The Tale of the Magic Relighting Egg Fire (long and possibly boring)

Smoked Signals

Not eggactly a fairy tale, and I don't write books for a living but this is real strange...[p]Pull up a seat boys and girls and I'll tell you the tale of the magic relighting egg fire. It all started just a few hours ago ... maybe 5 PM. I lit my medium egg just as the pizza dough was in its 2nd rise and the bread machine said we had 24 minutes to go. The fire sprung to life with the help of Greenheat and was at 450 in just 20 minutes flat. Little did I know that I had lit the magic fire ... It looked like any other fire but this one was special. I went about happily egging 3 pizzas for the family and proceeded to go inside. At the last second I remembered to put the rain cap on the egg and shut the bottom vent with my foot. As I sat there crunching my 5th piece of pizza I couldn't help but think that something was amiss ... I still smelled the slightest bit of smoke. As I made my way to the back yard my neighbor waved at me from my deck ... he was using the egg to cook his family burgers. He had been cutting the grass when I mentioned that I would have some left over heat that they could use for dinner if they wanted. I stood there dumb founded as he flipped his burgers .... I thought I put that fire out. Hmmmmm ... guess it just needed a little air. It just re-lit itself my neighbor exclaimed. When he was done I put the cap back on the egg and again shut down the vents ... about 20 minutes later while looking for my favorite beverage I came across a defrosted package of hamburger ... should I cook burgers for tomorrow? Why not ... I grabbed my greenheat, burgers and headed around back. I took the top of the egg and opend the bottom vent. Before I could grab the greenheat the egg had relit itself ... smoke was again coming out. It had re-lit itself again ... strange. I figured 20 minutes of no oxygen would have killed that fire dead. I was wrong. Within minutes we were back up to 350 and charrin some tasty cow. I again shut down the for the final time and went for a walk ... it was about 7 pm. I watched some TV and as the sun set I thought I better cover the egg for the night. Tuck her in so to speak ... I go out to check the temp and it was stil 250 ... too hot for the cover. I figured I would just open the lid and dump the heat. So I opened her up and went back inside till the next commercial. Do you know what I found when I went back outside??? Yes .. a re-lit egg. Without the bottom vent open! I had glowing red embers across the entire bottom ... unbelieveable! Almost 2 hours had passed and it re-lit itself - AGAIN!! Amazing!! This time I threw the cover over it after I closed the lid. I hope the fire is out. I'll let you know if its still lit at dinner tomorrow.[p]Could this be trouble? Is my egg cracked? Is it breathing thru the scorched felt? Did my neighbor cook something again??? How can a fire survive without any airflow for 2 hours? Freaky huh? [p]Anyone else ever light a magic fire? I'll leave that question open for Stump.[p]I'll be sleeping with one eye open tonight and the fire department on speed dial.[p]Doug[p]

Bordello

Smoked Signals,
It's been awhile but I had done a fairly long cook and while eating my guest said something about how long would the egg have to be out to stay out. Hmmmmmm, it had been about 40 min. or so as to when I put the cap on and closed the vent, I when out side and opened her up, in about 15 min I was up at 500. I think it's just the leftover lump is still so hot that when the air hits it the fire if fueled and a eggen we go. LOL
Ah, the power if the egg.
Regards,
New Bob

Adrian B.

Smoked Signals,
It is just a testament to the good heat insulation properties of the BGE. [p]Fire needs three crucial ingredients for it to live: fuel, heat, and oxygen. When you shut 'er down, you take out the oxygen because the fire can't breathe any more. However, it will keep smoldering for a while using the precious few particles that seep in through the little crack in the bottom sliding vent, the hole temp guage goes through, and the little bit that comes in around the rain cap. [p]We're still left with fuel (the lump) and heat. We all know how long it takes our eggs to cool down after a cook - the ceramic's thermal properties are what make our babies magical! Steel, aluminum and other metals let all that heat escape while the fire is dying - taking away two elements of the fire, while we are essentially only taking one element away. ;~)[p]So when you open it back up, you add the oxygen that the fire has been panting for and it eagerly lights back up hoping for more delicious meals to cook. [p]Ahh, the magical fires.... Gotta love 'em!