Google suggests you can actually cook pork shoulder on the grill, nice and slow

[conuly]

Which would be nice in the heat. Oh, if only Stop and Shop hadn't decided it was out of stock of all charcoal. (And also all yogurt. I had substitutions on, I don't believe they could not have found anything to substitute for both of those!)

We do have charcoal in the basement but... well... it's been in the basement. Can charcoal go bad from being in a damp and humid environment for a year or two or three?

Comments

[gatheringrivers]

I don't think it'll go bad, but might be hard to light if it's picked up humidity/moisture.

[jhetley]

Charcoal should still be okay. As the other comment says, it may be harder to light.

[offcntr]

It might be a little crumbly, but carbon doesn't spoil.

[jessie_c]

If it's damp, put it in the oven at 150 degrees overnight to bake the moisture out. Put it on a baking sheet one layer deep.

[chez_jae]

One way to find out...

:D

[jesuswasbatman]

Isn't heating charcoal even to that low degree a carbon monoxide risk?

[jessie_c]

If the room is hermetically sealed, yes there's a risk. But regular ventillation solves it. Leave a window open a bit.