The XL And Extreme Precipitation...

3GunFlyer

Hoping others don't make the same mistake I did...

On Christmas Eve, I discovered that my XL was rather soaked. We'd had a solid four days of heavy rain here in SoCal a week or so prior, and it appeared The Hulk (as we call it) had taken on water like a depth-charged U-boat. I never leave a cap on the top vent now, after having one get caught in the cover while I removed it, falling out and cracking the dome. That, combined with the fact that my cover has seen better days and is apparently no longer water resistant, allowed water to get in via the top vent.

After spending about an hour cleaning it out in preparation for our Christmas Eve prime rib, I decided to light a quick and hot fire in it in an effort to remove some of the moisture that the ceramic had undoubtedly absorbed. What happened surprised me.

The moisture inside was turned to steam by the heat, but as it exited the top vent on that very cool morning, it condensed immediately and precipitated all over the dome (and an area around the Egg of about a six-foot diameter) as a sticky gooey rust-colored mess. It was a remarkable phenomena to watch, actually...looking vaguely geyser-like as it happened. Unfortunately, the only thing to do was to let it go until it stopped, then close the vents to kill the fire.

So if anything like having your egg fill up with water happens to you, DON'T DO WHAT I DID. Clean it out, then let it air dry. Or at least don't close the lid on the fire.

GATABITES

Interesting. Did you take pics of the occurrence? Did it actually dry the egg and we're you able to use it?

3GunFlyer

I didn't think to snap photos of the mess. It did come off with some 409, a scrub sponge, and a bit of elbow grease after it cooled enough.

And yes, it did dry the egg out nicely and I was able to use it for a cook that afternoon.

DieselkW

I'd say you're lucky you didn't crack any ceramic. I was in SoCal recently for vacation, and the Pineapple Express Delivered some rainy days for us.
Here's Oceanside from the pier:

3GunFlyer

Yep. That was the storm.

You're probably right about the ceramic, now that I think about it. I suppose there was a possibility. All came through okay, though. Must have been the slow temperature rise.