Yes, I should have known better....

Big Daddy - OCT

Well,[p]I'm able to type about a sentance at a time before I have to put the ice pack back on my hand. But the real crime is that by the time I got my fingers cooled down I had over cooked almost $30 worth of ribeye...just a crying shame.[p]Here's the story. I had seared those pretty chunks of meat at about 550 done on a raised grid. Up until this I've only done lower heat cooks and I was very nervous about the dreaded flash back.[p]After both sides were beautiful I closed the vents and waited a few minutes for the dwell time. When the time came to remove them I cracked open the dome enough to make sure there was no flashback. With the all clear I started raising the dome and then my hand felt like it was smack in the middle of a heat ray! There was no flash or flame but it was intense and I had to drop the dome.[p]In hind sight I don't know where I thought a whole egg's worth of heat was going to go except out the opening I had just created but I never thought about it before. I will every time from here on out...guaranteed![p]Lesson learned by a noobie...[p]Bruce

stike

BigDaddy - OCT,
sounds like a steam burn...[p]the egg is airtight, and can really hold moisture, as you found out.[p]I'm not a big fan of the sear, shut-down, dwell for a couple reasons, one of which is the potential for flashback. [p]if you want to continue do the 'dwell' by shutting down completely, keep in mind that the daisy can actually remain open to help vent fatty smoke (from ribeyes) or steam (as it sounds in your case).[p]the fire can actually be snuffed with the lower vent only. you will not have much of a draft with the bottom shut, to help vent it out, but it will still eventually vent some of the smoke/steam.[p]...that fatty smoke (from ribeyes during a dwell) can be pretty noxious tasting. i think the sear/shut/dwell thing works best with lean cuts. but that's me.[p]

Flashback Bob

BigDaddy - OCT,
Whenever I need to open the egg after a high heat cook followed by shutting down the vents, I throw the vents wide open again before I even burp it . I do this for a few seconds, burp it and then carefully open it.

Big Daddy - OCT

stike,
This being my first attempt I didn't know what to expect but I agree with everything you said...you nailed it exactly. I even told my wife it felt like a steam burn. Given the advantage of hind sight I wouldn't use that method for that cut of meat again but that's how a noobie learns. I read everythign I can but it's "soft knowledge" until it's actually attempted.[p]Bruce

fishlessman

BigDaddy - OCT,
i thought i learned that lesson also, until it happened again, and again, and again. be real careful when there is a pan with liquid in there, flashbacks usually just scare you, but those steam burns hurt

gdenby

BigDaddy - OCT,[p]I'm searching for a better pair of gloves. I started with ordinary leather work gloves, and so lost all my forearm hair. Switched to much longer leather gauntlets which go up about 6 inches, but they're so thick that I almost dropped my last searing steaks onto the paving stones.[p]Comiseration
gdenby

Dublin Dawg

Big Daddy:

I have a 4 foot long bamboo stick that I use to raise by BGE lid with. I still raise it slow, but any flashback is too far away to reach me. Works great.