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Matchlight stank ever go away?

MikeG
MikeG Posts: 174
edited August 2012 in EggHead Forum

As posted here before, I got a Small for $75 a couple months back.  Nice deal. Wasn't all gunked up with grime.   It came with a new unopened bag of Matchlight and a half used bag of Cowboy lump and I assumed the owner had never polluted it with the ML.   Wrong.   I've done 6 cooks in it including an extended 550* burnout and the food out of this thing still smells like VOC's.

Anything I can do to hasten the cleaning process?

Comments

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,624
    i dont use my small too often and have to let it burn longer before the bad smell goes away before the food goes on. are you waiting for the smell of the smoke to smell right, it needs to smell like a clean burning camp fire before food goes on. cant see the matchlight still causing problems
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Try going hotter, longer.  The ceramic is porous.  At the lab, we ash samples at 550 C (1022 F).  That's the temperature where all organic materials oxidize into ash.  You probably don't have to go that hot, but go extended burn.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • robnybbq
    robnybbq Posts: 1,911
    Can an Egg that has Lighter Fluid used int int be recovered?  I thought the Egg was toast after lighter fluid was used.

    _______________________________________________________________
    LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,


    Garnerville, NY
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    If matchlight was used, it's likely lighter fluid was used also.  I wouldn't write it off yet.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • MikeG
    MikeG Posts: 174
    I have the high-que grate in my small.  WGWW lump was new and temp had been at 400* for about 15 minutes before wings were loaded on.  
  • hrchdog
    hrchdog Posts: 40
    Is it possible the original felt gasket absorbed the smell and that is what you smell when you light it?
    Herrin,IL.
  • MikeG
    MikeG Posts: 174
    Let it run after I pulled the wings last night so ran another 2 hrs or so at 550*.   We'll see if that helps.  Even with vents wide open and the high-que grate I can't get it to go over 550 but can't see that I'd ever need to. 
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,624
    I have the high-que grate in my small.  WGWW lump was new and temp had been at 400* for about 15 minutes before wings were loaded on. 
    but did it smell good


    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Get a hair dryer or some other fan and force air in the bottom vent with the top off.  Or if you want to go nuts, compressed air.  Watch out for burning embers blasting out the top. 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • MikeG
    MikeG Posts: 174
    didn't smell the smoke
  • Eggdam
    Eggdam Posts: 223
    15 minutes is not long enough for fresh lump.Make sure all the white smoke is gone.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Good catch, the evil smoke from freshly started lump could smell like chemicals and contaminate your food.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,624
    didn't smell the smoke
    make it a point to always smell the smoke before the food goes in. ive never been able to get the small going in 15 minutes and ready to cook and its pretty hard to go time wise, problems are damp egg, new or old lump, how you lit it etc, alot of variables and only the smell test works, it only takes a few cooks before you know what a clean burn is verse a dirty one
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • MikeG
    MikeG Posts: 174
    Smoke was clear.   Had been at 400* for 15 mins, not lit for 15 mins.  That should be enough to clear the voc's out of the fuel load, no?
  • MikeG
    MikeG Posts: 174

    And I think you are ignoring the premise of my OP: use of matchlight in Eggs funkifies them and it's tough to get out of there.  

    Anyone have experience with a 2nd hand Egg to confirm/refute?

  • ShedFarm
    ShedFarm Posts: 499
    I would forgo a regulated temperature burn, and just let 'er rip at max temp (Daisy-wheel off and bottom vent wide open) with a FULL load of lump (top of fire ring), until it runs out of fuel. Plan to replace your gasket, as you won't have much of one, if any, at the end of this process.
    BJ (Powhatan, VA)
  • I would forgo a regulated temperature burn, and just let 'er rip at max temp (Daisy-wheel off and bottom vent wide open) with a FULL load of lump (top of fire ring), until it runs out of fuel. Plan to replace your gasket, as you won't have much of one, if any, at the end of this process.

    +1 I'd do this. If the funk doesn't come out after that, it ain't never comin out. I'd fan the flames too.
    LBGE, Weber OTG w/ Rotisserie, Weber Genesis S-330, Chargriller Duo, AR-15, AK-47
  • Hungry Joe
    Hungry Joe Posts: 1,566
    I would forgo a regulated temperature burn, and just let 'er rip at max temp (Daisy-wheel off and bottom vent wide open) with a FULL load of lump (top of fire ring), until it runs out of fuel. Plan to replace your gasket, as you won't have much of one, if any, at the end of this process.

    +1 I'd do this. If the funk doesn't come out after that, it ain't never comin out. I'd fan the flames too.
    You might as well take your thermometer out when you do this. I had one go bad after a couple of clean out burns.
  • 15 minutes is not long enough for fresh lump.Make sure all the white smoke is gone.
    Tonight it took nearly 45 minutes for the bad smelling smoke to go away.  Really surprised me but waited it out.  Usually takes 20-30 minutes with new lump for me.