Why Won’t My Charcoal Stay Lit? Here Are 8+ Reasons Why.

You’re looking for that savory flavor that only charcoal provides, but sometimes it refuses to light. You can’t very well grill meat and veggies without fire.

Let’s smoke through why charcoal doesn’t always stay lit, and you can avoid fire frustrations.

Why won’t my charcoal stay lit?

The charcoal lighting process is when the fire magic happens. 

While it may get a little annoying, you will eventually get the charcoal to catch flame as long as you make a few adjustments.

8 Reasons Why Charcoal Isn’t Staying Lit

Charcoal is a super finicky fire-starting material.

Charcoal Absorbs Water

Weird, right? But you will most definitely have to store charcoal in a dry and cool place and ensure it’s in a sealed container.

Damp charcoal is nearly impossible to light because it naturally absorbs moisture and water.

How do I dry out damp charcoal?

1. If the charcoal is drenched, trash it. You’ve lost a few bucks. The black porous solid material’s pores soak up all the fluid, rendering it useless.
2. Slightly damp charcoal is salvageable, but you’ll need a little patience.
3. On a super sunny day, lay out the lumps or briquettes on a towel. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight.
4. It will take around 3 to 8 hours to dehydrate the wet charcoal. 
5. Try it out the next time you grill. And, if that doesn’t work, toss it out.

How You Stack Matters

The way you stack the charcoal in your grill matters. The arrangement directly influences the temp and the duration of the burn.

You want the fire and smoke to go upward so that the heat is evenly distributed in the grill. Otherwise, the cook is not going to be consistent.

You’ll want to construct a charcoal pyramid so that the stack doesn’t fall and suffocate the fire.

Charcoal Chimney Starter 

A charcoal chimney starter can cure your fire-starting woes if you’re a regular griller. It is a cylindrical piece of metal that auto-piles the charcoal inside of the grill or fire. 

The Ventilation Isn’t Right

Take a few seconds and check the vents. If they’re closed, the charcoal doesn’t get the oxygen it needs.

Once you’ve got a healthy start on the fire, you can adjust or close the vents, so you get the cook you want.

Why does my charcoal not stay hot?

The lack of proper ventilation is the most common reason that the charcoal doesn’t stay hot. 

Let Charcoal Breathe

When you’re piling on the wood for that extra flavor boom, take care that you’re not snuffing out an already existing fire.

1. Double-check and make sure that the charcoal is dry and usable.
2. Let the charcoal burn for 15 or so minutes.
3. Once you see that ashy white coating on the charcoal, you can start adding wood chips and cooking.
4. Don’t pour lighter fluid on already lit charcoal.

Size Matters

You don’t want to mix and mix your charcoal because the contrast in sizes will make lighting the fire frustratingly hard. It means you’ll have to decide if you are going to go with charcoal briquettes or lumps.

Briquettes vs Lumps

As with all things on the Internet, there is a debate as to which fire-building material is superior. And, it really depends on personal taste.

• Charcoal lumps. The lighting process is a tad more difficult using lump charcoal, but it is the most natural option. Lumps burn faster and hotter and leave little ash.
• Charcoal briquettes. While more compact, they don’t burn as hot as one lit with charcoal. Briquettes burn more consistently, though.

The Grill Isn’t Maintained

Ash builds up and does a lot of nasty things if you don’t clean it out regularly. The remnants of charcoal will also absorb moisture and transfer it, making your material damp and fire-resistant.

If you don’t scrub it down, the grease will start clogging up the grates and vents.

Oh, and old ash can make food taste really nasty.

Wait for the Right Weather

You plan a BBQ, and the morning of, it decides to start raining relentlessly. You’ve got to decide on a rain check or relocation.

Just be prepared to fight lighting a fire when it’s cold, wet, or the wind is blowing.

Humidity can make it difficult, too. But, if you live in the South, you’ve likely already learned how to make do on 100% humid days.

Low-Quality Charcoal

Cheap charcoal isn’t better charcoal and can leave a bad taste in your mouth. 

You’ll want to stick to higher-quality charcoal to avoid fighting a stubborn fire.

Royal Oak Lump Charcoal

• A nice assortment of coal lumps.
• It has a sweet and smokey scent.

Kingsford Original Charcoal Briquettes

• Available pretty well everywhere.
• It smells like a pleasant campfire.

How do you start a charcoal grill and keep it lit?

You’ve got a few options when lighting a fire with charcoal.

Charcoal Grill with Lighter Fluid

1. Pile the charcoal into a pyramid or snake structure.
2. Handle lighter fluid carefully. You will squirt the recommended amount on the top and sides of your coal pyramid. 
3. Light as soon as you’ve applied the starter fluid.
4. Do Not put lighter fluid on an already lit fire.
5. Once the lighter fluid has burned off, the coal will turn grey along its edges. It’s when you know you’ve accomplished what you’re doing.
6. The entire process will take about 15 minutes.

Charcoal Grill with a Chimney Starter

• Completely fill your chimney with the charcoal of choice. Your chimney likely holds about four pounds of charcoal.
• Add your kindling to the grill grate and light it up (newspaper, paper bag). 
• Light the newspaper in several spots.
• The flame it creates will light the charcoal structure from multiple sides. 
• The coals will start to glow in about 20 minutes.
• Evenly spread the glowing coals out.

What happens if you put too much lighter fluid on charcoal?

The lighter fluid does a lot of bad crap when you squirt it on an existing fire. Of course, it can make a fire uncontrollable.

But it can also make your food taste disgusting, snuff out a fire, and render the charcoal useless.

FAQs about Lighting Charcoal