Usually, the part of a barbecue process that is considered the most demanding is lightning. Still, it is worth to remember that, after the removal of a last piece of food, the handling of a BBQ is not over.
Putting out
The safest way to put out a barbecue is by closing the lid, closing all the vents and waiting for a dozen of hours for the BBQ to cool down. The remaining charcoal or briquette may be reused during next grilling.
However, if there is no lid on the grill, the waiting time should be much longer – around 24 hours. The process can be sped by sprinkling baking soda or kitchen salt on hot charcoal.
One should never use water when putting off a BBQ. In connection with hot surface of a BBQ, a large amount of hot steam, mixed with hot ash may appear, causing a risk of severe burn. Also, a sudden temperature drop, may cause the grill surface to crack, leaving it vulnerable to rust.
In emergency situations, when there is a need of fast putting out, a metal container with water and metal tongs may come handy. Every piece of coal should be carefully moved with tongs into the water, one by one. The BBQ bowl should be then covered with damp sand.
Cleaning
After cooling down, the remaining ash may be used as compost. If thrown into thrash, it is advised to put it to a different container for even 48 hours, to avoid damaging the container – hot ash cools down very slowly.
The grate is best cleaned with a wire or steel wool brush, right after it is cooled down. This way, the presence of dried food remains may be avoided. After cleaning it is a good thing to oil the grate with a bit of vegetable oil.