Covered egg? (Freeze/Thaw damage?)

SmokeOrFire

I know that freezing/thawing devastates concrete (roads/etc) when water gets into the concrete, freezes and thaws, and eventually breaks it up.

I also see that my egg "bleeds" when going to high temps (500+) where brown-red water comes through the glaze. Others have seen this. This means that the ceramic holds water.

I have also found numerous posts where it seems the only consequence of leaving the egg uncovered is a frozen-shut lid.

Since I am in the mid-atlantic, where it freezes and thaws a lot (instead of staying below freezing most of the winter), has anyone seen damage to their eggs, such as cracking or spalling when they are uncovered in this kind of weather? I'm thinking I should send it to 600 for a while to push all the "blood" out then keep it covered for the winter to keep the water out. (I did NOT say mothball all winter!)

The Naked Whiz

I live in NC and leave my large egg uncovered for the most part. No problems. The glaze will craze, but this happens on all Eggs and is normal. My Egg is almost 9 years old, and is doing fine. You may want to cover it for other reasons, but you don't need to worry about it getting damaged by freezing.

lowercasebill

i am in S.E PA. 0-100 degrees and slush filled winters.
egg has sat out uncovered for 5 years. no problem.

Zippylip

hey bill who is the hobo tak'n meat off your egg

SmokinGuitarPlayer

For what's its worth, my personal Large Egg has been outside, mostly uncovered for years here in Pennsylvania. I just wipe the snow/ice/etc. off of it and fire it up. I have never experienced the "bleed" you refer to but I use it a couple of times a week. Also the only time it froze shut was after installing a new nomex gasket ...it rained a lot ....then the ambient temperature went to deep freeze ... the nomex is water absorbent and the thing was frozen solidly shut ... anyway ..I dropped some lit coals into the top and waited for it to warm up ... got impatient and didn't wait long enough and when I "worked" it open, the newly installed gasket stayed frozen together and "uninstalled" itself ! ...

We also have had Eggs "glue" themselves shut at our store after demos ...usually after a high temp cook like pizza (which we bake a lot) ... my helper Toby uses a razor knife to cut the buggers open and then ...yes, another new gasket !

FlaPoolman

come on Zip,,, everyone knows thats the unibomber :laugh: :laugh:

lowercasebill

it is the unibomber in relax mode

lowercasebill

you're right but somehow the reading glasses don't have the same "look" as the aviators

Little Steven

SmokeOrFire,

I live in Ontario Canada and my 12 year old large still matches the newer ones. I've never covered any of them. There is some crazing on all of them but not noticably more on the oldest one.

Steve

Clay Q

In winter my eggs go from below zeerow cold to 500° hot.
No problem. I do cover the eggs when not in use to keep the rain/snow off my hand carved oak handles.

SmokeOrFire

Since you sell them in PA, your experience shows that the eggs probably don't care too much about ice, else you'd see a lot of customers complaining about ice damaging their eggs.

The others in PA, NC and ON seem to back this up.

I have the cover, but looks like I shouldn't worry too much about forgetting to re-cover before the next slush storm.

FearlessGrill

To add my $.02, I'm in Mass about 2 miles from the coast - gets very cold at night, but generally above freezing during the day. I have had the type of 'bleeding' you've described from time to time. I've never covered my Egg, and it hasn't shown any ill effects.

-John

SmokeOrFire

This puts the ice damage theory to bed for good

Thanks

SmokinGuitarPlayer

Yes, I tell prospective customers not to worry about it and I have never before heard of that "bleeding" issue ...but my Egg(s) get heavy use ... I also have one at my place at the Jersey shore that has a cover but it always blows off and the egg is exposed for months at a time and nothing happened there. The biggest "threat" to my Eggs is me making pizza! :laugh:

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

the ceramics are designed (formulated, really) to expand and contract with much better performance than other materials. the old earthenware ("terra cotta") eggs (and chimineas that you see today everywhere) can't undergo freeze/thaw cycling very well. one of the things BGE did to really change the game was to work on the formula.

in fact, the crazing of the glaze is a good indication that it works. the glaze cracks because it is virtually glass, and can't really handle any expansion.

but the ceramic plugs along merrily expanding and contracting