it heavy along the fence, kills off the weeds!


----------



## fire it up (Jun 14, 2009)

Long as it is an all natural wood ash I throw it in the compost pile, makes for some good compost.


----------



## bigsteve (Jun 14, 2009)

Points for that one Tip!  Never thought of that.  And one thing we have WAYYYY too much of in Florida is weeds.


----------



## bbq engineer (Jun 14, 2009)

With lump, there is so little ash it isn't a big deal...I'm talking about the ash that briquettes (kingsford) leave behind.  I swear it doubles in volume in the firebox!


----------



## gnubee (Jun 14, 2009)

I spread it really thinly around the base of my fruit trees , and on the lawn. Make sure you don't toss any near a doorway because it forms an ugly mud in the rain that will track into the house. 

I only did that once. Causing Mrs GnuBee will beat Me around the head and ears whilst chanting You idiot, You stupid Idiot I just washed that floor How could you etc. etc. Now whenever I clean the ash from the BBQ I get to hear all about it once again......( insert deep sigh here )


----------



## shooterrick (Jun 14, 2009)

Along the foundation of my house in narrow band. Weeds dont care for it and neither do bugs.  Oh do make sure they are completely cold!  LOL


----------



## baldeagle7007 (Jun 17, 2009)

dump it straight into a walmart plastic bag and put it in the garbage can...

don't like the dust from spreading it in the yard.


----------



## killbuck (Jun 17, 2009)

Ditto on the above. A fellow up the road from me ruined his garden by spreading it out all over the place. I put a shovel full in each garbage bag and take it to the dump. I just don't tell them that bedause they don't want it either.


----------



## bigsteve (Jun 17, 2009)

Do they tell you what they consider to be proper disposal?

I must say, my county is great when it comes to trash. I can even put out motor oil and filters, as long as it's seperate and labeled. They assume if they forbid that, folks will just hide the stuff in with the other trash. They even pick up sofas and refrigerators on Saturday. They have a haz material collection site open something like 4 days a week for gas, paint, chemicals etc..... 

However, it's just about the *ONLY* thing my county does right.


----------



## coyote-1 (Jun 17, 2009)

I too used to start off with briquettes. Between their inability to light when humid, the ash, and the diminished tastiness, I have abandoned briquettes altogether.
With the wood ash I sometimes put some in the garden. But most gets thrown away.


----------



## carpetride (Jun 17, 2009)

What little I have I have been spreading in the garden, seems to like it so far.


----------



## harrylips (Jun 17, 2009)

Good to know.  I really had not idea about that.  I was just storing it up in a metal garbage can and tossing it when the can got heavy/cool enough.


----------



## killbuck (Jun 17, 2009)

Yeah, they say they won't accept any ashes from any means. You have to contact the fire dept to know where to take it.

Other than that it's pretty good. They will take most items but each one has to be in it's place. As for haz mat it's only certain times and well watched.


----------



## mtnwalker (Jun 17, 2009)

You can drip water through it, add that water(lye) to rendered pork fat and make soap......
I normally just dump mine in an area at the edge of the yard where it is just weeds...or at least used to be weeds...


----------



## slanted88 (Jun 17, 2009)

I'd prefer to shove it up the ex's azz!....Really it goes in the compost. Werkin on shredded paper compost.....


----------

