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Ash removal.

MikeP624
MikeP624 Posts: 292
edited May 2012 in EggHead Forum
What's the best method? I was thinking of getting a small shopvac.
«1

Comments

  • rambrose
    rambrose Posts: 23
    That's what I use works great I use it after about every 3 cooks
  • Brownie
    Brownie Posts: 1,023
    I pull out the fire box grate and use an old paintbrush every few cooks. About once a month I pull the firebox out and brush that out too.
  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    edited May 2012
    I can burn through a bag of lump on my XL before it needs to be done, although sometimes I do it sooner.  I do the double bucket method.  Turn one bucket upside down.  Put the other bucket on it. and it lines up a couple inches below the bottom vent opening.   Take the ash tool and pull all the stuff out and into the bucket.

    You can pitch it all out, but if sift it and recover the small pieces and use them again.  Easily is 10% - 15% of the bag by weight so I sprinkle them on top when I load the grill.
    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
  • scaryangel
    scaryangel Posts: 135
    I also pull out the fire grate and use a paintbrush.
  • SandBilly
    SandBilly Posts: 227
    I use the ash tool after every cook, and I have a fireplace broom I use when I remove the firebox. Just hang it on the hooks next to the ash tool and grill gripper.
  • Pull everything and use a paintbrush.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • brentsee
    brentsee Posts: 99
    I don' have an ash tool... I use a plastic container and a glove
  • I use my Ridgid 9-gallon wet/dry vac. http://j.mp/IINImD It works great, I use it before every burn. It has an exhaust port that accepts the same hose as the intake port, which is great for getting your egg up to temp quickly. (Some people use a blow drier.) It's a bit bulky to carry out to the egg every day though.

    If I were buying something specifically for Egg cleaning, I'd get a smaller one like http://j.mp/IK3Uoi but ONLY IF it has a hose hookup on the exhaust. I can't tell if that one does or not.
    I finally took the plunge and bought my large Big Green Easter Egg from Roswell Hardware in Roswell, GA 03/31/2012
  • Outlaw77
    Outlaw77 Posts: 71
    I use ash tool and a galv feed budget for ashes after most cooks. I use this http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&locStoreNum=4647&productId=100021998&storeId=10051 before long cooks and when I'm cleaning. Was $30 at my home depot.

    Richard this one has blower
  • stevesails
    stevesails Posts: 990
    I shop my Xl out about every 20 lbs of lump
    XL   Walled Lake, MI

  • Dave in Florida
    Dave in Florida Posts: 1,157
    Shop vac.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
  • .. Stupid question but dont shop vacs blow out air??? I. E. You suck up the ash and the vented air blows ash dust in the open air
    See the filter in this shot? http://j.mp/L2NMAM

    It does get clogged, but no ash dust comes out.
    I finally took the plunge and bought my large Big Green Easter Egg from Roswell Hardware in Roswell, GA 03/31/2012
  • Jameson19
    Jameson19 Posts: 354
    Ash tool and BGE dustpan, then toss ashes into neighbor's yard....
    Large BGE, Adjustable Rig, Small BGE, 2 BBQ Guru's, 18" WSM, Rockwood, Stage 3 Roush Mustang and a hot wife... 

    Las Vegas, Nevada!
  • Outlaw77
    Outlaw77 Posts: 71
    Mountain,
    No more or less than a regular vacuum. Air flow decreases in the bucket and gravity pulls dirt and debris into bucket. The velocity of air flow out is minimum.
  • Outlaw77
    Outlaw77 Posts: 71
    You wont inhale ash. Breathe normally, through your nose while drinking a beverage and vacuuming
  • Smoker_Guru
    Smoker_Guru Posts: 372
    6 gal shop vac with a dry wall bag. No dust and about 20 clean outs and you can just pull the bag and trash it. Very neat and clean. And the vac filter never clogs up...
  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    +1 on the shop vac with a Drywall bag. It takes longer to remove lump from the firebox than using the vaccum.

    @brentsee I bought the ash tool and didn't think I'd use it. I use it on every cook. It's great for stirring the lump before lighting to knock excess ash down. I also stir the coals when the egg begins to come to temp. I highly recommend the ash tool.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • Gato
    Gato Posts: 766
    BGE ash pan and ash tool. I don't really worry about getting every bit out. I actually tend to leave a layer of ash to insulate from the direct heat of the lump.
    Geaux Tigers!!!
  • Eggbertsdad
    Eggbertsdad Posts: 804
    I use a Bucket Head from The Home Depot. It's a shop vac motor that sits atop a 5 gallon bucket. I then empty the bucket in the yard.
    Sarasota, FL via Boynton Beach, FL, via Sarasota, FL, via Charleston, SC, via The Outer Banks, via God's Country (East TN on Ft. Loudon Lake)
  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    I stir my ash then have a small attachment for my shop vac I can stick in the bottom vent and suck it all out. It'll even go around the outside of the fire box a little bit.

    If there's. No good left over lump I brush everything and shop vac everything with a brush attachment. All while taking the innards out and putting back in....

    When I get moved and build my table I hope I can mount some little shop vac in it. It's not terrible to drag out. I just grab it when I grab my bag O~lump from the garage.


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • gee
    gee Posts: 71

    Use the venerable lint lizzard with a shop vac. Never have to take the egg apart.

    :))
    Who cares I'll post where I want
  • 70chevelle
    70chevelle Posts: 280
    Shop vac every few cooks.  No problems blowing ash through the outflow.  Takes longer to haul the shop vac to the egg than to clean it out. 
  • xraypat23
    xraypat23 Posts: 421
    Idk, everyone always complains about not being able to get the temps up. So i'm kind of neurotic with keeping the insides clean. I always fill up the firebox to the top with lump after a complete clean out. Than after it's completely extinguished, i take out the unused coals, put them in a paper bag and remove the bottom grate, vacuum out with my shop vac and reassemble. about every 3 cooks I take the entire egg apart and vacuum it out. I barely use my ash tool and have never had a problem getting to ridiculous temps, or keeping low temps for 16+hrs
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    Wow! Shop-vacs? Paintbrushes? I really must be lazy. I just use the ash tool and scrape out what I can and don't worry to much about getting it totally ash free down to every single dust particle.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • STANGOJE
    STANGOJE Posts: 44
    Shop Vac works great!
  • MikeP624
    MikeP624 Posts: 292
    My main reason for the shopvac idea was that with my set up it seemed very messy and time consuming to try and just use the ash tool to scrape out the ash, i was hoping that the shopvac would allow me to spend about 2 minutes and have a reasonable clean egg.  And it sounds like the shopvac will do just that. 
  • BRush00
    BRush00 Posts: 367
    Ash tool and regular dust pan - planning to pick up a cheap-o shop vac very shortly though...
    [Insert clever signature line here]
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200

    I'm sure it will. I would have to go to the garage to get the shop vac, then figure out where the hell all my extension cords keep disappearing to, then clean it out, then put it all up.  See....I'm lazy.

    I've got a galvanized metal wine pail that I keep right next to my Egg. If I tilt it, it will wedge right under the bottom of the Egg perfectly and i just scoop my ash into there with the ash tool.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    I use shop vac cause I had one and am too cheap to buy ash tool and pan


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
    Wow! Shop-vacs? Paintbrushes? I really must be lazy. I just use the ash tool and scrape out what I can and don't worry to much about getting it totally ash free down to every single dust particle.


    Me too!