Charcoal soaks up moisture from the air. Damp charcoal takes longer to light, smokes more while it catches, and can crumble. Stored well, both hookah cubes and BBQ charcoal keep for a long time.
The basics
- Keep it dry. Store charcoal indoors or under cover, never where rain or a leaking roof can reach it.
- Keep it off the floor. Concrete and earth floors draw damp. Put bags on a shelf, a pallet or a crate.
- Keep it closed. Roll down and clip an open bag, or tip it into a bin or bucket with a lid.
- Keep it away from heat. Don’t store charcoal next to a jiko, stove, gas cylinder or anything that gets hot.
Hookah cubes
Keep cubes in their box with the lid closed, in a dry cupboard. Charcoal can pick up smells, so store it away from paraffin, cleaning products and spices: you don’t want those reaching the bowl. Take out only the cubes you’re about to light.
BBQ charcoal
A bag left open outside will pull in moisture, especially in the rainy season. Fold the top of the bag over and clip it, or keep it in a lidded drum. A bag stored this way keeps until the next grill.
If your charcoal gets damp
- Spread it out in a single layer in the sun for a day or two until it’s fully dry.
- Don’t try to dry charcoal in an oven or on a stove.
- Charcoal that was soaked may crumble. Mix it with dry charcoal rather than lighting it on its own.
Lighting tips
Dry charcoal lights faster and cleaner. See how to light hookah charcoal or how to light charcoal for nyama choma.