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fire ring and fire box stuck together...

sholedc
sholedc Posts: 20
edited February 2012 in EggHead Forum

I clean out my Egg more than most, I think.  Anytime I do a cook longer than a couple hours I like to clean out all the old charcoal (saving the usable pieces of course) and take out the interior pieces and brush them clean to make sure I get the best airflow possible.  Tonight I'm cooking a butt, and I tried to pull the fire ring and fire box out and they were stuck together.  Presumably by grease.  I'm sure if I tried hard enough I probably could have pryed them apart but it wasn't worth the risk of breaking something.  Don't see any reason why this should matter.  But I've always wondered why there were 2 separate parts.  Could've just as easily made the fire box and fire ring one singular piece it would seem, so there must be a reason.  Has this happened to anyone else?  Any reason why this would matter?

Comments

  • When I cook ribeyes on a small BGE, my preferred method is to remove the fire ring, bringing the grate just inches from the coals for a good quick sear. I can say that the removable fire ring is an advantage because when you are using a kamado that doesn't have that ring, you will need to purchase a separate grill to achieve this. Also, when using a plate setter with legs down, you will need to remove the fire ring for it to be in the correct position.
  • hmmm.... I've never heard of removing the fire ring to use a plate setter?  I use the plate setter legs up anyways.  But seems like even with legs down the meat would be too close to the fire if you're cooking a butt or brisket or something.  I put my plate setter on top of the fire ring, legs up, place the grill on top of the legs. 
  • Can somebody translate what John Ross is sayin?
    LET'S EAT
  • Yeah he lost me.
  • eggo
    eggo Posts: 492
    John, are you talking about pizza on the plate setter with the legs down? There are other things cooked with the legs down. Just wondering......
    Eggo in N. MS
  • Sorry, didn't word that real well.  It is probably not standard procedure, but we did a turkey on a med egg some years back where we used and inverted plate setter, in place of the fire ring, creating more room in the dome for the turkey.
  • BOWHUNR
    BOWHUNR Posts: 1,487
    Thanks for that John.......You had me think'n I'd been doing it wrong all this time. :D

    Mike
    Omaha, NE

    I'm ashamed what I did for a Klondike Bar!!

    Omaha, NE
  • @sholedc. I use my small for high temp steak cook. Lots of grease flys around the and when the egg cools down the ring and firebox become one. ( took about 8 months for this to happen)
    Next hi temp cook load up extra lump, after food cooked open up vents and do high temp burn. That has always worked for me
    Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
  • odie91
    odie91 Posts: 541

     But I've always wondered why there were 2 separate parts.  Could've just as easily made the fire box and fire ring one singular piece it would seem, so there must be a reason.  Has this happened to anyone else?  Any reason why this would matter?

    Probably less likely it will crack from thermal cycling.  Might be easier to manufacture as two separate pieces as well.  Just my guesses.....
  • yakyum
    yakyum Posts: 4
    I have the same problem...Went to clean out egg and ring and fire box stuck together.  I'm afraid to try to lift by myself.  How do I separate?  I tried to manually but no luck.  I'm a small woman and not sure if I should leave this alone or find someone to help remove and try to separate?
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Can somebody translate what John Ross is sayin?

    :))

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I never remove the fire box or ring.  If I want to sear close to the lump I have a small grate that I set right on the lump - almost caveman style.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    When you are finished with your next cook --  take something and slightly shift the position of the fire ring while the egg is still hot.  Then when it cools down take them out and clean the greaase off of them,
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    John Ross said:
    Sorry, didn't word that real well.  It is probably not standard procedure, but we did a turkey on a med egg some years back where we used and inverted plate setter, in place of the fire ring, creating more room in the dome for the turkey.

    I have done that with large turkeys as well, but that was before I knew spatchcock.

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • yakyum
    yakyum Posts: 4
    Thanks I'll try it after the next cook.  I was just trying to remove to do a good clean out and....couldn't separate.