An ash bucket may seem trivial, but it is actually very important. People don't know (or think about) this, but ashes can cause fires, even hours later. So you have to be careful.
So with that in mind, I thought it would be worth telling you about it. Yes, I usually give you all my cooking tips and secrets, but here I'm going to reveal all my tips and secrets so that you can continue to cook 😜 (because if your BBQ is "scrap"... it's not possible to cook well 🤪).
So, I'll start again. What can happen if you don't dispose of your ashes properly?
Well, they can burn your trash can , literally. And let's say your trash can is stuck to the edge of your house with vinyl siding... it's not long before a fire can happen . 😳
And now, I can hear you saying, “ But JP, how can I avoid this, me, overflowing? ” Don’t panic, I’ll explain it to you.
In fact, it's not complicated, the important thing is to keep your BBQ as clean as possible. ☝️ By cleaning it properly by scraping its entire bowl and walls with the BBQ Québec Poker (and doing the usual "clean up" of the grills, etc.), you ensure that 1) there is no ash that settles on your meats during cooking; and 2) you have better control over the cooking, because the air circulation in the appliance is better. (The better the air circulation in your appliance, the easier the cooking will be.) 💯
And what do you do with your ashes? You empty them into the BBQ Québec Ash Bucket (using the built-in shovel), close the lid and let the ashes smother for at least 24 hours . The length of time is really important to respect , because hot ashes can reignite for a very long time. (And you don't want anything to catch fire! 🙅♂️ 🙅♂️ 🙅♂️)
The great thing is that our bucket was “designed” to be safe. First, there is a gap between its bottom and its bottom edge, so the heat from the ashes does not affect the surface it is placed on, whether it is your patio, your floor or your lawn. (And, as if that were not enough, to help resist the heat, it is also made of steel, so there is even less risk of damage. Even the shovel is made like that!)
Then, as I mentioned, it has a lid, so BOOM! you put it on your bucket and make sure there is no more life in your ashes. Closed, it is a very airtight container that will "seal" and smother any source of air. (Remember, a flame is created by fuel and oxygen. So when the fuel is present, all that is missing is oxygen for the fire to catch on.)
And finally, it also has a wooden handle, so there's no danger of burning your hands while carrying it. 👌
After that, when your ashes are well extinguished, what can you do with them? Well, maybe I'll teach you something... Ashes (at least wood ashes) are full of calcium and potassium, among other things. What does that mean? That it's very good for your plants . So, instead of putting them in the trash, you can spread your ashes in your garden and your plants will have a super good fertilizer! (Or, even better, you can even add soil directly to your bucket and use it as a flower pot!!! [I'm crazy!!!] 🤩)
It also works great for your compost! You can put your ashes in your bin and, I tell you, the bad smells will be less strong. It absorbs the odors and reduces their intensity. Your nose, and especially those of your animals, will thank me! 😜
Otherwise, it's non-slip. So ideally, it's always good to keep some in case your car gets stuck in a snow bank, for example, or your driveway is slippery. ☝️
So, there you have it. An ash bucket and ashes, it's not the most exciting topics, but it's really practical. And also, I didn't say it, but it can be the ashes from your BBQ, your outdoor fire, your fireplace, or your wood stove that you put in our bucket . It's for all the ashes.
What's not so bad is that our bucket is beautiful. It has our beautiful flame logo and it's black, so it won't clash with your decor. And... if you store things in it, it will be the most beautiful bucket in your shed. 😉
On that note, I wish you a great BBQ!