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Still Moldy - Blah!

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userbosco
userbosco Posts: 1
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Okay,

I've had my BGE for around 9 months now. I love it - mostly. However, as many have noted on this forum, without apparent constant use, it goes to mold very quickly. It's really nasty. Yes, I know I can burn it off, and yes, I know it wouldn't be as severe if we used it more frequently. But how frequently? I use BGE pretty much every weekend, and it goes to blue fur mold in the span of one week? Really? Every time after use, the top cap goes on, the vent is closed, and the cover goes on. By the next weekend, I cringe at the thought of what's under the cover. Why does the BGE do this in the first place? I've owned Weber charcoal grills for 25+ years (and still do) and have never had to deal with an issue like this.

Advice and answers much appreciated!

Userbosco
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Comments

  • loco_engr
    loco_engr Posts: 5,765
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    Is the mold on the outside of the egg or on the cover?
    aka marysvilleksegghead
    Lrg 2008
    mini 2009
    XL 2021 (sold 8/24/23)
    Henny Youngman:
    I said to my wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?' She said, 'I want to go somewhere I've never been before.' I said, 'Try the kitchen.'
    Bob Hope: When I wake up in the morning, I don’t feel anything until noon, and then it’s time for my nap
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  • WingRider
    WingRider Posts: 326
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    Is it stored where it gets a fair amount of sunlight, the only time mine mold is when we have a month of dark rainy days.
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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
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    The mold is inside the egg. Hard to burn it off otherwise, :-)
    The Naked Whiz
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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
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    Wow, I have never heard of one going moldy that quick. I have 3 eggs for my daughter and myself, and may go more than a month without lighting any particular one, expecially the medium. Never have I had one with mold.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    it is designed to retain moisture. that knife cuts both ways.

    if you have it under cover (a roof), try leaving it open. or you could leave the lower vent wide open and rain cap off. if you are expecting rain, covr it, otherwise leave it open for air to get inside. but if it is humid regularly, you still might have an issue
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Mainegg
    Mainegg Posts: 7,787
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    LOL it is frustrating. where are you located? we have a few in FL and a few in Maine and we do not really run in to any mold. but ours are used about every night. and not all of them either , but each egg is used 3-4 times a week maybe? the large's not as often. maybe give it a few min to burn before shutting it down after you cook? and I think part is that they are air tight pretty much and hold heat and moisture in. unlike the other guy :whistle:
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    I have never seen any mold in mine either. You mentioned "under the cover". Are you using a cover? Perhaps loose it and see if that helps as Stike suggested.

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • NC-CDN
    NC-CDN Posts: 703
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    I've never had mold. Even when it isn't cooked on for a few weeks. That don't happen often. Maybe vacation. Still it never gets moldy. I live in the south so it's plenty moist here in the summer. I usually have it covered, but not always.
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  • Dnorman
    Dnorman Posts: 117
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    Have you tried to do a real long burn out? Fill the thing up with lump, get it to 600 and let it burn out. It will kill the mold spores and dry it pretty good. I have had a few customers do this and solve issues that they were having.
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  • Austin Egghead
    Austin Egghead Posts: 3,966
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    Here is my scientific observation:
    Large in hot sun. Temp in egg at 4PM is over 120. When the sun goes down the egg cools off and this causes moisture inside the egg. If egg is not used regularly and lump and ashes are left in the egg moisture is trapped and over time mold will grow.
    My cure:
    After egg has cooled down open lower vent and DFMT vents all the way. This will give you enough air circulation to prevent mold, also, remove any ash and unburned lump from the egg.
    If you live in area where it rains frequently put the ceramic cap over the DFMT. (It get pretty windy on the top of our hill and the top has yet to blow off. (privacy fence has gone over twice, but not the top)
    Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
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  • Capt Frank
    Capt Frank Posts: 2,578
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    Leave the cover off. :) Cover is trapping the moisture and not letting the ceramics breathe B)
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  • sodacracker
    sodacracker Posts: 11
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    when we picked ours up they suggested that after cooling we leave he upper lid slightly propped open, a 1/2" or so, to let the air circulate through.
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  • srq2625
    srq2625 Posts: 262
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    My approach to this problem is to reduce the amount of moisture in the egg and then seal it up. After a cook, I let the temperature rise and stabalize in the 450°F to 550°F range. Then shut the draft vent and put on the rain cap (my rain cap has a Rutland gasket on it, making it a bit more air-tight) and let it cool.

    So, the high heat drives off all the water from the cook. The cooling of the air in the egg will cause it to contract and, thus, suck a bit of outside air into the egg, but not enough to raise the RH enough to matter and that's my story and I'm sticking to it. :)

    Of course, this process does consume a bit of charcoal, but not enough more to matter and the costs are more than balanced by the benefits as it also allows me to burn off some of the fats and crud from the grill, etc.
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  • Smokinb
    Smokinb Posts: 103
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    After you cook, close the bottom vent and leave the top open to let moisture burn off. After about 15 mins. Shut the top to snuff it out. That should fix your mold issue.
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  • deepsouth
    deepsouth Posts: 1,796
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    use it every other or every third day. no mold.

    seriously... i don't know why yours is doing that. sometimes my mini gets used once every month or two and i've never even had mold in it.

    good luck! i hope you solve the problem!
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  • WokOnMedium
    WokOnMedium Posts: 1,376
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    I have had mold in my mini once, and when I went to pick up the large I lent to a friend, it was full....really full of mold.

    I think you have a lot of good suggestions here, but the one thing I keep going back to is, that mini has set in that same spot with that same cover on it for over 2 years. So it must be situational. Mold will only grow in a warm moist environment. You may not be able to control the temp of where it sits, but you can control the amount of moisture inside the egg.

    I'm a lazy ole lady and I would start with the easiest thing first to see if it makes an impact on the mold. After you get done on Sunday open everything up and let it burn out. That will ensure all the critters are gone, your egg will be clean and the vent and daisy wheel will be open. Before you head out for your week on Monday morning close up the vent a little and the Daisy Wheel a little. Leave the cover off, and see what happens. If it fixes the problem you've altered your routine a tiny bit and fixed the problem. If not try all the other ideas that folks have found to work for them. Just my 2 cents. Good luck.
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