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PSA - don't buy cheap grill brushes...

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Maccool
Maccool Posts: 191
in EggHead Forum
My afternoon yesterday was spent dealing with this perforation of the small intestine. Initial thought from the CT scan was that it was a fishbone (the patient is a big outdoor grill fanatic) but in surgery I found that it was a steel bristle that had come loose from her grill brush, got into her food and she swallowed it. Perforated the last part of the duodenum and caused a pretty good sized abscess. The operation took a couple of hours. She's going to be here awhile recovering. Nasty business.

Moral  of the story....don't buy cheap stainless steel grill brushes and wipe the grill down after you brush it.

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,336
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    Welcome and thanks for the reminder.  Periodically this topic arises but it has been a while.  First time I have seen an "action shot" so that adds to the impact.  With all the NEO's it is a good reminder to use an alternative to the wire brush. 

     

     

     

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • minniemoh
    minniemoh Posts: 2,145
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    Yikes!!! I hope she makes a full recovery. I think we all become a bit complacent about things like this from time to time. A reminder is good. Thank you!
    L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....
    eggAddict from MN!
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  • fljoemon
    fljoemon Posts: 757
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    Good advice on wiping the grill down after using any of these brushes .. even the good kind.
    LBGE & Mini
    Orlando, FL
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  • Smokinpig
    Smokinpig Posts: 739
    edited August 2014
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    Good advice thanks. Can anyone suggest a good alternative to grill brushes?  Anyone have any experience with a grill stone?

    LBGE Atlanta, GA


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  • SoCalTim
    SoCalTim Posts: 2,158
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    I am soo glad you posted this. I was @ Walmart a couple days ago, they had their grill brushes on sale for a dollar each. I almost bought a bunch. 

    I'm glad I didn't.
    I've slow smoked and eaten so much pork, I'm legally recognized as being part swine - Chatsworth Ca.
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  • DaveRichardson
    DaveRichardson Posts: 2,324
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    Love my wadded up aluminum foil!!!!

    LBGE #19 from North GA Eggfest, 2014

    Stockbridge, GA - just south of Atlanta where we are covered up in Zombies!  #TheWalkingDead films practically next door!

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  • MeTed
    MeTed Posts: 800
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    Great info, thanks!
    Belleville, Michigan

    Just burnin lump in Sumpter
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
    edited August 2014
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    I hear you and I heed the warning...OTOH I have been using one of these high quality wire brushes for years- in fact I am only now on to my second one in 14 years.image 
    image
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Metalmaker
    Metalmaker Posts: 16
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    I have found wire bristles on the grate even after brushing with a "good" grill brush. Now I use a Grill Wizard.
    Cookin' outside in central Minnesota
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  • yellowdogbbq
    yellowdogbbq Posts: 389
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    Thanks for the post, I'll be doing things differently from now on.
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  • apfroggy0408
    apfroggy0408 Posts: 99
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    Use an onion!
    A zen powerlifter with a medium BGE.

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  • SkinnyV
    SkinnyV Posts: 3,404
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    First hand knowledge, I pulled a piece of wire from my pops gum after an egg cook.
    Lucky it could have been worse, or one of my little ones.
    Man was I squeamish pulling that thing.out.
    Seattle, WA
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  • NervousDad
    NervousDad Posts: 307
    edited August 2014
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    I've heard many terrible stories like this, which is why I only use a stone. Glad everything ended up ok for them.
    Aurora,OH
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,741
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    just one more reason not to clean the grill
    :))
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    fishlessman said:
    just one more reason not to clean the grill
    :))

    AMEN bro... =))

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • TigerTony
    TigerTony Posts: 1,078
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    I don't think my grill brush is a cheap one. But it still looses some of it's wires.
    I hate to get rid of it, my daughter was so proud to give it to me for father's day.
    But better safe then sorry.
    "I'm stupidest when I try to be funny" 
    New Orleans

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  • travisstrick
    travisstrick Posts: 5,002
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    fishlessman said:

    just one more reason not to clean the grill
    :))

    Yep. The only thing I use is the end of my grid lifter.
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
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  • NibbleMeThis
    NibbleMeThis Posts: 2,295
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    A painters "5 in 1" tool works as a fantastic grate cleaner. 

    http://www.lowes.com/pd_350004-995-3490189C_0__?productId=3364384
    Knoxville, TN
    Nibble Me This
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,467
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    I wouldn't even use an "expensive" grill brush, everything breaks eventually.
     
    But here's a question: what about a brass bristle brush?  Would brass dissolve in gastric juices, or stay whole like stainless?  Any biochemists here?   
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • JethroVA
    JethroVA Posts: 1,251
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    Clean?
    Richmond and Mathews County, VA. Large BGE, Weber gas, little Weber charcoal. Vintage ManGrates. Little reddish portable kamado that shall remain nameless here.  Very Extremely Stable Genius. 
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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,231
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    Do NOT buy the BGE grill brush. Spend less on Steel Wool. 

    The BGE one is worthless. 
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    +5 on the aluminum foil. If you clean when the grill is hot, easy peasy. Why take the chance?
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,188
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    I use one very similar to RRP. It has never lost a bristle but I do replace every couple of years as they can get kind of nasty even with cleaning in soap and water.  Mine has stainless bristles that are about 2/3 the thickness of a pin used for sewing. I have not even seen one get bent let alone being close to breaking off.  I certainly can understand the fine wire ones being a problem though.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa
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  • minniemoh
    minniemoh Posts: 2,145
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    I want one like @Mickey uses. Combination grid lifter and grid scraper. Where did you get that one @Mickey? I know you've shared your source in the past but I can't remember.
    L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....
    eggAddict from MN!
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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,674
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    minniemoh said:
    I want one like @Mickey uses. Combination grid lifter and grid scraper. Where did you get that one @Mickey? I know you've shared your source in the past but I can't remember.

    Send LawnRanger a note. gridlifter@gmail.com It's called a Gridlifter and he makes them.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
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    THEBuckeye said:
    Do NOT buy the BGE grill brush. Spend less on Steel Wool. 

    The BGE one is worthless. 

    cannot disagree more. I love mine. Used to use the bristle kind made by weber, but switched to the new Brillo pad type of BGE brush and haven't looked back. The loose bristles are why BGE no longer offers a bristle type grid cleaner. To each there own I guess.
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  • bboulier
    bboulier Posts: 558
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    I generally go over mine with the end of a stick to knock off the crusty bits, put the grill in a sink with water and soap and let it soak, and then wipe with plastic scrubber.
    Weber Kettle, Weber Genesis Silver B, Medium Egg, KJ Classic (Black)
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  • SteveWPBFL
    SteveWPBFL Posts: 1,327
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    Bye bye grill brush . . . . 
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  • Maccool
    Maccool Posts: 191
    edited August 2014
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    Anybody ever put their grill in their home oven and turn it onto "self-clean"? Or do a long hot Egg burn with the grill in place?

    I tried using a pumice rock "griddle cleaner" for awhile but found that it left a kind of funky residue on the grill. Currently, I mostly use a scotchbrite griddle cleaner
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